Political Quotes

“I have come to the floor time and time again on this issue with a simple message: PROMESA, which is the Spanish word for promise, is not a promise; it is a power play leaving the people of Puerto Rico unable to manage their own government, make their own decisions, and do what they believe is necessary for their own future. In the case of Puerto Rico, we have decided not to help them make their own decisions but to take the powers of governing away from them. While I have filed many amendments, unfortunately my colleagues seem to have thrown up their hands and said this bill cannot get any better, we will not even try to do the people's work and have actual debate and votes in the Senate. I would note that calls for a thorough debate on the Senate floor were bipartisan in nature. I would remind my colleagues that each one of us was elected to this very Chamber to debate and enact legislation to improve the lives of Americans, and that includes the 3.5 million American citizens living in Puerto Rico. I know proponents of the bill have argued, supporting an amendment process would force Puerto Rico to default and have serious repercussions for its people, but they are simply mistaken. The truth is, the legislation we are considering will include a retroactive stay on litigation, meaning any lawsuit filed before July 1 will be halted and any judgments unenforceable.…”