Madeleine Bordallo

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, the events of World War II seem to be lost in translation, interpreted as events that occurred rather than events that affect. For many, the events of the past no longer shape our views of the future. For this reason, I come to the Chamber this morning to speak about an important chapter in American history. A chapter that too few Americans know. Early this morning, Congressman Sablan and I were joined by the Honorable David Hayes, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, Major General Donald Goldhorn, former Congressman Ben Blaz, Congressman Joe Wilson, and friends of Guam in laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington. We honored the soldiers, the sailors, the airmen, the marines, and Coast Guardsmen who participated in the battle in the liberation of Guam and the Northern Marianas during World War II. Our ceremony also honored the liberated, the Chamorros, the indigenous people of Guam, who remained steadfast in their loyalty to the United States during the war and who endured enemy occupation. Tuesday, July 21, 2009, marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Guam. Guam was attacked by the Imperial Japanese forces on December 8, 1941, at the same time that Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked, the different dates owing to the international dateline. Guam was subsequently invaded by the Imperial Japanese forces on December 10, 1941, and occupied until liberation on July 21, 1944. The story of the people of Guam and the campaign to liberate them from occupation is an American story of courage and sacrifice. It is an important part of American history, and one of pride and determination in the face of overwhelming obstacles, barriers constructed by the Japanese war machine in the form of forced labor, forced marches, internment and public executions, and a true test of loyalty, a test that had not been asked but for a very few civilian communities under the American flag in the 20th century. So I come to the floor today to bring honor to the Chamorros who were occupied, and to the servicemen who liberated them. The liberation of Guam from enemy occupation during World War II marked a pivotal point in Guam's history and was a key battle for the Allied Forces in ending the war in the Pacific. The liberation of Guam by the United States Armed Forces from the Imperial Japanese Empire allowed for the first time the installation of air bases that would house land-based aerial bombers, putting them in reach of the main island of Japan. The air offenses launched from the Mariana Islands were effective in subduing the Imperial Japanese war effort, bringing the war to an end and saving the lives of many. Prior to the Japanese invasion, Guam Armed Forces consisted of 153 marines, 271 U.S. Navy personnel, 134 civilian construction workers, and 247 Chamorro members of the Insular Guard. The Insular Guard protected the community on Guam during the invasion. During the occupation, the Imperial Japanese Forces attempted to turn the Chamorro people against the United States. But the Chamorro people remained steadfastly loyal to the United States through the 32-month occupation. On the eve of the American landings on the island in 1944, all 22,000 Chamorro inhabitants of Guam were forced to march to Mannengon Hills and other locations to be interned in concentration camps to maintain control of the population in fear of an uprising. This is a true story of American courage. The Chamorro people of Guam were loyal Americans at the time, and it was the first time that a foreign power invaded U.S. soil since the War of 1812. Despite fear of their captors and their will, the Chamorro people remained steadfast in their loyalty, and were brave in providing aid to the American soldiers hiding from enemy capture. These acts of courage were punishable by death. Some experienced horrific events, massacres at Malesso' and Tinta and Faha' where Japanese soldiers herded families into caves and threw hand grenades and delivered small arms fire until dozens lay dead. Their loyalty was put to the extreme test of sacrifice. So as we approach Liberation Day next week on Guam, we remember our elders who lived through the occupation and also the several thousand members of the U.S. Armed Forces who gave their lives while defending and liberating Guam.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Reina Arce Leddy, President of the Guam Chamber of Commerce, for her dedication and service to our community. Reina passed away on Thursday morning, July 2, 2009, on Guam. In November 2007, Reina was appointed President of the Guam Chamber of Commerce. As the Chamber's President and Chief Executive Officer, Reina led and promoted the Chamber's programs. Before assuming the Presidency, Reina worked with the Chamber since 1991 as an assistant to the President. In that capacity Reina supervised Chamber staff, and managed all aspects of Chamber's community relations, special events and publications. An energetic and focused professional, Reina staffed the Chamber's Committees on the Armed Forces, Maritime Affairs, Small Business, Tourism, and Retail-Wholesale Merchants. Reina also served as the Chamber chief administrative officer where she was entrusted by the Board of Directors with managing the Chamber's organizational structure, with the effective execution of its policies and procedures, the maintenance of its membership and the organization's long range planning. Reina graduated from the University of Guam where she majored in Finance and Economics and East Asian Studies with an emphasis on Japan. While at UOG she also pursued a minor in Management. The government of Japan awarded Reina a Japanese Government Scholarship as a research student at Hiroshima University's Intensive Japanese Language Course. She also studied at Kagawa University. In addition to her duties as Chamber President, Reina is a member of the American Chambers of Commerce Executives (ACCE), the Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce (APCAC) and the Civilian Advisory Council at Andersen Air Force Base. Reina's spirit of community extends to her home village of Mangilao and the parish of Santa Teresita Catholic Church. An accomplished pianist, Reina, and her husband, David, a professional guitarist, shared their love of music as the leaders of their church choir. Born on November 24, 1963, to Reynaldo Arce and Consolacion San Nicolas Mendiola, and married to David P. Leddy on May 31, 1986, Reina left us at the young age of 45 but leaves behind a legacy that will live for many years to come. My condolences, sympathies and prayers go out to her family and loved ones and to all who knew her and were touched by her joyous spirit and never-ending smile.