I have heard serious concerns from my constituents that the Army Corps acted much more slowly than the local Department of Public Works.

The U.S. Territories have been subjected to substantial infrastructure funding cuts over the last 25 years.

Can you explain what were the issues that the Army Corps had in the slowness of the installation of those?

Has the Army Corps had meetings with other Federal agencies to coordinate plans and make other preparations for the possibility of what the season may look like?

A big issue for agriculture in our island territory is lack of data, in part because the local agriculture offices have limited means to collect data chronically.

We would appreciate that. It has been a real issue for us over the years.

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, at this moment I would like to speak on behalf of the people who I represent, the people of the Virgin Islands. I am thankful that this House has decided that they wanted to…

Because of that, we have been treated disproportionately and unfairly in the ways that some of this funding has come about. In addition, the bill does not include important local cost-share waivers for the Virgin Islands and contains…

I just want to say my heart goes out to your community.

I just think it is important that in the process of the review that the task force is making not only that the names of the members are there but the process in which regulations they are reviewing are there for public comment as well.

I think that it is very important that the public know who is on the task force, the perspectives and backgrounds.

At President's Trump's direction, political appointees at Federal agencies are repealing regulations that protect the health, environment, and pocketbooks of average Americans.

I may be one of the few Democrats who believe that we have maybe more regulations than are necessary.

Last week, the full committee ranking member, Elijah Cummings, sent a letter to both the Energy Department and the Interior Departments requesting the names of the task force members.

But more importantly, it is my job to expect Congress to do what Congress is supposed to do.

I am asking that the Congress waive the Virgin Islands' match for Medicaid over the next 3 years.

the responsibility constitutionally of this Congress, and my colleagues who call and claim to be strict constructionists should recognize that, as well.

We owe our fellow citizens living in these islands, and all taxpayers investing hard earned money in recovery, the answers to these questions.

Statehood is necessary for Puerto Rico to implement transformative change.

Differential treatment in programs or funding, outright exclusion in some cases, be it by law or regulation, result in territories being forced to do the best they can with the extremely limited resources available.

The help Puerto Rico has received to date from Congress and the Administration has made a huge difference, and I know my people are grateful for this.

Unless you want to see me back here after another major hurricane devastates America's Paradise, we must build it back stronger and more sustainable than before.

I would like to commend the efforts of both the Congresswoman from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Ms. Plaskett, and the Congresswoman from Puerto Rico, Ms. Gonzalez-Colon, for their efforts here in Congress.

I believe that Puerto Rico should be a state with all the rights and duties associated with being part of the United States.

Outside assistance, while welcomed, cannot substitute or displace the self-determination and self-governance necessary to truly create a sustainable recovery.