Eni Faleomavaega

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Absolutely, I yield.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 94, encouraging the elimination of harmful fishing subsidies that contribute to overcapacity in commercial fishing fleets worldwide and that lead to the over-fishing of global fish stocks. I commend my esteemed colleague from Guam, the Chairwoman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans for submitting this concurrent resolution. She understands the severe impact that over-fishing has on our world's oceans and this resolution is an important step in gaining the cooperation of other nations in managing our shared ocean resources responsibly. According to a 2006 scientific study, there may be no more commercial fish stocks left in the sea by 2050. As the report states, since 1950 29% of the world's commercial fish species have already collapsed. If we do not change our course and stop over-fishing, our children could be the first generation to face entirely empty oceans. One major contributor to this precipitous decline in global fish stocks is the huge overcapacity of our global fishing fleets. By some accounts, the current fishing fleet capacity is 250% of what is needed to catch the maximum sustainable yield from the oceans. In many instances, this overcapacity is fueled by harmful subsidies provided by a limited number of foreign governments to their fishing fleets, leading to over-fishing, and ecologically unsound bottom-trawling in international waters. Through our nation's laws, such as the Magnuson-Stevens Act, we have established a strong federal policy supporting sustainable fishing practices here in the United States. In order to successfully manage the world's limited ocean resources, however, we need to promote the elimination of these fishing subsidies with the cooperation of our neighbors in the world community. This Resolution is an important first step in developing a global plan to manage our oceans responsibly. Again, I thank my friend from Guam and I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 94, encouraging the elimination of these harmful fishing subsidies.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce this Resolution expressing support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and urging the United States Ambassador to the United Nations General Assembly to support the adoption without amendment of the Declaration as adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council on June 29, 2006. There are over 300 million indigenous peoples throughout the world today, striving for international recognition of their collective rights as they struggle to preserve their cultures, traditions, and social values. In their respective States, these indigenous groups face serious challenges of marginalization, discrimination, loss of lands, and lack of economic development in their communities. The draft U.N. Declaration recognizes the rights of indigenous peoples to self-determination, freedom from discrimination, and freedom from forced assimilation. This Declaration would establish an international policy on indigenous rights and provide a framework for States in the treatment of their indigenous populations. The U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, over 24 years in the making, is an important step forward in the advancement of stronger, more harmonious relationships between the indigenous peoples of the world and States. In many ways, the United States stands as a model for other nations as we support a Federal policy of self- determination for our own indigenous people. Passage of this Resolution, H. Con. Res. 156, would demonstrate our commitment here in Congress to support the rights of our indigenous people here and throughout the world. I urge my colleagues to join me and support H. Con. Res. 156.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. So there was never any compensation or any support even from the Japanese Government to make whole what they did against the people, the residents of Guam?

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. So the Japanese Government just simply said, well, don't ask us; ask the United States Government to provide this.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, it has been said among some of the critics of this legislation, saying that the people of Guam were properly compensated already. I am sure the gentlelady has the correct information so that we can inform our colleagues this is not true. The way the whole thing has been presented, the procedures that were followed and the war claims that were made for the U.S. citizens left out the people of Guam. For some reason or another, I think our colleagues need to understand this a little more clearly. Point of Order

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I understood that she had not yielded her time. With 7 minutes remaining, I requested that there be a colloquy between myself and the gentlelady from Guam. Is there anything wrong with that?

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I ask the gentlelady, were there any provisions where it required the Japanese Government to restore or to provide some form of compensation as part of this treaty arrangement?