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support this bill. I have no further speakers. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, the Tule River Water Development Act, sponsored by our colleague from California, Representative Devin Nunes, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to complete a feasibility study that would evaluate alternatives for a water supply for the Tule River Tribe of the Tule River Tribal Reservation. The tribe views this study as a very important first step in settling their water right claims. Similar legislation passed the House in the last Congress, and I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 1945 today. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1945) to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility and suitability of constructing a storage reservoir, outlet works, and a delivery system for the Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation in the State of California to provide a water supply for domestic, municipal, industrial, and agricultural purposes, and for other purposes.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the sponsor of this bill, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch).

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1129 would authorize appropriations for an Interior Department program that makes grants available to fund a Native American ironworker training program. The appropriations for this program have been made for many years, and this program provides both classroom and on-the-job ironwork training for members of federally recognized Indian tribes. This program would also facilitate job placements for those tribal members who successfully complete the requirements of the program. With unemployment rates rising to a staggering rate of over 80 percent on some Indian reservations, this program is desperately needed. The ironworker training program provides Native American participants with the knowledge and the ability to join a skilled labor force as a career. I want to commend our colleague Mr. Lynch of Massachusetts for his hard work and dedication to this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to support its passage. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1129) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide an annual grant to facilitate an iron working training program for Native Americans.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Before I go any further, I would like to thank the distinguished gentleman from Alaska, the former chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, for joining me in managing the bills from our committee here today. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1275, introduced by our colleague Representative Jim Matheson, would direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter into a land exchange with the State of Utah for certain lands in Grand, San Juan, and Uintah Counties in Utah. The legislation authorizes the exchange of approximately 40,000 acres of Federal land and minerals for approximately 42,000 acres of State land and minerals. This exchange would place valuable conservation and recreation lands into public ownership while also benefiting public school funding in Utah. Many of the lands that the State of Utah is proposing to transfer to the Bureau of Land Management, the BLM, are lands within wilderness study areas, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, or other sensitive areas. Many of the lands the State would acquire from the BLM have a high potential for development, and the State puts the receipts generated from the use of these lands into a trust fund for public schools in Utah. So I commend Representative Matheson for his hard work on, and commitment to advancing, H.R. 1275. Many land exchanges in Utah have been controversial in the past, but by actively working with all the stakeholders affected by this exchange, this bill now enjoys broad support. So I support H.R. 1275 and I urge its adoption by House today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1275) to direct the exchange of certain land in Grand, San Juan, and Uintah Counties, Utah, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Chair, I was delayed in arriving to the Chamber earlier today to cast my vote in the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union on the question of adopting the amendment offered by Mr. Heller of Nevada to H.R. 2996, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010. Had I been present and able to cast my vote, I would have voted ``aye'' in support of this amendment (rollcall vote 467). (By unanimous consent, Mrs. Tauscher was allowed to speak out of order.) Confirmation of Congresswoman Tauscher by U.S. Senate as Under Secretary of State

