Madeleine Bordallo

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members 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. House Concurrent Resolution 300 recognizes the necessity for the United States to maintain its significant leadership role in improving the health and promoting resiliency of coral reef ecosystems. Coral reef ecosystems are not only economically important to commercial fisheries and marine tourism of many places, including my own district of Guam, but they also act as natural protective coastal barriers during storm surges and high waves. In 2008, the International Year of the Reef, the United States can help facilitate coordinated conservation efforts and maintain its leadership by working to strengthen awareness of the values of the coral reef ecosystems. This resolution, Mr. Speaker, encourages continued United States leadership in that regard, and I urge my colleagues to support it. 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 pass the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 17) directing the United States to initiate international discussions and take necessary steps with other Nations to negotiate an agreement for managing migratory and transboundary fish stocks in the Arctic Ocean.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3323) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey a water distribution system to the Goleta Water District, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1464) to assist in the conservation of rare felids and rare canids by supporting and providing financial resources for the conservation programs of nations within the range of rare felid and rare canid populations and projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations, as amended.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2649) to make amendments to the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992, as amended.

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

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 2649, as amended, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to participate in the Lake Hodges Surface Water Improvement and Reclamation Project. This project would pretreat 13,000 acre-feet of impaired Lake Hodges water currently unavailable for consumptive use. We have no objection to this noncontroversial bill, and 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 the Members to support this bill. I wish at this time to thank my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa), who has managed these bills on the floor with me today. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 4841, as introduced by our colleague, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, would bring resolution to the water rights claims for the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians and ratify a settlement agreement between many municipalities and the Tribe. This bill has received bipartisan support, including support from the administration, so we have no objection to this noncontroversial bill. 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 bill under consideration.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4841) to approve, ratify, and confirm the settlement agreement entered into to resolve claims by the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians relating to alleged interferences with the water resources of the Tribe, to authorize and direct the Secretary of the Interior to execute and perform the Settlement Agreement and related waivers, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Chairman, I was unavoidable detained in a meeting earlier today, May 8, 2008, in the other body regarding legislation I have sponsored, and, therefore, was absent from the Chamber when rollcall votes 296 and 297 were taken. Had I been present for these two votes taken in the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, I would have voted as follows: ``aye'' to sustain the ruling of the Chair (rollcall vote 296) and ``aye'' on the amendment offered by Mr. Altmire of Pennsylvania to H.R. 5818 (rollcall vote 297).

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of the Guam Community College (GCC) and to congratulate the institution on the occasion of its 30th anniversary. The Guam Community College, established in November 1977 by Guam Public Law 14- 77, became our premier institution for vocational, skilled trade and technical education when it assumed the programs and missions of its predecessor, the Trade and Technical High School and the Vocational High School of the Guam Department of Education. GCC's leadership at both secondary and post-secondary levels is realized through its offering of over 50 courses of study in vocational programs, adult and continuing education, community education, and short-term specialized training. Designed to target student populations within the Asia-Pacific Rim and the Micronesia region, GCC courses prepare students through job development and training based on community needs and trade demands. The small communities within the region, and the distance from mainland learning institutions, are contributing factors to the GCC's mission. With a diverse offering in curriculum and training programs, the college caters to these communities by offering ease of access to higher education. The main college campus, located in Mangilao, Guam, accommodates a population of 2,000 students. Off-campus and satellite options allow for distance learning, and on-campus courses equip students with expert and on-the-job training through partnerships with Guam businesses, organizations, and government entities. Through internships and apprenticeships, GCC has been successful in nurturing local talent to contribute to our island's economy. GCC maintains membership in the prestigious educational organizations of the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges, the Pacific Post-Secondary Educational Council, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and the League of Innovation for Community Colleges. Accreditation has been awarded by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges and by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges since 1979. Additionally, under the United States Vocational Education Act of 1946, 1963, and subsequent amendments, GCC has served as the State Board of Control for vocational education for Guam. GCC has been a consistent leader in the region for education. True to its mission to provide students with training for life-long learning, GCC offers opportunities for specialized learning through programs such as English as a Second Language, Adult Basic Education, General Education Development (GED) preparation and testing, and an Adult High School