Eni Faleomavaega

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

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

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, again I want to highly commend and compliment the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) for her sponsorship and authorship of this legislation. It certainly has the bipartisan support of both sides of the aisle on this committee. Mr. Speaker, I find it interesting that the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands still have to come to Congress to reduce the size of their legislature. But that they must do so provides some insight into the structure of the relationships between the United States and its insular areas. For better or worse, each relationship is unique. In the case of the Virgin Islands, Congress has given the authority to the Government of the Virgin Islands to establish a constitutional form of government under which the people of the Virgin Islands could control such things as the size of their government. This more localized form of government has not been established yet, and in an effort to make the government more efficient, the people of the Virgin Islands wish to reduce the size of their unicameral legislature from 15 members to 9. This is a request being made by the people of the Virgin Islands, and it comes to Congress from a duly enacted resolution of the local legislature. As it is in keeping with the wishes of the people and their elected local representatives, and is consistent with sound management practices, I support this bill and ask my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

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

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Oregon. I want to compliment the chief supporter of this legislation, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes). Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1460 is important legislation in that it provides assistance to the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Tribe in Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1460, which will reduce the blood quantum required for membership in the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribe from one-eight to one-sixteenth. Congress has long recognized that inherent in the power of any tribal government is the power to set membership criteria and thereby determine who its members are. Absent some gross abuse of this power, I see no reason to interfere in this important area. With regard to the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribe, as I understand it, the tribe has asked that the blood quantum requirement be set in public law. And while I personally am opposed to blood quantum requirements, and believe better criteria exist, this change is well within the tribe's authority, and I support their request. It is my understanding that the tribe has about 1,200 members. Presumably with tribal members marrying non-tribal members, and the older tribal members passing away, the tribal council believes it won't be long before there won't be much of a tribe left. I am pleased to see that the tribal council is addressing this issue now rather than wait until there is a crisis, or run the risk of losing their identity as a tribe. I support this bill and urge my colleagues to vote aye. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes). (Mr. REYES asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood), the chief sponsor and author of this legislation for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, as has been so eloquently stated by the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood) and others before me, reparations to the people of Guam, who were subjected to death, personal injury, forced labor, forced march and internment during World War II is long, long overdue. Mr. Speaker, before the military occupation of Guam, for some reason, it escapes me, at least this Member, the United States Territory of Guam was in existence. I have always asked the question why was it that these loyal Americans were not evacuated, properly evacuated before the occupation forces of Japan took over this island. Why was it that only U.S. citizens were evacuated? This bugs the heck out of me, Mr. Speaker. As has been noted, Guam was the only land under the jurisdiction of the United States to be occupied by Japanese military forces during World War II. The people of Guam could have, I suppose, greeted this new force with open arms, and perhaps spared themselves some of the misery they suffered during 3 years of brutal occupation by military forces of the Japanese government. But these loyal Americans did not. They were proud Americans before the occupation, during the occupation, and after the occupation. In response to their loyalty, Mr. Speaker, 55 years later, we are still debating whether we should establish a commission to study whether the people of Guam who suffered from such atrocities during this occupation period should receive proper reparations. Mr. Speaker, it has been 55 years. Even the Navy supported reparations decades ago, and direct action on the part of this Congress is still long overdue. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that legislation has been introduced for how many years now. I support this legislation but still feel compelled to speak out that we should be doing more. This bill was introduced 19 months ago. Today, with 19 legislative days left in the Congress, we are finally getting around to passing a bill which still has to go to the Senate. Mr. Speaker, we can and we should do better than this. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen), the chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands. I know the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Romero-Barcelo), my colleague and good friend, is on his way. Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands, I am just pinch-hitting for the gentleman from Puerto Rico. Mr. Speaker, the area in and around the city of Corinth, Mississippi, near the Mississippi-Tennessee border, played a significant role in several early chapters of the American Civil War. Corinth was the crossroads of two rail-lines vital to Confederate supply efforts, and the city served as the front line of the western theater of battle. The battle of Shiloh in April 1862 was launched after 44,000 Confederate troops had withdrawn to Corinth to regroup and to resupply forces. Several weeks later, Union forces briefly laid siege to the city, finally overtaking Corinth and holding it for the rest of the war. The site of the Battle of Shiloh is a national military park but does not include the city of Corinth. However, in 1996, Congress authorized the establishment of an interpretive center for the Corinth campaign. Mr. Speaker, S. 1117 offered by the majority leader from the other body, the gentleman from Mississippi, would build on that effort by establishing Corinth as an official unit of the Shiloh National Military Park. The new unit would consist of the 21-acre site selected for that interpretive center, plus any additional land, owned by a public or a nonprofit entity, which the Secretary determines to be suitable. The legislation contains provisions for management of the new unit, future land acquisition, a special resource study of the area and authorizes an additional $3 million for the construction of that interpretive center. This legislation has the support of the administration and bipartisan support of both sides of the aisle in this committee. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I join strongly with our colleagues in urging the passage of House Resolution 544 which congratulates the people and the government of Mexico for their tremendous success of their democratic elections held earlier this month. Mr. Speaker, I certainly would want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), chairman of our Committee on International Relations, and also the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson), the ranking Democratic member, for their leadership and support of this legislation. I also want to commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Gallegly), chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, my good friend, for introducing this legislation, and thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson), the ranking Democratic member of the subcommittee, for bringing the measure to the floor. I am proud to join them as a cosponsor and strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, the United States has had a long close and special relationship with Mexico, our nearest neighbor to the south. I, and many of our colleagues, have traveled to that Nation to review issues of mutual concern. That is why we take great pride in Mexico's historic exercise of democracy this month, which saw national elections ending the three-quarters of a century domination and one-party rule by the PRI, or the Institutional Revolutionary Party. In what is seen as the fairest and most competitive presidential elections ever in Mexico, two-thirds of eligible voters, over 35 million strong, participated. According to former President Jimmy Carter, who observed the elections from Mexico City, ``The Carter Center has been monitoring elections down here for more than 12 years and this one was almost perfect.'' Mr. Speaker, of Mexico's 113,423 voting stations, it is reported that 99.99 percent functioned normally and without fraud, a country with a population of some 85 million plus. I say what a great example for a country with democratic institutions in place. Mr. Speaker, there is an extraordinary accomplishment, a sign of political maturity and commitment to democracy, for which the good people of Mexico should be given tremendous credit. Mr. Speaker, at the eve of such dynamic changes with Mexico's election process, I also want to especially note that Mexico's newly elected leaders to take up more seriously the really needed social and economic issues of the needs of millions of indigenous Indians who live in that country. I am certain that Mexico's first president and leader who liberated Mexico from Maximilian rule and, for that matter, from European colonialism, the irony of all of this, Mr. Speaker, is that Benito Juarez, the George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in Mexico combined, in my humble opinion, was a pure-blooded indigenous Indian who was orphaned at a tender age and educated by Catholic priests, even had personal communications with Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. One of the things I want to share with my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, when President Lincoln was assassinated, Mexico was the only country that President Juarez ordered flags half mast to pay honor and homage to President Abraham Lincoln. That is the caliber of this gentleman's leadership. I am very touched by the fact that I am sure that Benito Juarez would have been very happy with the results of the election. But I want to note and to also send this message: Our friends in Mexico, do not neglect the needs of the indigenous Indians, the millions of indigenous Indians in that country. Mr. Speaker, as we depart the 20th century, outgoing President Ernesto Zedillo should be recognized and commended for the electoral reforms he instituted that made possible free and fair elections in Mexico, which is truly an admirable legacy. As we enter the 21st century, the United States should strive to support the President-elect Vicente Fox and his visionary agenda for Mexico to overhaul government and stop corruption, improve employment and strengthen education, and to vigorously combat the international drug trade. Mr. Speaker, the people of Mexico have spoken, and they clearly want change from the corrupt practices of past administrations. This stunning example of democracy by one of our two closest neighbors are very special at a time when democratic institutions seem threatened in other countries in the Western Hemisphere. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Gallegly).

