Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I am excited to speak on behalf of H.R. 5105, the BUILD Act, and urge its passage in this Chamber. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, Ranking Member Sherman, and my lead cosponsor, Adam Smith of Washington, for the hard work they and their teams have done to bring this bill to the floor. These gentlemen worked tirelessly along with their teams. I would also like to give a shout-out to our legislative director, James Walsh, who did yeoman's work for this bill. Today, America is confronting unprecedented instability and growing humanitarian crises around the world, all of which have a direct impact on our national security and economic interests here at home. Delivering effective U.S. foreign assistance is crucial, especially in the current fiscal climate in which it is imperative for the U.S. Government to use every dollar more efficiently and effectively. The BUILD Act will ensure the United States delivers foreign assistance both effectively and efficiently by catalyzing the private sector to invest in developing countries. Of our top 15 trading partners, 12 of them were once recipients of foreign aid. Forty-three of our top 50 consumer nations of American agriculture products were once U.S. foreign aid recipients. Additionally, 95 percent of the world's consumers live outside of the United States, and the poorest two-thirds of the world now represent about $5 trillion in purchasing power.…”