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1595, the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act. I commend my good friend and colleague, the gentlelady from Guam, for introducing this legislation designed to address the lack of parity in the war claims paid to the residents of the people of Guam as compared to other U.S. citizens or nationals who were similarly affected during World War II. Mr. Speaker, every Guam Delegate to Congress has spoken about the deficiencies in making Guam whole after World War II. Our former colleagues Antonio Won Pat, General Ben Blaz, and former Congressman Robert Underwood had raised the issue throughout their service in the Congress. Through the efforts of Congressman Robert Underwood, a commission was established in the 107th Congress to review the historical record of addressing Guam's war claims. After completing its work, the Guam War Claims Review Commission found that a lack of parity existed in the case of war claims for the people of Guam. These were some of the key findings of the commission: That the U.S. has a moral obligation to pay proper compensation for war damages. That there is a lack of parity in war claims for Guam when compared to other war claims programs established by the U.S. Congress. That Guam was erroneously excluded from coverage under Title II of the War Claims Act. This legislation is vitally important because it addresses these long-standing inequities against the people of Guam by implementing the recommendations of the Guam War Claims Review Commission. It recognizes the sacrifices made by the people of Guam and their steadfast loyalty to the United States in the face of this adversity. It allows claims for death, personal injury, forced labor, forced marches and internment. It allows compensation to certain survivors of the deceased from the war; and it authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to award grants in support of activities to remember Guam's occupation. I strongly support this legislation. I submit to my colleagues, our Nation committed a grave injustice some 60 years ago against the people of Guam. For some unknown and mysterious reason, Mr. Speaker, the native Guamanians, who are U.S. Nationals, U.S. Nationals, meaning owing permanent allegiance to the United States, were not evacuated along with U.S. citizens at the time that they were living in Guam before the arrival of the Japanese forces. As a result, these patriotic Americans were left to fend for themselves, to contend with the Japanese takeover of the territory of Guam, and for nearly 3 years, the people of Guam were interned and were subjected to extreme tortures, even executions by public, beatings, rapes, forced labor, forced marches. A good example is right here in our midst, Mr. Speaker, my good friend and former Member of Congress representing the territory of Guam, retired Brigadier General Ben Blaz, at that time was a youth and was part of this forced evacuation. He personally witnessed some of the atrocities that were committed against his people by Japanese military forces. Our former colleague, Congressman Bob Underwood, also reiterated to our colleagues that some of his close relatives were beheaded in the presence of other people of Guam when this took place for some 3 years, some 3 years. And I can never forget the words echoed by my good friend, the general from Guam, when he said this, ``we are equal in war but not in peace.'' Why, for the life of me, Mr. Speaker, it has taken all these years in simply trying to make this inequity fair and just for the benefit of the people of Guam I do not understand. It is as if these people were aliens or not members of the American family. We have had Guam for how many years? It was a territory of the United States, and this is what we did against these good people of Guam at the time of the war. Why we never evacuated them along with other U.S. citizens to this day is still a question. Why the Navy never took them out of there before the arrival of the Japanese. I appeal to my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, that we pass this bill. It is long overdue. For the sake of justice, pass this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Again, I thank the good lady from Guam for her leadership and sponsorship of this bill.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I thank the gentlelady.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I just wanted to add, as a matter of history here, it was during the 1970s, then-chairman of the House Subcommittee on Territories, the late Congressman Phillip Burton from San Francisco, who initiated the move in terms of finding out how the East-West Center was doing as far as the Pacific Islands were concerned. And as a result of the assistance also from then former Congresswoman Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, who served as a member of the Appropriations Committee, there was greater attention given to the needs of the Pacific Island nations. And I want to commend certainly the former Governor of the State of Hawaii, Governor George Ariyoshi, and the late Prime Minister of Fiji, Sir Ratu Kamisese Mara, for the outstanding leadership that they displayed and demonstrated in establishing this special program now allotting to the needs of our Pacific Island nations. Certainly Governor John Waihee and also Governor Linda Lingle were also very supportive of this effort. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank again my colleague from Texas for his compliments and the remarks concerning this resolution. And, again, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 355) recognizing and welcoming the leaders of the Pacific Islands to Washington, D.C., and commending the East- West Center for hosting the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders.

