Madeleine Bordallo

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Ms. Marie O. McElligott, for her outstanding service to the community of Guam, and her countless contributions to its people. As an active member of our island community, Marie has been a great leader in both her volunteer and public service capacities. Marie has served our country for 26 years as an officer in the U.S. Navy in various capacities including communications officer, administrative officer, commanding officer for personnel support and director of family service centers and at many different ports, in Long Beach, California; London, England; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Naples, Italy. From 1981 through 1983, Marie led the coordination of a Navy logistics support and mobilization plan, which was used during Operation Desert Storm. During the latter part of her career serving as director of Navy Family Centers in Bangor, Washington and Guam, Marie was instrumental in developing a violence protection program for the submarine community, training programs for the prevention of sexual harassment, and an affirmative action plan. In the Guam Navy Family Center, Marie led military and civilian personnel in providing counseling and other family services for as many as 15,000 military personnel and their dependents. While on Guam Marie became an active member of the community off base, and served the community for many years in various government and private non-profit organizations. Marie was the Navy ex-officio member of the then Territorial Board of Education, the cochairman of the ``Just Say No Task Force,'' a member of the Mental Health Five-Year Planning Committee on Aging, a member of the Guam Chapter of the American Red Cross Board of Directors, and the executive director of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. After retiring from the Navy in 1991, Marie returned to Guam as a civilian, and making our island her home. Since then, she has dedicated herself to the people of Guam in both government and community organizations. For 13 years she worked as the administrator of client services and family counseling for the Superior Court of Guam. Under her guidance, a law to create policies for diversion and family violence prevention was passed. She also chaired the committee that created guidelines for Guam's only family visitation center. Her efforts have been recognized through numerous awards and accolades, including an induction into the Ancient Order of the Chamorri--the highest honor bestowed upon non-native residents of Guam; resolutions of commendation from the Guam Territorial Board of Education; Legislative Resolutions from the Twentieth, Twenty-Sixth and Twenty- Eighth Guam Legislatures; and a Resolution of Commendation from the Judiciary of Guam. For the last 3 years, Marie worked as the director of Guam's Lighthouse Recovery Center under the Salvation Army, managing a staff of 10 to provide food and shelter to the homeless and counseling and rehabilitation to those suffering from drug addiction on Guam. Her work has resulted in the implementation of a quarterly ``clean and sober'' event for Lighthouse Recovery Center residents, members of Alcoholics Anonymous, and supportive Aftercare clients. She has also been instrumental in growing the financial base for the Lighthouse Recovery Center with military chapels and non-profit organizations. Marie's knowledge and expertise has been a significant contribution to the operations of Guam's community service organizations. Over the years she has served as president and vice chair of the Guam Women's Club, and has also been an active member and chairperson of the Guam American Cancer Society, Guam American Red Cross, and the Guam Humanities Council, amongst many others. To date, Marie has given over 10 years of her personal time and commitment to advancing the issues and objectives of local non-profit organizations. Marie has been a part of our community for over 20 years and our island will be saddened by her departure, we will remain forever grateful for the service she has given to Guam. On behalf of the people of Guam, I extend our sincere appreciation to Marie O. McElligott for her service to our Nation and to our community. We wish her the best as she embarks on a new journey in life.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. I thank the gentleman from Mississippi. I rise in strong support of this en bloc amendment package and of the underlying bill. One of the amendments in this en bloc package enables the Maritime Administration to perform necessary improvements at the Port of Guam. A $13 billion investment is planned for military construction and civilian infrastructure on Guam. The Port will be handling substantial amounts of cargo in a very condensed timeline. The Maritime Administration has a solid track record of assisting governments. They have done work in Alaska and Hawaii, and that is why we need them for the Port of Guam. My amendment, which is included in this en bloc package, will enable the Maritime Administration and the government of Guam to execute a port improvement program under the terms of an MOU. Support for this amendment will help eliminate a potential chokepoint to the ultimate success of the build-up. I want to thank Chairman Skelton and Chairman Ortiz for their support of Guam and the provisions in this bill that ensures congressional oversight and accountability of the military build-up. Provisions extend the Davis-Bacon Act to all military construction on Guam, establishes a procurement technical assistance center on Guam, establishes congressional guidance on improvements to the utility system, and encourages the development of an MOU between the Government of Guam and the Federal Government. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Skelton. As he said on a recent trip to my district, and I quote, ``What is good for Guam, is good for our Nation.'' I thank the Readiness Subcommittee staff, the full committee policy staff, Erin, Paul, and Andrew for their help. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this en bloc package and ``yes'' on the final passage of H.R. 5658.

