Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my concern with H.R. 1918, the Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act of 2017. Today, I stand with the people of Nicaragua and the people of south Texas. Nicaragua has been our partner to the south. They work with us to combat drug trafficking, limit irregular migration, and make our region and our world a safer place. Nicaragua today is the safest country in Central America. {time} 1500 I agree, we must be vigilant in monitoring Nicaragua's transition to democracy. However, we must recognize that enacting this bill could have serious consequences on the region. NICA could strain our alliance with Nicaragua, and it could lead to instability, irregular immigration to the United States, to my border district, and an increase in criminal activity. My district was ground zero for the last immigration surge, and I would like to prevent that from happening again. Nicaragua has its economic and political challenges, but it has taken steps to address poverty, climate change, and to grow its economy. How can we, in good conscience, support a measure that would punish the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere? Moreover, Nicaragua stands with America and our allies against the rogue nation of North Korea. We cannot compare Nicaragua to Venezuela. While we must hold countries accountable, we should bring them in rather than shut them out.…”