It is my firm belief that these agencies require additional direction and resources from Congress to spur them into action.

This is a domestic responsibility. You're not talking about a foreign country.

Somewhere in there, Puerto Rico lost priority in the Federal realm.

I was attorney general of Puerto Rico at the time, and I lobbied hard for this law.

I believe that the most solemn duty of our government, whether it be Federal, state or local, is to safeguard its citizens.

violent crime is not an abstract problem. To the contrary, it is profoundly, intensely, and undeniably personal.

As a territory, Puerto Rico has always been treated unequally under Federal health programs. While the Affordable Care Act improved the island's treatment under Medicaid, a number of key inequalities remain under both Medicaid and…

Today I introduced legislation that would extend the SSI program to Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and Guam. SSI provides cash assistance to blind, disabled, or elderly individuals who have limited or no income. Although…

American citizens in the Caribbean are facing a security crisis. While the national murder rate has declined in recent decades, the number of homicides in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands remains unacceptably high. Since 2008, the…

In closing, Madam Chair, I hear that there is some opposition, but what frustrates me is that there are no specifics. I haven't yet heard a specific way in which my proposed amendment would harm any U.S.-flagged vessel or industry. Indeed…

My amendment will make a narrow and carefully targeted modification to the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 as it applies to Puerto Rico. This amendment would authorize foreign-flagged vessels--in particular, large yachts and…

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 56, after line 3, insert the following new section: SEC. 612. TRANSPORTATION OF PASSENGERS BETWEEN…

I want to commend my colleague, Congressman Grimm, for introducing this bill to name a post office in his Staten Island district after Sergeant Angel Mendez, who, at age 20, in Vietnam, laid down his life for his fellow marines, earning…

I have physical evidence of the rising ocean levels.

The coming months represent a defining moment for our Nation. Responsible leaders from both political parties understand that we must come together on behalf of the American people to create jobs for millions of unemployed workers and to…

I rise this morning to discuss the issue of Federal support for health care in Puerto Rico and the other U.S. territories. This is a story of unprecedented progress, but it is also a chronicle of continuing challenges. While the treatment…

Protecting our Nation's maritime borders is a matter of great importance to Puerto Rico as well.

I come to this hearing concerned that there is a mismatch between the level of drug-related violence in Puerto Rico... and the size and scope of the Federal response.