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, as our understanding of human impacts on the environment grows, so too, must our commitment to the protection and conservation of the world's fish and wildlife resources. The United States is largely regarded as the global frontrunner in international fish and wildlife conservation. Our nation has a longstanding history of sharing our knowledge, technical abilities, and experience gained through the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation to aid other countries in the conservation of their wildlife and wildlife habitat. Unfortunately, wildlife conservation resources, including trained wildlife professionals and basic logistical and communication tools, still commonly remain unavailable in many foreign range states that are home to globally significant species. Notwithstanding the many successful conservation initiatives implemented by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service around the world through its programs such as Wildlife Without Borders Program, there remains a glaring need to improve coordination and collaboration within the Federal government. In addition, improving cooperation between the Federal Government and non-governmental organizations to increase public awareness about illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade, to raise awareness about the implications of global biodiversity loss, to enhance assistance to range states in the conservation of their wildlife, and to close existing gaps in current conservation activities, is necessary and long overdue. The Global Wildlife Conservation, Coordination and Enhancement Act of 2009, which I have introduced today, would address these needs by consolidating and enhancing the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to specifically conduct fish and wildlife conservation activities internationally. This legislation reflects the solid input gained through two oversight hearings conducted by the Committee on Natural Resources during the 110th Congress. The bill also benefits from extensive dialogue with wildlife conservationists, zoo and aquarium professionals, law enforcement experts, animal health and welfare organizations, and other stakeholders. Title I of the bill would create an Institute for International Wildlife Conservation within the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, through which the Department of the Interior's international conservation initiatives would be coordinated and collaborative partnerships built. The Institute, which would enhance and strengthen the Service's existing International Affairs Office, would have authority to carry out a targeted public education and awareness campaign to better inform U.S. consumers of the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products, and most important, what they can do to limit the United States as a market for illegal contraband. The Institute also would be empowered to provide financial, educational and technical assistance to range states and other partner institutions to support capacity building, to create and enhance locally adapted wildlife management programs abroad, and to develop professional cadres of wildlife conservationists in the United States and abroad. In addition, the Institute, through its Center for International Wildlife Recovery Partnerships, would provide a forum for the active collaboration of federal, state, tribal, local, and non- governmental entities regarding wildlife conservation and the care, rehabilitation and recovery of threatened and endangered wildlife species. Title II of this bill would create a Global Wildlife Coordination Council within the Executive Branch in recognition of the fact that international wildlife conservation is a multi-dimensional issue that requires the broad involvement of the Federal Government to be successful. This Council, which is patterned after the highly successful United States Coral Reef Task Force, would be comprised of various Federal agencies with a responsibility and stake in global wildlife conservation. To comprehensively address the myriad threats confronting global wildlife, this Council would be tasked to develop a cross-cutting strategy to better utilize existing resources to increase Federal coordination without creating new bureaucracy. In closing, the illegal wildlife trade, which has received considerably less public attention than the illegal trade in narcotics and weapons, is an increasing challenge threatening not only the conservation of biodiversity but also the social, political and environmental stability of range states throughout the world. Congress must act to ensure that the Federal Government has the authority and tools it needs to promote the conservation of wildlife resources abroad, to protect the environmental health and security of the United States today, and ensure that we pass on those resources to future generations. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance this legislation and to strengthen the abilities of the Federal Government to provide critical wildlife conservation support around the world and to maintain the United States' leadership role internationally in wildlife conservation.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My amendment helps to build support for the military bill buildup on Guam by addressing a longstanding issue. We will authorize a substantial amount of military construction in this bill, but to keep up the morale and the obligation to the people of Guam, it is only right to also resolve the issue of war claims as part of this bill. The war claims program for Guam administered by the U.S. Navy after World War II had shortcomings, and this amendment would address the resulting disparity of treatment for war claims for the Chamorros who endured the occupation of Guam. The House passed this amendment as H.R. 44 in February, but the other body has not considered it. Adopting this amendment will provide an opportunity to resolve this issue. And, again, many thanks to Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member McKeon for accepting this amendment en bloc and to all of their staff for their outstanding support in advancing this bill. I urge adoption of this amendment.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Yes.