Political Quotes

“I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 180, which expresses the sense of Congress that the United States must maintain its presence in and assistance for the South Pacific region. Like my colleague, Mr. Faleomavaega, I represent a U.S. Territory in the South Pacific. As Americans, we advocate a strong U.S. presence in the region to ensure that this Nation's economic, trade, and investment interests are protected and expanded in the Pacific, gateway to Asia. As Pacific Islanders, we are part of the greater Pacific community. We feel solidarity with our neighbors and believe that they should receive current modest aid levels provided by the United States. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to international affairs, this Nation is fighting the tendency to bury our head in the sand and ignore world events. While international aid budgets must come down, such cuts should not come at the expense of effective programs. The American dollar goes a long way when spent on aid to the Pacific Basin. We are not talking about waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer money. We are talking about maintaining a viable presence. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.”