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

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. I would like to thank my good friend, the gentleman from Texas, for his assistance in managing this important legislation now before our colleagues. I would also like to thank our distinguished chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Tom Lantos, for his support of this resolution which recognizes and welcomes the leaders of the Pacific Island nations to Washington, D.C., and certainly commends the East-West Center for hosting the Pacific Island Conference of Leaders. The Pacific Island Conference of Leaders represents some 14 island nations, three French territories and three U.S. territories, including American Samoa. Each year these leaders meet at the East-West Center in Honolulu; but for the first time this year, this conference is being held here in our Nation's Capital. Because this is a significant occasion, I want to thank our distinguished senior ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, as well as the ranking minority member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific and the Global Environment, my good friend Mr. Manzullo, for their support of this resolution. I also thank the 24 Members, our distinguished colleagues, who joined us in cosponsoring this historic resolution, including Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo of Guam. I also commend members of the Hawaii congressional delegation, Senator Daniel Inouye, Senator Daniel Akaka, Congressman Neil Abercrombie and Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, for their leadership in support of this legislation and other events and activities that will make the visit of our Pacific Island Leaders to Washington more meaningful and productive. I especially want to thank also Governor Linda Lingle of the State of Hawaii for her support and for her co-hosting one of the important events that have been featured here while the guests are here in Washington. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to commend Dr. Charles Morrison, president of the East-West Center and members of his staff, Dr. Sitiveni Halapua, and Dr. Gerard Finin for their hard work in arranging meetings that are being held right now, as I speak, with officials of the U.S. Department of State and other agencies of the Federal Government. I want to especially thank our Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, for taking the time from her busy schedule to meet with our guests from the Pacific, and also Assistant Secretary of State, Chris Hill, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Glyn Davies, and their staffs for arranging appropriate meetings with other officials representing the various agencies of the administration. Mr. Speaker, this is truly a historical day in our Nation's Capital. With the exception of Australia and New Zealand, this is the first time in our country's history that this number of leaders representing the Pacific region are here as a group to meet with us and to discuss issues that are mutually important to them, as well as to us. It was only in the last half century that our Nation was engaged in one of the bloodiest wars ever fought in the Pacific. World War II was fought in two fronts, one in Europe and the other in the Pacific. In the islands of the Solomons, where Guadalcanal, as some of you may have heard, is located in the Pacific, so are the Marshall Islands, the islands of Samoa, the Philippines, Papua, New Guinea, Palau, Guam, Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Tarawa, Midway, Borneo, Okinawa, Iwo Jima and several others. People of the Pacific played critical roles in U.S. efforts to fight Japanese military forces in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. After World War II, with the exception of Guam, the United States unilaterally declared the rest of Micronesia as a strategic trust, which meant that these islands were placed under the jurisdiction and protection of the United States. But a national debate also began as a result of the devastation and the loss of some 200,000 lives when we dropped two atom bombs by our military that conducted this arrangement, where two atom bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While the atom bombs brought an immediate end to World War II in the Pacific, scientists and political leaders in our country debated whether or not nuclear energy was to be used for military or peaceful purposes. Although the military won its bid to conduct a nuclear testing program, the question was, where are we going to conduct the testing? Since it was obviously too dangerous to explode atomic bombs in any of the States in the continental United States, it was determined that a place far and away was needed, and thus the U.S. military command chose the Marshall Islands as the place to conduct our nuclear testing program. I submit, Mr. Speaker, that I am not sure if my colleagues are aware of the fact that the U.S. exploded some 67 nuclear bombs in the Marshall Islands. This also included the explosion of the first hydrogen bomb ever in the history of the world. In layman's terms, you must first explode an atomic bomb as a trigger to explode a hydrogen bomb. The hydrogen bomb that the U.S. exploded in the Marshall Islands in 1954 was known as the Bravo Shot, and it was measured as a 15- megaton nuclear device, a thousand times more powerful than the atom bombs we dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I submit to my colleagues in the House, at the height of the Cold War, the people of the Marshall Islands made tremendous sacrifices of their properties and, above all, of themselves after being exposed to nuclear