Political Quotes

“I rise in support of H.R. 1801 which makes technical corrections in various antitrust laws and to the references of such laws. I thank Chairman Hyde and the Ranking Democrat, Mr. Conyers, for the work they did on this legislation to ensure the protection of American consumers. I would like to recognize that this legislation, which among other things, clarifies the application of the Sherman Act to the U.S. Territories, is supported by my fellow colleagues from the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The challenges faced by U.S. Territories are multi-faceted. In many respects, our relationship with the United States stems from the benefits we provide based on our geography. This benefit which helped us become a part of the American family can also be a disadvantage for the development of our economies. Save for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, Guam is the next most populated territory with 150,000 citizens. We are also coincidentally the furthest territory from the U.S. mainland. Our population and remoteness has proved challenging in the development of our economy. We have worked to develop a top-notch tourism industry and encourage entrepreneurship amongst our residents. Our focus to ensure a healthy tourism industry has resulted in the construction of world class hotels, such as the Hilton, the Nikko Hotel, and the Hyatt.”