Ms. BORDALLO. I requested an official leave of absence beginning at 6:30 p.m. today, Thursday, May 22, 2008, to enable me to return to my district, Guam, for official business. I was therefore absent from the chamber when rollcall votes 361 to 364 were taken. Had I been present for these votes taken in the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union on amendments to H.R. 5658, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, I would have voted as follows: ``aye'' on the amendment offered by Mr. Price of North Carolina (rollcall vote 361); ``aye'' on the amendment offered by Mr. Holt of New Jersey (rollcall vote 362); ``aye'' on the amendment offered by Mr. McGovern of Massachusetts (rollcall vote 363).

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 1771, the Crane Conservation Act, was introduced by our colleague from Wisconsin, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin. The overall purpose of H.R. 1771 is to assist in the conservation of the world's 15 species of crane, such as the whooping crane and the sandhill crane in North America. The bill would establish a new Crane Conservation Fund to finance Federal matching grants supporting critical conservation projects for endangered birds and their scarce and shrinking habitats in Europe, Asia, South Asia, Africa, and North America. Mr. Speaker, cranes play an important role in cultures around the world. These birds are viewed as symbols of good fortune, happiness, and peace, and I ask Members on both sides to support passage of this noncontroversial bill that will help conserve this iconic family of large endangered birds. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 days 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. 1771) to assist in the conservation of cranes by supporting and providing, through projects of persons and organizations with expertise in crane conservation, financial resources for the conservation programs of countries the activities of which directly or indirectly affect cranes and the ecosystems of cranes, as amended.

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

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlelady from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) such time as she may consume.

Ms. BORDALLO

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

Ms. BORDALLO. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 1464, the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act, was introduced by our colleague from New Mexico, Congressman Tom Udall. The overall purpose of H.R. 1464 is to assist in the conservation of 15 imperiled cat and canid species, such as the lion, the cheetah, the jaguar, and the African wild dog. The bill would establish a new Great Cat and Rare Canid Conservation Fund to finance Federal matching grants for critical conservation projects to conserve these endangered wildlife species and their scarce and shrinking habitats. This legislation mirrors other highly popular and effective laws authorizing funding to help conserve and recover rhinoceroses, tigers, African and Asian elephants, great apes, and marine turtles. Great cats and rare canids are no less deserving of greater conservation assistance than these other keystone wildlife species, and I ask Members on both sides to support passage of this noncontroversial bill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge all of my colleagues to support the resolution, and I yield back 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 resolution under consideration.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1074) honoring the 60th anniversary of the commencement of the carving of the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, Lakota leader Crazy Horse is remembered by his people as a fierce warrior and visionary leader who was committed to preserving the traditional Lakota way of life. A young sculptor named Korczak Ziolkowski, who served as an assistant sculptor during the carving of Mount Rushmore, was approached by Chief Standing Bear and asked to create another mountain memorial, this time to honor a great American Indian leader. Inspired by the life and legacy of Crazy Horse, the sculptor began a mountain memorial carving of Crazy Horse nearly 60 years ago in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The memorial upon completion will be the largest carving in the entire world, at 641 feet long by 563 feet high. I would like to commend our colleague from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth Sandlin) for sponsoring the resolution that is before us today, and I ask my colleagues to support its passage. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO

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

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

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 325) celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission's Historical Preservation and Museum Program, which began on June 15, 1958, and for other purposes.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. House Concurrent Resolution 325, introduced by our colleague, Representative Bart Stupak, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission's Historical Preservation and Museum Program. Mackinac Island was originally named our Nation's second national park in 1875. But it was turned over to the State of Michigan in 1895 when it became Michigan's first State park, and the Mackinac Island State Park Commission was created to care for and manage the park. Eighty percent of the island is still managed as a State park to preserve its geological wonders, wildlife, and wooded areas. In 1958 Michigan granted authority to the commission to restore and interpret historical properties in the park. And so today we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of those efforts. Our colleague Mr. Stupak is to be commended for his efforts on this measure. Mr. Speaker, I support House Concurrent Resolution 325, and I urge its adoption today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time such time as I may consume. H.R. 3323, introduced by our colleague from California, Congresswoman Lois Capps, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to convey all rights of the United States to the Goleta Water Distribution System to the Goleta Water District in Santa Barbara, California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congresswoman Capps for her hard work on this important legislation, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3323, as amended. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge all of my colleagues to support the resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Senate Joint Resolution 17 directs the United States to initiate international discussions and take necessary steps with other nations to negotiate an agreement to manage migratory and transboundary fish stocks in the Arctic Ocean. It is important that any new or expanded fishing by the United States and other countries be conducted in a sustainable manner with science- based limits on catch as well as effective enforcement and monitoring systems. So to that end, it is important for the United States to begin the process to negotiate agreements with other Arctic nations to manage migratory, transboundary, and straddling fish stocks in the Arctic Ocean before any overfishing or overdevelopment of these fisheries can occur. I urge the support of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 300) recognizing the necessity for the United States to maintain its significant leadership role in improving the health and promoting the resiliency of coral reef ecosystems, and for other purposes.