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Chairman, I offer this amendment for the purposes of ensuring that not less than $500,000 is appropriated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for grants to be awarded in 2010 by the Secretary of Commerce for Western Pacific Fishery Demonstration Projects. The amendment ensures funding is provided for this authorized, competitive-based grants program in fiscal year 2010. The Western Pacific Demonstration Projects program is authorized by Public Law 104- 297, the Sustainable Fisheries Act. The program was funded at the maximum authorized level, $500,000, each year from 1999 through 2005. My amendment would restart the program at this same level of funding. Valuable and economically innovative projects in Western Pacific fisheries have been demonstrated and explored through this program in previous rounds of competition. The program is important to the communities represented on the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, which includes my own district, the Territory of Guam. Mr. Chairman, the program's chief purpose, as authorized, is to establish not less than three and not more than five fishery demonstration projects to foster and promote traditional indigenous fishing practices. In the last rounds of competition in 2004 and 2005, five grants were awarded to applicants in the State of Hawaii, three each to American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and one for Guam. I am grateful for the opportunity to offer this amendment, and I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan) and our colleague from Virginia, Mr. Wolf, and their staffs for their attention to this amendment. I hope to secure their support today for the adoption of this amendment, and I look forward to working with them to ensure that this issue is addressed appropriately in conference. And, finally, I want to state that the issue of protecting indigenous culture, as this amendment does, with respect to traditional fishing practices is important, not only to myself, but to our colleagues from CNMI, American Samoa and Hawaii. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk, amendment No. 19, printed in the Congressional Record on June 15, 2009.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. BORDALLO. First I want to thank Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas for their support of this amendment. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is very simple and straightforward. It would require the assistant secretary of TSA to conduct a study and to make recommendations on specific methods by which airports in the U.S. territories, including the Guam International Airport in my district, can best and most cost-effectively comply with existing security regulations. Specifically, it asks TSA to review compliance with parts 1544 and 1546 of title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations relating to the issue of commingling of passengers at U.S. airports. The report would evaluate alternatives and identify the costs for their implementation. Additionally, TSA is to identify sources of Federal and non-Federal financing to implement the preferred alternative at each of these airports. Guam is a small hub, Mr. Chairman, for a domestic airline. Our airport on Guam facilitates the daily transiting of international passengers to destinations in the United States, other Pacific islands, and major cities in the Pacific Rim, including Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Australia. The current security arrangement at the airport on Guam requires significant resources to be expended in constant around-the-clock monitoring by security personnel to prevent the commingling of transiting and departing passengers. The security enhancements made subsequent to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001--particularly with respect to preventing the commingling of passengers at our airports all across the country--have been costly, and in some cases, difficult to fully implement. Moreover, the current decrease in tourist arrivals and departures due to the economic downturn further erodes the financial capability of small airports to implement such improvements. The Guam International Airport Authority has been operating under a waiver from the Transportation Security Administration for several years. Both the TSA and the Guam International Airport Authority agree that the temporary solution, which amounts to placement of removable partitions and use of security staff to prevent commingling of passengers in their movements throughout the terminal, is not feasible for the long term. However, the cost of implementing security arrangements and improvements at the Guam airport to ensure compliance is costly, and since other security enhancements and expansion of the airport, have completely obligated the passenger facility charge. The amendment before us, Mr. Chairman, simply looks to provide options for solving this problem on Guam and potentially other airports in the U.S. territories as well. More importantly, it would provide guidance for funding implementation of these security improvements. And again, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman and his committee staff for their work with me and my staff on this amendment. And for the record, I urge passage of the next amendment, No. 12, sponsored by Congressman Jackson-Lee and Congressman Hastings. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Chair, I rise to express my support for this amendment, and to speak very briefly on its relevance to my district. Presently, a commercial air carrier contracts with the U.S. Postal Service to transport mail from Honolulu to Guam, and vice versa. Movement of U.S. Mail to and from Guam is handled solely by this contract--which includes transportation on both dedicated air cargo freighters as well as daily by passenger aircraft. Right now, the U.S. Postal Service requires mail patrons to affix Customs Declarations to all Guam-bound mail pieces weighing 16 ounces or more--not for customs purposes, but as a security measure to obtain a sender's identity. The reason for this onerous requirement is, in part, because the TSA and airport authorities lack the means and resources to screen all Guam mail. A few years ago, TSA trained and stood-up a canine detection team at our airport on Guam to help with the mail backlog, but this team cannot screen all the mail and keep up with the volume. Additionally, the airport in Honolulu needs a canine team dedicated to screening mail there. This amendment would help our situation. I support this amendment, urge its adoption, and thank my colleague for yielding me the time.