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

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

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I do want to commend the gentleman from Guam for pronouncing my name properly, and you yourself, you did very well. Sometimes I wish maybe my colleagues should call me John Wayne just for he the sense of making it a little more clear. Mr. Speaker, I do want to express my strong support of H.R. 2462, the Guam Omnibus Opportunities Act, chiefly sponsored by my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood). I want to commend the gentleman, who also serves as the Chairman of the Asian-Pacific Congressional Caucus. I also want to thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) for his management of this legislation, and certainly want to commend him for his assistance. Mr. Speaker, the return of Federal excess land to the people of Guam is an issue that has been under discussion for far too long. While the policy of offering Federal land to other Federal agencies when it is no longer needed by one agency is sound for most land in the continental United States, the history of these lands is often different in insular areas, and the Territory of Guam is an example. In Guam, one-third of the land on the island is owned by the Federal Government and was taken, in most cases, for military purposes. Perhaps our colleagues are not aware of the fact that we currently have about a $10 billion presence of military bases, military equipment and personnel currently now on the island of Guam. Now that the land is no longer needed, it should be returned to its previous owners, or, at a minimum, as it is done in this bill, give the local Government the option of acquiring it. I note in the last Congress, Mr. Speaker, the Senate passed a similar piece of legislation, and I hope that we can get this provision through both houses of the Congress this year. Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that Guam has to come to Congress every time it wants to amend the Tax Code applicable to its own residents. As has been noted, current law mandates a 30 percent withholding tax on foreign investors, yet it is lower than that for most foreign investors who invest in the 50 States. This is an obvious disincentive for investment in the Territory of Guam, and I am glad to see we are alleviating this burden today. I know this issue of betel nut consumption by the people of Guam has been an issue for some time. This bill addresses this problem by treating Guam as being within the U.S. customs territory for the purpose of importing betel nuts from Guam to the United States by an individual for personal consumption. While not important to most Americans, I guess, it is of cultural significance to many of the people of Guam, and I suspect also my friends from the other islands of Micronesia. I certainly support this change in the law. Mr. Speaker, this legislation also addresses the continued problem caused by the migration of citizens from the freely associated States, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The residents from these entities migrate to Guam and other Pacific jurisdictions in the United States. Now, while Guam and Hawaii need more than a report to assist them with the impact of this migration, I do hope the report will provide the basis upon which substantial assistance can and will be provided, not only to Guam, but to all the affected Pacific jurisdictions. Again, Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) and our ranking Democrat, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), for their efforts in working with all the parties involved, and to get this legislation to the House, especially I want to commend the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood), for his leadership in bringing this important bill to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure and honor to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink), who is the chief sponsor of this resolution.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 415, a resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should be established a National Oceans Day to recognize the significant role the oceans play in our lives today and in the years to come. I certainly want to thank the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink) for introducing this legislation. I also want to thank the committee chairman, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), and our ranking Democrat member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), for their support of this resolution. Madam Speaker, as we toil away in our offices today in Washington, D.C., it is quite easy to forget just how dependent we are on the world's oceans. With two-thirds of the Earth's surface covered with water, mostly oceans, they have a significant impact on our daily lives and everyone on this planet. The oceans' ability to retain heat longer than land masses provides a steady influence on daily temperature changes, and the energy generated by hurricanes and cyclones is felt throughout the equatorial regions, as well as through the subtropical zones. Small increases in temperature could melt large amounts of ice at the poles. This will have an impact on coastal areas and an enormous impact on some small island countries in the Pacific, as well as in the Atlantic region, possibly totally submerging some of these atolls. Madam Speaker, the ocean also provides substance to much of the world's population through seafood and shellfish. In 1999, and for the 10th consecutive year, and for the information of my colleagues, the value of the volume of fish and shellfish imported into the United States now is at a record of over $9 billion, approximately 3.9 billion pounds. The recreation and employment provided by the world's oceans are also significant. Coming from a small island community, Madam Speaker, I am intimately familiar with the ocean and am constantly reminded of the influence it has upon all of us. Passage of this resolution can serve as an annual reminder to all of us as to the important role the oceans play in our lives. Madam Speaker, as the world's population develops in further appreciation of this important role, we can hope that the human race will treat the oceans with more respect, thereby maintaining this most important, valuable resource in our planet today. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Madam Speaker, I reserve the blance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I fully support the passage of S. 986. I note that the Department of the Interior has raised concerns regarding the effect of the bill on the Lake Meade National Recreation area. It is my understanding that the rights of way provisions in S. 986, while generous, are intended to provide the Southern Nevada Water Authority with reasonable access to project facilities across Federal lands. The Secretary of the Interior has responsibility for protecting and managing the Lake Mead National Recreation area, and I would expect the Secretary's participation in negotiations involving rights of way over Federal lands which provide ample opportunities to ensure that those resources are fully protected. Madam Speaker, I would like to say that I want to commend the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons), my good friend, and the good senator from Nevada for his bipartisan support of this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I would like to strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I certainly want to commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), the chairman of our committee, for bringing this resolution to the floor. I also want to commend the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, for making the proper changes to this resolution