Gregorio Sablan

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend Representative Thompson and Representative Wittman for their work on this bill. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and would inquire whether my colleague has any remaining speakers on his side. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), who is the sponsor of the bill.

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill would reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, a partnership-based program that leverages non- Federal funds to protect and restore wetland and associated habitat. NAWCA has enjoyed bipartisan support in the past, and this bill is no exception. The bill authorizes NAWCA for 5 years at $60 million per year. NAWCA is considered one of the most cost-effective conservation programs. Each Federal dollar invested in NAWCA is typically matched by more than $3 from non-Federal partners at the local and State level, including corporations, private landowners, and nonprofits. Thanks to NAWCA, almost 29.8 million acres of habitat have been protected. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 925) to extend the authorization of appropriations for allocation to carry out approved wetlands conservation projects under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act through fiscal year 2024.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 737, the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act. The act bans the buying and selling of shark fins in the United States, and this widely supported bipartisan bill has gathered 287 cosponsors. A companion bill, S. 877, has been introduced in the Senate as well. Now, Mr. Speaker, this is the largest number of cosponsors for any ocean conservation bill so far in this Congress, and I want to thank my good friend and the distinguished Member from Texas, the Honorable Michael McCaul who has worked tirelessly with me on the bill and brings with him the support of 68 Members from his side of the aisle. This bill has such strong support because it represents an effective way to remove the United States from the devastating global trade in shark fins at zero cost, and because it does so without stopping those who want to fish for sharks and use them for their meat. Mr. Speaker, sharks are absolutely critical to life in the ocean. As apex predators, they help maintain balance by keeping prey populations in check. They are also critical to the tourism economy off our coastal communities. In Florida alone, tourists who go diving to see sharks generate more than 200 times the value of the trade in shark fins for our entire country, 200 times the value. Despite their importance ecologically and economically, sharks are in serious trouble. Each year fins from up to 73 million sharks are sliced off and sold in a global marketplace. And largely due to this demand for fins, some shark species in the population have now declined by more than 90 percent. Our Nation has wisely banned the inhumane practice of finning sharks and throwing them back into the ocean to drown and die, yet we still allow fins to be bought and sold here. And many of the fins we are buying and selling come from countries that simply do not have the same level of protection the United States gives sharks. Now is the time for us to take the next step. Only by banning the shark fin trade once and for all within our borders can we ensure we are no longer supporting an unsustainable use of ocean resources. Recognizing this unsustainability, The Northern Mariana Islands, my home, was the first U.S. insular area to ban the trade of shark fins in 2011. As an island culture 3,000-plus years old, the people of the Marianas understand and respect the important role that sharks play in maintaining the life of our oceans. And we are not alone. Twelve U.S. states and two territories have also passed their own shark fin bans. But this patchwork of State laws can be challenging to enforce, and so this is why we need a Federal ban on the shark fin trade in the United States, and that is why I am asking for your support today. A ban on the shark fin trade is supported by 45 domestic and international airlines, by 21 shipping companies, seven major corporations and more than 645 U.S. businesses and organizations. A 2016 national poll found four of five Americans supported a national ban on the buying and selling of shark fins. Hundreds of scientists, chefs, fishers, dive, and surf businesses have written to Congress requesting passage of a national shark fin ban. Mr. Speaker, it is time for this House to act. Please join me by voting ``yes'' on this critical bill. Vote ``yes'' to conserve our oceans and the all-important sharks that live in those waters.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3224, the Deborah Sampson Act, which removes barriers faced by women veterans accessing health care and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Our country has more than 2 million women veterans who live in every Congressional district, including the Northern Mariana Islands. And the number of women veterans seeking VA health care has doubled since 2000. While the women veteran population continues to grow, the VA has not kept up in providing the care and services tailored to their unique health care needs. The Deborah Sampson Act, which I cosponsored, improves women's care at the VA by requiring at least one designated women's health provider in each VA facility, retrofitting existing medical facilities to improve privacy and environmental care conditions, and expanding access to newborn care. The bill also increases funding for legal and support services to focus on unmet needs among women veterans, like prevention of eviction and foreclosure and child support issues. Passage of H.R. 3224 is critical to ensuring the VA has the capacity and resources to meet the current and future needs of women veterans. I thank the gentlelady from California, Ms. Brownley, for her leadership on this legislation and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3224.