[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 14, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                           A DAY OF RECKONING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Green) for 5 minutes,
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Still I rise, Mr. Speaker, because I love my 
country and I love the people in this country. I love them because we 
are all created from a common Creator. I love the people of this 
country.
  Not all of the people in the United States, those who are citizens, 
live within the continental United States. A good many of them live in 
Puerto Rico. I rise today to speak on behalf of the people of Puerto 
Rico who are suffering because moneys that have been appropriated by 
the Congress of the United States of America have not been given to the 
people of Puerto Rico and have not been delivered to the people of 
Puerto Rico.
  I cannot understand how Congress can appropriate--bills signed, money 
available--yet we cannot get it to the people who need it. I am told 
that hospitals are closed. I am told that some people are sleeping in 
the street. I am told that there is suffering. I haven't been there to 
see it myself, but the reports are available for all of us.
  There is suffering taking place in Puerto Rico, and we in this House 
would allow what we have signed, sealed, not to be delivered?
  What is wrong with us?
  People are suffering. We can help. At some point we will have to pay 
for this, and we are not going to have to pay for it by losing a 
congressional office. That is easy. That is not the kind of punishment 
we are going to get for the way we are treating people. There is going 
to be a day of reckoning for all of this, knowing that people are 
suffering and you withhold the money.
  The chief executive officer of this country knows what is going on, 
and we who are here in Congress are aware of what is being denied. All 
it takes is for the chief executive officer to send it, and it will be 
done. But it is not taking place.
  So I appear today, and I rise because I love my country. I love the 
people of Puerto Rico. They are Americans by the way, citizens by the 
way. I love them and I refuse to allow this to happen on my watch 
without my at least standing here and calling it to the attention of 
the American public.
  I have a duty, a responsibility, and an obligation to say something 
about this type of behavior, especially when there are 435 of us who 
could do something about it and have done something about it, but there 
is one person who declines to allow justice to be done.
  Mr. President, what is wrong with you?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to address their 
remarks to the Chair and not to a perceived viewing audience.

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