Diploma. During this 30th anniversary, I join the people of Guam in recognizing the foresight and vision of GCC's past presidents: Dr. Herominiano delos Santos, John T. Cruz. Jose Ramos, Peter Nelson, Dr. Stanley B. Malkin, and Dr. John C. Salas. We also recognize the current and past chairs of the Board of Trustees: Gina Y. Ramos, Juan Tenorio, Charles Spero, Dr. Antonio Yamashita, Dr. John C. Salas, Richard Tennessen, Jose Munoz, Atanacio T. Diaz, Greg Perez, and Adolpho Sgambelluri. The vision of these individuals has culminated today into the leadership of president Mary Ann Y. Okada, vice president of academic affairs John R. Rider, Ed.D., and vice president of administrative services John C. Camacho. With the commitment, dedication, and leadership of Guam Community College's officers, board of trustees, faculty, and students, GCC has become a symbol of the possibilities that exist within our island and our region. The college blends the talent and expertise of our government agencies, businesses and industries, community groups, and technical training establishments on Guam. These valuable and strategic partnerships have increased trade and technical capabilities in the community leading to greater opportunities and success for its students and our islands. On behalf of the people of Guam, I would like to recognize the 30 years of education and community service of the Guam Community College. I commend and congratulate them on this milestone anniversary.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, today I have introduced H.R. 5931, the Joint Guam Projects Oversight Act, to ensure appropriate implementation and oversight of the realignment of military installations and the relocation of military personnel on Guam. I am joined by my colleague from Hawaii, Mr. Abercrombie, in introducing this legislation. The rebasing of military forces from Okinawa, Japan to Guam is a component of the United States-Japan Alliance Transformation and Realignment Agreement signed in May 2006. Additionally, planned for Guam is the reassignment of a significant number of airmen from Korea, the standing-up of a U.S. Army air defense battalion and improvements to Naval Base Guam. These major realignments present significant challenges and opportunities for the community on Guam. Over the next 6 years the Department of Defense and the Government of Japan plan to spend over $10 billion to support the realignment of units of the III Marine Expeditionary Force from Okinawa to Guam and an additional $3 billion on upgrades and improvements at Andersen Air Force Base. The Government of Japan has pledged to contribute over $6 billion to support the rebasing of units from Okinawa to Guam through direct contributions to the United States Treasury and through Special Purpose Entities (SPEs). Funding of some projects by a foreign government poses significant challenges to Congress's right and responsibility to oversee this realignment. H.R. 5931 creates a new account for the realignment to Guam. The account entitled the ``Guam Defense Policy Review Initiative Account'' would help the Department of Defense manage its expenditures on projects associated with the realignment of military forces on Guam. This legislation also addresses the unique nature of the SPEs. Department of Defense officials indicate that SPEs are intended to operate in a manner similar to other public-private ventures that currently exist with respect to other projects in the United States. Our legislation expresses a Sense of Congress that the SPEs should operate as publicprivate ventures. It also encourages the Department of Defense to ensure that all construction projects on Guam, operated and maintained by SPEs, should meet U.S. standards. It also encourages the Department of Defense along with the Government of Japan to consider utilizing the SPEs for projects other than military housing and utility infrastructure improvements. Moreover, if the SPEs are utilized to improve utilities on Guam the improvements must be made to the overall grid operated by the Government of Guam and not solely for the benefit of military installations. Improvements to the overall utility infrastructure on Guam will be more cost-effective. The $13 billion investment by the Department of Defense and the Government of Japan is intended primarily for military infrastructure. However, the Government of Guam estimates that additional funds will be needed to improve civilian infrastructure, including schools, public safety, water, wastewater, utility, and road improvements to accommodate the additional population on the island. As we near the end of the Bush Administration's term it is important that the Federal Government work closely with the Government of Guam to develop Memoranda of Understanding, MOU, to ensure Federal commitments that Guam can rely on. The MOUs can be facilitated by utilizing the Interagency Group on the Insular Areas, IGIA, established by executive order of the President. The legislation includes a Sense of Congress that these MOUs must be developed to ensure that the build-up is a success. In reference to planning, the legislation also authorizes the Office of Economic Adjustment, OEA, within the Department of Defense to provide planning funds to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana, Islands, CNMI. This will support appropriate planning by the Government of the CNMI for increases in population and military activity resultant from the establishment and utilization of training ranges in the CNMI. Currently, the OEA lacks the authority in law to provide planning funds to the CNMI and this provision would correct this omission in law. It is important that military construction projects on Guam be energy friendly and meet strong environmental design standards. The legislation requires the Department of Defense to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, LEED, silver rating standards. LEED standards have been developed and are approved by the U.S. Green Building Council. The legislation also requires the Secretary of Defense to report back to Congress on establishing a goal for energy renewability on Guam. The major construction effort supporting the build-up should be conducted in the most environmentally friendly and energy efficient manner as possible. The legislation also prioritizes the small business community in this military build-up. The bill contains a provision that would limit the Historically Underutilized Business Zone, HUB Zone, preference for work performed in excess of 150 miles from the primary office location of a HUBZone firm. This provision would ensure that construction projects benefit the local businesses and economy. Moreover, the legislation would authorize the establishment of a Procurement