ms. plaskett: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 6720, the dog and cat meat trade prohibition act of 2018. and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. plaskett: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of my colleague, the gentleman from louisiana, mr. abraham, and his -- and this bipartisan legislation. the dog and cat meat trade prohibition act calls for an end to the global dog and cat meat trade. 68% of americans own pets. we treat our pets as members of the family. that's why i'm surprised to learn that we don't already have a law on the books that prevents the killing of dogs and cats for their meat. while this remains an extremely rare issue in the united states, the practice does occur elsewhere in the world. by passing the bill, congress will outlaw the slaughter and transfer of dog and cats for human consumption in the united states -- dogs and cats for human consumption in the united states. the farm bill currently in conference in

ms. plaskett: thank you, mr. speaker. one year ago today hurricane irma struck my home, the virgin islands of the united states. much was lost, but we were bents but not broken. and our good god has preserved our spirit. this week many virgin islands students returned to school. some still await their facilities being prepared for them. it's a significant step forward. it also serves as a reminder that there is much work yet in restoring an virme wholly conducive to the needs of our students. after the hurricane, both school districts lost estimates of $700 million in facility supplies and food for educational purposes. it's incumbent on all of us, all of us, to put our shoulders in to push our children forward. i want to thank those who have been gifted with one of the most important roles in our community, the hardworking teachers, administrators, faculty, and staff who played an integral role in our student's returning to school today, this week in the virgin islands. we're grateful for your efforts. i yield back the b

ms. plaskett: i rise to recognize an important forum my colleagues and i will be hosting tomorrow. while this month of september marks the one-year anniversary of hurricanes irma and maria making landfall in the virgin islands as a category 5 storm, the aftermath of the storm is still an everyday reality. according to a task force report summary, total damage is estimated at $10.8 billion. earlier this month, i visited local schools as they opened for the new school year and the conditions are troubling. the virgin islands board of education reported a drop of almost 40% in student enrollment and poirk's department of education closed -- puerto rico's department of education closed 250 schools. only 19 of the 33 public schools throughout the territory reopened on time and many of those didn't -- are in no shape for learning. lack of school supplies in classrooms, resources for students, students resorting to either standing or sitting on crates, floors, desks, libraries with little or no books and unfinished construction. let's not be fooled, however, the level of damage to the sch