Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett) for yielding. I lament that, as Miss Gonzalez- Colon pointed out, she will not be able to vote on the final passage of this bill. I lament that Puerto Rico is not a State. If it were a State or if the Virgin Islands were a State, they would have already been addressed and helped, consistent with what we have done for States. Madam Chair, history will remember this generation of Puerto Ricans for their perseverance, their courage, and their strength. Having endured two devastating hurricanes in 2017, they have had to cope with their heartbreaking aftermath, characterized by the Trump administration's failure to allocate resources properly, fairly, effectively, and timely. Now a series of powerful earthquakes have struck the island, causing additional damage and, sadly, loss of life. We have heard reports that, while much of the power transmission infrastructure that was rebuilt stronger after the hurricanes were able to hold up, the aging power plants they serve sustained substantial damage. Madam Chair, I will remind my colleagues that the people of Puerto Rico are our fellow American citizens. They are our brothers and our sisters, our fellow Americans. Their well-being is our concern. Their capacity to rebuild, and rebuild stronger, is our responsibility as the representatives of the American people--of all the American people.…”