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4625, the Protect the GI Bill Act, which restores education benefits for veterans impacted by recent for-profit school closures and provides the VA additional tools to keep schools who violate the terms of their GI Bill funding accountable. For the past 75 years, the VA estimates the GI Bill has helped more than 25 million veterans and their families nationwide including the Marianas achieve their educational and career goals. In recent years however, closures of several for-profit schools have left many veterans with degrees and credits that are not recognized or transferable and facing serious hardships from diminished GI Bill funds that also help pay for housing and other living expenses. The Protect the GI Bill Act would help the victims of school closures by reinstating lost benefits and barring schools who do not meet quality standards for receiving GI Bill funds. Under H.R. 4625, schools would also be required to inform veterans of the actual cost of attendance including how much their benefits cover, as well as graduation and job placement rates. The bill requires VA and State Approving Agencies to take swift action on schools in violation of GI Bill requirements including suspension of new enrollments as well as bans on deceptive practices like automatic re-enrollment without the veteran's permission. Passage of H.R. 4625 is critical to preventing future victims of school closures and ensuring veterans and their eligible family members receive a quality education for their hard-earned GI Bill benefits. I thank the gentleman from California, Mr. Levin, for his leadership on this legislation and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4625.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Veteran Transitional Health Care Improvement Act, which would provide veterans one year of VA health care after they separate from active service in the Armed Forces or from active status with the National Guard or Reserve. By providing health coverage during this transition period, our nation can better assist veterans to succeed as they move into civilian life. The transition to civilian life presents a number of challenges for veterans and their families. Figuring out their next steps in education, employment, housing, and health care is difficult. Our legislation, removes the burden of health care, at least during that critical first year of re-entry. Knowing they have this coverage, including the mental health care that can be so important during transition, will free veterans to focus on re-establishing their family relationships and finding a new career. Our bill requires the VA, the Pentagon, and the Department of Labor all to make sure that veterans are well informed about their eligibility for this transitional health care coverage. The Veteran Transitional Health Care Improvement Act will help the over one million men and women serving our country in the active and reserve components including those from my district, the Northern Mariana Islands. The Act has the endorsement of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Reserve Officers Association. The gentlelady from American Samoa, Mrs. Radewagen, is an original cosponsor of the bill. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, Republicans and Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee agree that now is the time to fix Medicaid funding in the insular areas. H.R. 2328, reported out of the committee in July, addresses the serious funding shortfall all the insular areas face now that special ObamaCare Medicaid funding for our areas has ended. In the Marianas, this special funding has kept our only hospital open, and is a significant source of revenue for doctors in private practice, pharmacists, and an array of healthcare providers. Take this funding away, and not only low-income families that qualify for Medicaid will suffer, but everyone at every income level who depends on those doctors, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers will lose service. The insular areas have reached the Medicaid cliff, but we have a solution. Chairman Pallone, Ranking Member Walden, and all of the Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee agree: Let us bring H.R. 2328 to the floor. Show that the House is united and fix the insular area Medicaid funding cliff.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, now is the time to fix Medicaid funding, the insular areas. This is an area of strong bipartisan agreement-- Republicans and Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce committee agree, and something must be done. H.R. 2328 was reported out of Committee in July. This bipartisan solution would address the serious funding shortfall that all Insular Areas face now that the special Obamacare Medicaid funding has ended. Our hospital, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC), and other healthcare providers across the Marianas depend on the availability of Medicaid funds as a significant source of revenue. This special funding provided an average of $11 Million beyond our statutory cap each year, ensuring CHCC and other providers remain open so that people can access healthcare services. In Fiscal Year 2018, 49 percent of all third-party payor reimbursements to CHCC were Medicaid. That amounts to $17.3 Million in revenue representing almost 30 percent of the hospital's total revenue. CHCC relies on Medicaid. With no certainty of funding, the Marianas made the tough decision on June 1, 2019 to cut off Medicaid reimbursements to providers, directing all Medicaid beneficiaries to use the clinics of the CHCC until further notice. We received an additional $36 Million for Medicaid in the disaster supplemental H.R. 2157, but in just a month after disbursement, more than half of the funds were paid out to providers, many of which are still owed reimbursements. We know the positive impact that regular access to healthcare can have on a person's overall health--just as we know how much worse a medical event can be for an individual that no longer has regular access. For the Marianas, it is already difficult for people to get to their providers for their specific healthcare needs. The hold imposed on outpatient clinics is evidence that taking this funding away not only threatens low-income families, but everyone at all income levels. It is already happening, and Congress should act now. I thank Chairman Pallone, Ranking Member Walden, and all the members of the committee for understanding the urgency of the Medicaid crisis in the insular areas and addressing the issue in a bipartisan way. Let's bring H.R. 2328 to the floor and show that the House is united in our support for the Insular Areas. Let's fix the Medicaid funding cliff.