radiation. To this day, our government, Mr. Speaker, with all its honor and glory, has not made good our promises to properly compensate these people for the loss of their properties and to provide adequate medical care, especially to those who were directly exposed to nuclear radiation as a result of our nuclear testing program. In the near future, I will be proposing a bill that will address the needs of the people of the Marshall Islands as a result of our nuclear testing program, and I am hopeful that my colleagues will support me in this effort. Some of my colleagues have asked me, why should the United States take an interest in these small islands out there in the middle of the Pacific? I need not repeat myself on the importance of these islands during World War II, and I have just shared with my colleagues the tremendous sacrifices the leaders and the people of the Marshall Islands made for the success of our nuclear testing program. I have also pointed out the shameful neglect on the part of our Nation to properly address the property rights and health care needs of these people who were exposed. All of them were exposed to nuclear radiation. Having said this, I want to reemphasize the Pacific Islands were valuable to our Nation during World War II, and, believe me, these nations will be valuable to us again in the future. We fool ourselves if we believe we do not need allies in a volatile region that covers one-third of the world's surface. We need the Pacific Island nations as they need us. The people of the Pacific nations do not want handouts, but they want equal treatment, respect, and economic assistance will be beneficial to them as well as to us. The seabed minerals within the exclusive economic zones of these island nations are worth hundreds of billions of dollars, but their potential use is priceless if together we can find ways to harness these resources. The same can be said of their fisheries and marine resources, which will continue to be an inestimable worth as the world struggles to feed a growing population. There are many other areas in which we can work together if we can begin to establish even a USAID program in the Pacific region. As chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, I look forward to working with my colleagues to bring about needed and necessary changes in our current relations with our Pacific Island neighbors. On this historic occasion, Mr. Speaker, I also welcome these leaders to our Nation's Capital, and I urge my colleagues to support this proposed legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank and commend my good friend, the gentleman from Texas, for a most eloquent statement and observations in terms of our relationship with these Pacific Island nations. I recall years ago we took a congressional delegation. At that time, the chairman of our Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Steve Solarz from New York; Congressman Bob Dornan from California; and myself. And we visited the various island nations and found out that we have become somewhat of a nation totally neglectful of our efforts to establish good relations with these island nations. I recall we visited the Solomon Islands and specifically the Guadalcanal that most Americans have heard in the news of World War II, which was where some of the bloodiest battles were fought there by the Marines against Japanese forces. And in our efforts in trying to find out what can we do on behalf of our country in terms of how we can express a sense of token appreciation to the people of the Solomon Islands for the support they gave us during the famous battles that we had to endure during the war there in Guadalcanal. And in doing so, we came back and submitted to the Congress a proposal that what would be a good gesture on behalf of the people of America would be to build a parliamentary building for the Solomon Islands government. And in doing so, we provided the funding, and I was privileged and honored to accompany the good Senator from Rhode Island, Senator Chafee. And we went over to the Solomon Islands to dedicate this new parliamentary building and found out that Senator Chafee was a 19-year-old Marine fighting enemy forces in Guadalcanal, and it was quite a statement and a very moving experience that I had in noticing one of our national leaders, the great Senator from Rhode Island, revisited Guadalcanal where this battle was fought. And he was there as a 19-year-old Marine. And we did this, and the people of the Solomon Islands were very grateful that we were able to build this new parliamentary building as a token, as a gift, from the people of the United States to commemorate and to remember the tremendous sacrifices not only that our soldiers and our Marines made on these islands but also the support that the people of the Solomon Islands provided us in the war effort. I also want to commend the Congress. I don't know if our colleagues are aware of the fact that, in 1960, Congress enacted special legislation to establish the East-West Center. And it was a tremendous effort to see what we could do to establish good relations between the East and the Asian countries and that of our own country. And that was the very purpose. To establish exchanges and to establish forums and symposiums to allow the leaders of the nations of Asia and the Pacific region to meet together with our leaders and to see if we could resolve some of the issues and problems confronting the region as well as our own Nation. So with that, I wanted to just share those two points with our colleagues in the House. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to my good friend, the gentlewoman from the Territory of Guam (Ms. Bordallo).