Technical Assistance Center, PTAC, on Guam to help local small businesses navigate the complexities and bureaucracy of Department of Defense contracting. Finally, the legislation will require all contractors to certify their compliance with local tax and licensing requirements. The provision grants the contracting agent within the Department of Defense the ability to withhold final payments on contracts if the contractor is found to be delinquent in paying their local tax obligations. This provision is important to ensuring the Government of Guam will be able to collect revenue from this build-up and apply such revenue to make needed improvements to civilian infrastructure. The military build-up on Guam presents many opportunities and many challenges. I firmly believe that the legislation I have introduced today with Mr. Abercrombie will help facilitate congressional oversight and accountability of build-up activities as well as provide additional tools for the local government and businesses to make this build-up a success. This legislation addresses issues important to the people of Guam and would help to ensure the success of the military build-up both for the Department of Defense and for the people of Guam.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. I thank Chairman Rahall for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2739, and I urge my colleagues to vote to pass it and send it to the President's desk. I underscore my support for subtitle B of title VII of this comprehensive, important legislation, which provides for the election and the seating of a delegate representing the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Mr. Speaker, the people of Guam and the people of the Northern Marianas are neighbors, and we share a common heritage. This bill is the product of careful deliberation and bipartisan cooperation. Many Members have worked diligently to shape it into the form in which it has arrived on the floor today. And for this reason and for the leadership brought to bear in drafting the CNMI title and responding to the concerns and interests of stakeholders on Guam, I want to thank very much Chairman Nick Rahall and Insular Affairs Subcommittee Chairwoman Donna Christensen. The CNMI delegate provision represents the beginning of a stronger partnership for this body with the people of the Northern Marianas. I look forward to welcoming a new delegate in this hall and to that day next January when Members will take the oath with a new colleague representing the CNMI. This House has a strong record of affording U.S. territories representation in Congress. To date, Mr. Speaker, 188 delegates and 32 resident commissioners have served ably in this House over the course of its history. It is a tradition that dates back to 1790, with the Northwest Ordinance areas, and today we continue this tradition by extending a long overdue voice for the people of the Northern Marianas. The CNMI should be afforded the honor and given the responsibility of electing a delegate to represent their interests. This is about democracy and representation. The compelling case for representation for the CNMI has finally been made. So vote for S. 2739.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, as the House prepares to take up H.R. 2830, the Coast Guard Authorization Act, I call attention to Coast Guard policy affecting repairs of its vessels. There is a loophole in current law that I seek to close with an amendment that will come to the floor tomorrow. The law does not recognize Guam as a U.S. port for the purposes of repairs, overhaul and maintenance of Coast Guard vessels. My amendment would correct this loophole and would not allow the Coast Guard to seek repairs of vessels home ported in Guam at foreign shipyards. This amendment is needed to protect vital American jobs. Outsourcing repair, overhaul and maintenance of national security vessels is a dangerous proposition. The case in point, the Coast Guard wants to take the cutter Sequoia, home ported in Guam, and one of its newest in the fleet, to have its first major repairs done at a foreign shipyard by foreign workers. This move jeopardizes American jobs and critical ship repair capability on Guam. It is in our national security interest to maintain a viable ship repair capability on Guam. The Coast Guard's actions are contrary to our national security. And this is even more serious because we have U.S. shipyard workers who are being laid off while the Sequoia leaves Guam.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a fallen Guam son, United States Army SSG Joseph D. Gamboa, 34, from the village of Malesso. Staff Sergeant Gamboa was assigned to B Company, Ist Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, in Vilseck, Germany, and was killed in the line of duty on March 25, 2008, in Baghdad, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sergeant Gamboa is the 25th serviceman from Micronesia to lose his life in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In honoring Staff Sergeant Gamboa, we are reminded of the ultimate sacrifice that so many young people in our Nation have made for our freedom. Staff Sergeant Gamboa's dedication to serving our Nation and defending our freedom will be forever remembered. He now joins the brotherhood of heroes, a long line of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen who have put their country before themselves and who have lost their lives in combat. We owe a debt of gratitude to these men and women that can never truly be repaid. Staff Sergeant Gamboa was a loving husband, father, son, and brother. He was a dedicated family man who adored his family and would do anything for them. He joined the Army to provide a good life for his children and out of a sense of duty to his country. He is also remembered by his fellow soldiers as a wonderful friend who had a great sense of humor and who loved to sing. I join our Guam community in mourning and in prayer for Staff Sergeant Gamboa. I offer my condolences to his wife Michelle, their children Krystianna Mychailla, Austin Joseph, Ashton Joseph, Savannah Joelle, Avery Joseph, and Isabella Jomia, his parents Francisco and Cecilia Gamboa, his brothers, sisters, and extended family and friends. God bless the Gamboa family, God bless our men and women in uniform, God bless Guam, and God bless our country, the United States of America.