Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon). Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Granger for this opportunity, and I appreciate the hard work and bipartisan work that the gentlewoman, Chairwoman Lowey, and the leadership have put together to make this bill a reality. I rise in strong support of the spending package for fiscal year 2020 because it includes several provisions that directly impact 3.2 million citizens living in Puerto Rico by providing funding for the Nutritional Assistance Program, as well as the Puerto Rico Air National Guard projects, and the Army Corps of Engineers, among others. I am especially pleased that the agreement provides 2-year funding for the island's Medicaid program. The funding levels included in the bill will give certainty to the 1.1 million beneficiaries who rely on this program to meet their healthcare needs, as well as to put into effect several critical sustainability measures designed to enhance the provision of healthcare. This guarantee of funding for the next 2 years constitutes an important step towards correcting the problems arising from the chronic underfunding of the program. I look forward to continuing this conversation for a long-term solution that guarantees citizens in Puerto Rico a standard of healthcare that we can expect from a nation as great as ours.”