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I thank the distinguished gentleman from California, my colleague, for extending me time from his part and recognizing the fact that we have so many on this side of the aisle to offer their remarks, especially in honoring Ms. Juanita Millender- McDonald. Madam Speaker, like all my colleagues in attendance this evening in this Chamber, we were all surprised and shocked to learn of the untimely death of our distinguished gentle lady from the great State of California, Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald. Some of you may be surprised to know that when I was serving as Lieutenant Governor some 24 years ago, I knew Juanita. She was a dear friend, but she was serving at that time as a member of the city council in the city of Carson, California. We collaborated often in addressing the economic and social needs of the members of my Samoan community living in the cities of Carson, Compton and even Long Beach. Next thing I learned, Juanita was elected as a member of the California State Assembly, and then finally she was elected as a Member of Congress. Juanita was passionate about the needs of the poor and the destitute. I know our Samoan community throughout the Los Angeles area all mourn the loss of this great and gentle lady. She truly was a dear friend to me, and members of the Samoan community are going to feel the loss of her presence. She lived life to the fullest. I know we are here to celebrate her life, although we also mourn her absence from the Halls of this great institution. On behalf of our Samoan community throughout the Los Angeles area, we convey our deepest sympathies and condolences to Juanita, her husband, and all the members of her family. I recall the Good Book, and it is my sincere hope that they may all be comforted with our Savior's promise, blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. I may also say in our Samoan culture, when someone passes away, we don't say that the person has died. We just simply say, be well in your voyage. And I would like to say this in my language, Juanita, ia manuia lau faigamalaga. God bless.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I am pleased today to introduce legislation to provide that Federal employees stationed in American Samoa be paid the same non-foreign area cost-of-living allowance as stationed in Guam or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. To date, American Samoa is the only non-foreign area in which Federal employees do not receive a cost-of-living allowance. Given that American Samoa faces many of the same issues driving higher prices for goods, services, and travel that face other territories in similar situations, it seems discriminatory that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has chosen not to provide COLA to Federal employees in American Samoa. Further exacerbating this problem is the fact that ``post differential'' compensation is paid to Federal employees who are working here who have come in from other areas of the country. As a result, the only non-foreign area Federal employees who do not receive any additional compensation are those Federal employees from American Samoa, working in American Samoa. This legislation would remedy that inequity by providing COLA for our Federal employees at the same rate as has been determined by OPM to apply in Guam and CNMI. I urge my colleagues to join me in resolving this issue by supporting this legislation that would provide fair compensation to American Samoa's Federal employees.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I am honored today to introduce legislation directing the Secretary of the Interior to ensure that certain questions related to American Samoa's political status, democratic process, and Federal relationship are to be placed on the ballot of our 2008 general election. Specifically, this legislation mandates that the following three questions are to be addressed on the ballot in American Samoa: 1. Whether individuals who are born in American Samoa should become citizens of the United States. 2. Whether the Senators of the American Samoa Fono should be elected by the qualified electors from the respective counties that the Senators are to represent. 3. Whether American Samoa should have its own Federal district court with limited jurisdiction. I believe that placing these questions on the ballot would provide our people an opportunity to have a voice in the shaping of American Samoa's political future. Moreover, the answers to these questions will assist our local political leaders in the shaping of our territory's policies and legislation. I firmly believe that the people of American Samoa deserve the right to be heard on these fundamental issues. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation that would give American Samoa's voting public this right.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 835, the Hawaiian Homeownership Opportunity Act of 2007. I want to commend my good friend, Mr. Abercrombie, for introducing this bill in the House of Representatives to reauthorize the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant through 2012. I commend the gentleman for his hard work and his leadership in helping our Hawaiian community in both his district and in all the U.S. I also want to commend Ms. Hirono of Hawaii as one of the original cosponsors of this bill and particularly Chairman Frank of Massachusetts of the esteemed Committee on Financial Services for his diligence in moving this legislation. I would also be remiss if I did not recognize Chairwoman Waters of California of the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity of the Financial Services Committee for her contributions to this important bill and as a stalwart on national housing issues. Mr. Speaker, this important piece of legislation will reauthorize important funding for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant until 2012. In 1996, Congress passed the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act without any specific provisions addressing Native Hawaiian