Political Quotes

“The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), my colleague on the Committee on Rules, brings up two very important issues. Indeed, nothing in this bill would require people to pay the subminimum wage. It simply allows it. It provides it as an alternative. {time} 1245 I think this is a situation where Puerto Rico is going to need all the alternatives it can possibly have at its disposal to deal with what is truly a devastating fiscal problem and a devastating economic problem, which gets to a second point he brought up. When you have a breakdown in the economy, as you have got, and a breakdown in the government's financing, as we have got in Puerto Rico, it has dramatic effects in other parts of society. We are already seeing a breakdown in their hospitals and their ability to deliver health care. And education, for that matter. So the best way we can address healthcare problems, whether it is Zika or something else or the other myriad of problems that result from this, is to get this bill passed and get Puerto Rico quickly on the road to recovery, both fiscally and economically. I heard my friend's comments. I understand them. But the best way to get where we are trying to go is to give Puerto Rican people the most options we can to deal with this problem and also get them on the road as quickly as we can. And that is what the bill is designed to do. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”