Political Quotes

“I appreciate my colleague's point. I will reiterate. First, the people of Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens. They can take a flight to the United States, and they have all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities as any other U.S. citizen. They would have full reimbursement on Medicaid or Medicare. They would have protections of the minimum wage, overtime protections, and just about anything that any one of us has in this body or any of the people we represent in this body. So that is right. In terms of the cost, if you have gone to Puerto Rico, as I have many times, you know that the Puerto Rican people don't want to leave. It is a beautiful island. They are beautiful people. They are hard-working and faithful to God and country, as exhibited by all of the military commitments they have had to the United States since the Revolutionary War, all through. It is a beautiful island with idyllic views and natural wonders. The only rain forest in the United States is in Puerto Rico. They don't want to leave. But if you choke off all of their aspirations, all of their opportunities, if you treat them so dramatically different--as we do in both tax and health care policy--then, yes, they will have no choice and many will come. When they come, they will have the full privileges of any U.S. citizen and, therefore, it will be more costly.…”