communities. However, in 2000, Congress in a bipartisan effort amended the Native American Housing Assistance and Self- Determination Act by including Title VIII, creating the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant. This program is vital for the Native Hawaiian families with low- incomes by providing grants to assist with affordable housing and it would also guarantee loans for those residing on Hawaiian Home Lands that were set aside by Congress in 1921 with the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. These Native Hawaiians are disqualified because of their unique status living on these Home Lands. Today, there are more than 495,000 Native Hawaiians in all of the U.S. making them the largest indigenous group in America. It is only fitting that we continue to support such programs to address such essential needs. As a former resident of the state of Hawaii, I can bare witness of the benefits and the impact this program has achieved throughout the state. There is a national stereotype of Hawaii as the islands with vast beautiful beaches and a remote vacation site but we fail to see the other side of Hawaii. With the growth in tourism and the rise in cost-of-living, Native Hawaiians have not been able to establish regular income to afford the high cost in housing within the state. This legislation gives Native Hawaiians the opportunities for home ownership and will likely provide for more low-income families without making significant increases in federal appropriations. Mr. Speaker, with the support of the Native American Caucus, the Native American Indian Housing Council and Governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii, I am hopeful that we pass H.R. 835 today. I humbly request that my fellow colleagues support and pass H.R. 835 and again I thank my good friend from Hawaii for introducing this important legislation.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from California and my good friend the gentleman from Arizona for their management of this important legislation, especially for the needs of our Native Hawaiian people. This bill is simply to reauthorize this program to provide for the housing needs of our Native Hawaiian community in Hawaii, this bill, since its first authorization started in 1996. I do want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie), and my colleague Ms. Hirono for their leadership in bringing this legislation forward. Unbeknownst to many of our colleagues here in the House, and especially also in the Senate, I might say, there are approximately 400,000 Native Hawaiians living in our country today. They are the largest indigenous group among our fellow Americans who live in this country. And I want to say that, as someone who has lived with the Native Hawaiian people in the State of Hawaii in my youth, I can testify and say personally that this program definitely is of tremendous need to meet the housing needs of our Native Hawaiian people. I can also share with my colleagues, despite all the advertisements and the beautiful islands that we see on television and the ads that we see, and the islands are beautiful, I must say, but there is also another part of the State that I would like to share with my colleagues that the tremendous needs of the Native Hawaiians is exactly the same as the situation with the Native American community. They are the worst when it comes to their health needs. All the social and economic problems that we are faced with for our Native American community is exactly the situation that we are faced with our Native Hawaiian people. Unbeknownst to our colleagues again, if I might add, Mr. Speaker, the people of Hawaii indigenous to the State of Hawaii, many of the people of our country do not know that there was a sovereign and independent nation of Hawaii that was ruled by a series of kings which started from the great King Kamehameha. From 1800, for some 19 years, he ruled his people, and on to the legacy of the King Kamehameha and his dynasty, which he founded for about 100 years before U.S. Marines of our government illegally and unlawfully took over that sovereign government that was ruled by that time by Queen Lili'uokalani. I want to share that bit of history with my colleagues, and especially and I sincerely hope that they will understand and appreciate the fact that the Native Hawaiian community does definitely need this program, and I urge my colleagues to please support this legislation.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New Jersey, my good friend chairman of our Subcommittee in Africa and Global Health, Mr. Payne, so that he may be able to control the time on this side of the aisle.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I could not agree more with my good friend in just quoting Daniel Webster. ``God grants liberty to those who love it.'' The problem that I have right now is that I don't know if the people among the Shiites and the Sunnis love liberty that much to want to make sacrifices. The point of the matter is Saddam Hussein tortured and murdered over 300,000 Shiites. One mass grave contained 30,000 dead bodies. So we have got a real serious problem here. I gladly yield 5 minutes to the distinguished lady from the State of Texas, the chairlady of the Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on environment.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I submit it is not General Petraeus that we are questioning here. It is the decision of our Commander in Chief, our President, his decision to deploy some 20,000 troops, additional troops to this mess that we created in Iraq. We planned and carried out this war on the cheap, saying we only needed 140,000 when in fact the experts said we needed at least 250,000 or 300,000 to complete and do the job. That didn't happen. So why do you think that adding another 20,000 troops is going to make that much difference? That is what is at issue and I think this is what we need to debate on. Madam Speaker, I gladly yield 5 minutes to my good friend from North Carolina, Mr. Butterfield, a member of the Armed Services Committee.