Gregorio Sablan: “I thank the chairwoman for yielding. Madam Chair, I cannot imagine. I come from a district where we are the typhoon…”

“I thank the chairwoman for yielding. Madam Chair, I cannot imagine. I come from a district where we are the typhoon alley. A little over a year ago, the second largest storm since 1935 that hit the United States hit my island, and that was subsequent to another typhoon that hit my island just a year before that. But for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, for Puerto Rico in particular, two major storms hit the islands, and before the people even had a chance to truly get their lives back in order, earthquakes. Those homes that were not destroyed by the storms are now destroyed by the earthquakes. Madam Chair, in a previous administration, I was a Special Assistant for Management and Budget, and we did an analysis of what it would be like to apply the U.S. Internal Revenue Code fully to the Marianas. We would lose more money if we change Federal taxes than if we don't. So I support the bill, and I ask for its passage.”