Political Quotes

“And thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on behalf of H.R. 2615, the Virgin Islands of the United States Centennial Commission Act. H.R. 2615 will establish a short-term commission to research, plan, develop, and carry out activities related to the 100th anniversary of the Virgin Islands becoming part of the United States. The commission will revisit the history leading up to and directly following the transfer of the islands from Denmark to the United States. Its purpose will be to educate those unaware of that history on a national level of the importance of the territories to the geopolitical advancement of this great Nation. The history of the Virgin Islands and its people is profound, Mr. Speaker. It tells a story of a land so resource-rich and unique in its geography that it was occupied by seven different nations. It tells the story of a resilient people who insurrected slavery and colonial oppression to achieve self-governance. In 1493, when Christopher Columbus landed on the island of St. Croix, which was then called Aye Aye by its native inhabitants, it is the only place in what is now the United States in which Christopher Columbus landed, but it is also reported to be the first place that he met armed resistance. He renamed islands, part of a chain, the Virgin Islands. In 1733, on the island of St.…”