that is now before us. Madam Speaker, while Vietnam has made a bit of progress in the past few years in opening up its society, we need to maintain pressure on the Vietnamese government to move more aggressively towards democracy. This resolution recognizes the important role that the more than 1 million Vietnamese Americans in our nation play in raising the awareness of the Vietnam human rights record. The resolution also recognizes the sacrifices made by the armed forces of the United States and the former Republic of Vietnam in fighting to bring democracy and freedom to that nation. We are right to get the Congress on record on all of these issues. I want to note also, Madam Speaker, the tremendous contributions 1 million Vietnamese Americans make to the betterment of our Nation becoming mainstream Americans. They are such an industrious people in education, business, and all walks of life. I want to commend the 1 million Vietnamese Americans that we have who are members of our Nation. Yet with all this, I think we can also recognize that their hearts are still with the mother country, hopefully, in some way, and somehow that the greater sense of democracy will come about with the current administration of Vietnam in that country. Madam Speaker, I do urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Again, I thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) for managing this legislation on the floor. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I also want to compliment the gentleman from California (Mr. Bilbray) for his comments on this piece of legislation. I should also note the fact that 58,000 American lives were lost in that terrible conflict. I think, if we are to assess what lesson our Nation has learned from Vietnam, I can say that, if we are ever to commit our men and women in uniform to engage in a war against enemy forces, our Nation's political and military leaders must all be committed to one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to win the war, nothing less, nothing more. There is no such thing as a half-baked war, Madam Speaker. We are there to win, or do not waste the resources or the valuable blood of the men and women in uniform. That is probably the lesson I learned from Vietnam, Madam Speaker. I think more important, in essence, is the fact we have 1 million Vietnamese Americans who believe in democracy, who believe in our form of government, who believe in the system where everybody is given better treatment, that no one is above the law. That is what America is about. I want to commend again the many Vietnamese Americans who have made tremendous sacrifice, not only for their country, but their willingness to come here and make tremendous contributions for the betterment of our own Nation. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) for managing this piece of legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the Sanford amendment to the Commerce, Justice, and State appropriations bill, a measure that would totally eliminate funding for the Asia Foundation. Mr. Chairman, the Asia Foundation's important work focuses on a dynamic region of the world where over half of the planet's population resides. Today, the Asia-Pacific region looms large on the world stage and is increasingly intertwined with the United States. It is a diverse, complex region with countries at both extremes in terms of population, economic development, political stability and social/cultural change. The Asia-Pacific region is at the same time America's largest market as well as the locus of its most aggressive competitors. In addition to its economic impact, many of the countries in Asia and the Pacific are undergoing structural changes in their political and social systems that pose potentially serious threats to the stability of the region and the very world. Indeed, major conflicts and wars involving the U.S. have arisen in the region in the past and we must be vigilant in protecting against their reoccurrence in the future. Clearly, Americans must attach greater priority to Asia and the Pacific than they have ever done, and be prepared to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities that confront us. Mr. Chairman, the mission of the Asia Foundation addresses these critical concerns, in addition to promoting democratic government, free market economies and respect for rule of law in the developing nations of the Asia-Pacific. I urge our colleagues, Mr. Chairman, to defeat the Sanford amendment and maintain the modest funding for the Asia Foundation that serves vital U.S. foreign policy interests in this most important part of the world.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I first want to commend the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh) for his sponsorship of this resolution which I think is commendable. I want to commend also the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling), the chairman of the full committee, and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez) for managing on our side of the aisle this piece of legislation. I want to suggest to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling), my good friend, that I would be more than happy to accept his piano before he goes back to his home district in Pennsylvania. I would be more than happy to take him up on that. To the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Clement), my good friend, I do not know if other Members have had the privilege, but I have had the privilege of meeting Elvis Presley personally because we first participated in the movie that he made in Hawaii, which was called ``Paradise Hawaiian Style'' and for which I was privileged to work as an extra. I met the great Elvis, a fantastic humble person. I just thought I wanted to note that to the gentleman from Tennessee since so much of Elvis' history and his eloquence is being one of the greatest musicians in our country. Mr. Speaker, I do rise today in support of the special recognition of the benefit of teaching music to children in our Nation's educational system. I started playing musical instruments early in my own life. I play the piano. I play the guitar. I play the ukulele. I even play the balilaika. I do not even know if any of my colleagues know what that is. That is a Russian guitar. I play even the autoharp. Now my little daughter is trying to teach me how to play the violin. I enjoy playing these instruments, Mr. Speaker. I know it has benefited me throughout my life. I have seen the positive influence it can have on others. Music have been an integral part of Pacific Island cultures for thousands of years. To this day, we pass on our traditional songs from generation to generation. It is true this music in our traditional legends that a 3,000-year- old culture has survived. For example, in my own Samoan culture, music is the thing that ties our whole Samoan community throughout the world. I have noticed the same to be true for other cultures as well. From Africa to Europe to Asia to the Pacific, music helps keep our societies together. It is my hope that with our increased ability to communicate globally, we can use new technologies to find new ties to bind us together throughout the world. Recently, studies have shown that there are clear benefits to including musical instruments as part of a well-rounded academic program. Students of music seem to score higher on standardized tests, have lower rates of abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs, and have improved cognitive and communicative skills, self-discipline and creativity. What is music, Mr. Speaker? Music defines our humanity, whether it be times of sorrow or happiness; and above all, music lifts our souls and brings us closer to that divine source from whence all form of life depend upon. So let us hear it for music education.