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, today I have introduced a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend eligibility under the new markets tax credit for community development entities created or organized in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. This bill would make a technical correction to existing law governing the new markets tax credit program and specifically authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to certify corporations or partnerships organized in one of the five U.S. territories as entities qualified to participate in the new markets tax credit program. The Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-554) authorizes the new markets tax credit program for the purpose of increasing incentives for investment in low-income communities across the country. Under the program, qualified community development entities (CDEs) are eligible to be allocated credits from the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund at the Department of the Treasury. Taxpayers who then invest in the CDE are allocated some of those credits in return for their investment. The CDE must invest those funds in low-income communities, and the taxpayers are able to claim, over a 7-year period, credits equal to 39 percent of their investment. CDEs act as intermediaries for the provision of loans, investment funding, or financial counseling in low-income communities and are able to legally operate anywhere in the United States, including in the territories. Despite the ability of a CDE under current law to legally and practically operate in a U.S. territory, a corporation or partnership that is created or organized in a U.S. territory applying for CDE certification cannot qualify for such certification under the current law. This ineligibility stems from such organizations being deemed ``foreign'' and not ``domestic'' under other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. This nuance in law effectively prevents local CDEs in the territories, that is entities who would otherwise be recognized as such by the Department of the Treasury, from investing in their own communities. The bill I have introduced today would rectify this situation which I believe is an oversight in the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000. The bill would allow for the certification of CDEs created or organized in a U.S. territory thereby enabling them, to operate and invest in their own communities. CDEs organized and operating in any one of the several States or the District of Columbia could continue to invest in low-income communities in the territories under this arrangement. I am joined by Mr. Faleomavaega of American Samoa, Mrs. Christensen of the Virgin Islands, and Mr. Fortuno of Puerto Rico, in introducing this bill. We look forward to working with the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ways and Means to advance this bill and to support increased investment opportunities for our own communities. Ultimately, this bill is about making the new markets tax credit program work for the territories and ensuring Congressional intent behind the new markets tax credit is fully realized and fulfilled in our communities.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, today I have introduced a bill to amend the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to improve the conservation of sharks. Sharks are long-lived apex predators with comparatively small populations, making it difficult for them to breed rapidly enough to maintain populations under fishing pressure. Sharks have been increasingly exploited in recent decades, both as bycatch in the pelagic longline fisheries from the 1960s onward, and as targets in direct fisheries that expanded rapidly in the 1980s. The rising demand for shark fins over past decades has also led to increases in the particularly exploitive practice of shark finning, where fins of sharks are removed and the carcass is discarded at sea. According to scientists, scalloped hammerhead, white, and thresher shark populations are each estimated to have declined by over 75 percent in the past 15 years due in large part to these fishing pressures. Removing these top predators drastically changes the food web structure, and marine diversity and ecosystem health. Addressing the practice of shark finning is an imperative step toward the conservation of sharks and marine ecosystems. Congress recognized shark finning as an inherently wasteful practice in enacting the Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000 (Public Law 106- 557). This Act prohibits U.S. fishermen from removing the fins of sharks and discarding the carcass at sea, and from landing or transporting shark fins without the corresponding carcass. The Shark Conservation Act of 2008, which I have introduced today, includes several measures to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of that prohibition and would ensure that the intent of Congress is achieved. First, the bill eliminates an unexpected enforcement loophole related to the transport of shark fins by prohibiting vessels from having custody, control, or possession of shark fins without the corresponding carcass. This is intended to ensure that U.S.-flagged vessels are not traveling to the high seas and purchasing fins from fishermen engaged in shark finning and bringing them into U.S. waters in an attempt to skirt the finning prohibition. Second, the Shark Conservation Act of 2008 addresses the difficulty apparent in enforcing the statute's percentage-based standard. Existing law contains a rebuttable presumption that any shark fins landed were taken, held, or landed in violation of the Shark Finning Prohibition Act if the total weight of shark fins landed or found on board exceeds five percent of the total weight of shark carcasses landed or found on board. This ``fin to carcass'' ratio was intended to provide a mechanism for enforcing the finning prohibition by ensuring that the amount of fins landed is proportional to the amount of carcasses landed. It has proven virtually impossible, however, to determine whether a given set of fins belong to a particular dressed carcass. As a result, there are reports of fishermen mixing fins and carcasses for maximum profit, continuing to discard less desirable, finned sharks at sea. Therefore, the Shark Conservation Act of 2008 strikes the rebuttable presumption to improve enforcement of the prohibition on finning that has existed in statute now for nearly eight years. Finally, the Shark Conservation Act of 2008 amends the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act to allow the Secretary of Commerce to identify and list nations that have not adopted a regulatory program for the conservation of sharks comparable to the United States. This amendment promotes the conservation of sharks internationally and in a manner that is consistent with the expectations placed on U.S. fishermen. The Shark Conservation Act of 2008 reestablishes the intended protections for sharks under U.S. law. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance this timely and important bill.