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Employment Services and Jobs Parity Act. This legislation would make long overdue amendments to the Wagner-Peyser Act to include the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. Presently, the Marianas and American Samoa are not eligible for the employment services formula grant that is currently awarded to all other states and insular areas. Congressional action is needed to ensure all Americans can get the help they need to develop the skills necessary to enter in-demand jobs and career paths. Special Representatives of the Marianas and the President recommend in 2017 that the Department of Interior work cooperatively with DOL to extend the Wagner-Peyser Act to the Marianas. At a time when our island economies continue to recover from major natural disasters, the annual Wagner-Peyser grant would provide timely support to the Marianas and American Samoan workforce through skills assessment, career guidance, and referrals to training for job seekers. Now is the time to make things right and ensure parity for all Americans. The gentlewoman from American Samoa, Mrs. Radewagen is an original co-sponsor. This bill is important to the workers in the Marianas and American Samoa. I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the AMBER Alert Nationwide Act, so that all families and first responders in our country have access to this critical tool to save children who are victims of abduction and exploitation. Since its creation in 1996, the AMBER Alert system has saved the lives of nearly a thousand children through its network of instant alerts sent through radio, television and text messages. However, the system is not available nationwide. Funding Congress initially authorized under the PROTECT Act to expand the reach of AMBER Alerts was only available to states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. This has left families and first responders in tribal communities as well as the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa and Guam to search for missing children without the help of this life-saving technology. Last year, Congress recognized the need to include Indian tribes in the system by passing the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act. The AMBER Alert Nationwide Act includes all U.S. territories so our first responders can access the federal resources their counterparts receive to make the necessary infrastructure upgrades to help keep our children safe. The gentlelady from American Samoa, Mrs. Radewagen, is an original cosponsor of the bill. And the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has endorsed the legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill to help reunite all our nation's missing children with their families no matter where they live.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Simple FAFSA Act. Because today FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is anything but simple. In fact, the 108-question application can be so daunting that as many as 40 percent of students and parents simply cannot complete it. And that means they cannot get the help they need to make college more affordable, even though we have money available for them. In fact, $2.6 billion went unclaimed for the 2018-2019 academic year. So, let us do something to help these students and their families. The Simple FAFSA Act reduces the number of supporting documents and many of the questions on the current FAFSA. Verifying income will be much easier as parents will be able to retrieve and use the previous year's income data when applying under the bill. Low-income students and families--like many in the Marianas--just need to file the FAFSA once, as opposed to annually, to automatically qualify for a full Pell Grant and attend Northern Marianas College debt-free. The process is even faster for families receiving a means-tested benefit, like Medicaid, who will be able to skip all financial questions on the form. And the legislation opens FAFSA to DREAMers and students with prior drug offenses so our country can fully benefit from their potential. By simplifying the FAFSA, we help more students and their families receive the aid they need to succeed in their education and future careers. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to make college more accessible and affordable for all Americans.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Elevation of the Education Profession Act. This legislation sets up within the U.S. Department of Education an advisory committee of teachers and other stakeholders. Their job: to make recommendations on how we can improve recruitment and retention of teachers and school leaders for the benefit of America's children. Every child in the United States deserves quality instruction from quality teachers. Unfortunately for our children, however, far too many of their most qualified teachers are leaving the profession. As a nation, we need to understand why. Because these departures are having a serious, negative impact on the quality of education, especially on the education of children from low-income families and on children of color. In fact, the Learning Policy Institute reports teacher turnover rates are 50 percent higher in Title I schools, which serve low-income children, than in non-Title I schools. Testimony from teachers at an Education and Labor subcommittee hearing I chaired in July cited various reasons that lead teachers to leave their profession. We heard teachers are not being well prepared, especially when it comes to serving students whose backgrounds and experience with trauma and poverty may differ from the teachers' own. We learned school systems are not giving teachers the support they need. And, of course, we were told teachers are underpaid. It is important to raise these issues in a congressional hearing. More important is that we provide a forum for teachers and other education stakeholders to come together to take a deep dive in the issues our hearing could only glancingly examine. Most important is to find solutions. That is what the Elevation of the Education Profession Act does. The Act brings together teachers and the unions that represent them; state, territory and local education agencies; school administrators; parents; civil rights organizations; teacher colleges; and others who can comprehensively assess the concerns raised in our hearing. How can we increase the value of pre-service and in-service training for teachers? Are certification and credentialing practices setting an adequate standard? And are these quality controls sufficiently uniform across our nation? These are the kinds of questions we want answered. Having made these assessments, the advisory committee is charged with recommending rigorous standards and compiling evidence-based best practices for educating and training profession-ready teachers and school leaders and supporting them once they are at work with our children. The bill also requires the U.S. Department of Education to make these recommended standards and best practices electronically accessible, so schools, teachers, and policymakers around the country can put them to use improving our schools. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to help improve the quality of American educators by bringing stakeholders together to evaluate what is working, where we are deficient, and to recommend the actions necessary to elevate the education profession in the United States to a standard that serves our children best.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2486, the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act, which ensures federal funding for Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) across our nation, including Northern Marianas College, continues after September 30, 2019. Enrolling two out of every three students of color, MSIs play an important role in providing access to a quality higher education and career opportunities. However, many of these schools, which serve over 25 percent of all undergraduates, have historically been underfunded which affects their ability to serve their students who primarily come from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is why Congress authorized funding for MSIs under the Higher Education Act to help students of color succeed through better access to degree programs that prepare them for in-demand jobs, academic counseling and other support services. Through this funding, Northern Marianas College established Project PROA which offers high school juniors, seniors and first-year college students free academic tutoring, college mentoring, counseling, and a center with access to computers while incorporating the indigenous Chamorro and Refaluwasch cultures. 86 percent of participants passed more than half of their classes after receiving Project PROA tutoring services. Mandatory funding for these institutions will expire on September 30, 2019. The FUTURE Act, which I cosponsored, ensures this will not happen. Under H.R. 2486, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander- Serving Institutions like Northern Marianas College will continue to receive $255 million for the next two years. Should funding lapse, the impact would fall on students the most if schools have to make cuts to the very academic programs and services that were established to help them succeed. I thank the gentlelady from North Carolina, Ms. Adams, for her leadership on this legislation and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2486.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Indigenous STEM Professional Development Act, which would expand opportunities for Native American students to earn degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through partnerships between schools from the elementary to postsecondary level and the private sector. Native Americans, including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and the indigenous peoples of the Pacific U.S. territories, are among the most underrepresented groups in the STEM professions. Efforts to increase Native students entering the STEM workforce have seen success with programs like the University of Alaska's Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP). Based on a model incorporating indigenous language and culture in STEM instruction, intensive academic support and hands-on learning from middle school through graduate school, ANSEP has produced over 800 STEM graduates whose job placement rates exceed the national average. According to a 2015 Urban Institute evaluation, ANSEP participants have a 95 percent course completion rate with 84 percent reported being employed within one year of graduation. The evaluation also found the majority of ANSEP students earn a median annual salary over $60,000 with 17 percent earning over $100,000. In 2008, Congress recognized the benefits of the ANSEP model in authorizing grants under the Higher Education Act to support similar programs focused on Native Hawaiians as well as Alaska Natives. However, we must do more to encourage all indigenous students to enter STEM careers, including Chamorro, Refaluwasch, and American Indians. The Indigenous STEM Professional Development Act reauthorizes and expands the grant program to include all indigenous peoples of the United States. Under the bill, schools can continue to use the grant to develop programs to help Native students succeed in completing STEM coursework, transitioning into college, gaining practical experience through internships, and working in their career fields after graduation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to help strengthen our nation's STEM workforce by expanding opportunities for indigenous students to succeed as STEM professionals.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Native American Language Vitalization Act, which would help preserve the indigenous languages of the United States through grants to postsecondary institutions to support Native American language education programs and the pipeline of language instructors. Native American languages are part of our nation's cultural heritage and are as diverse as the rich cultures of American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and the Native peoples of the Pacific U.S. territories. Over the course of our nation's history, Native Americans have faced discrimination and government policies that restricted or banned the use of their indigenous languages. These policies have contributed to the decline in speakers of Native American languages. Without action, many of these languages, from Chamorro to Refaluwasch to Cherokee, are at risk of disappearing. Congress recognized this urgency in passing the Esther Martinez Act in 2006 to strengthen Native American language immersion programs. However, we must do more at the postsecondary level so that future generations have the programs and quality instructors necessary to not only preserve but increase the use of their ancestral languages. The Native American Language Vitalization Act invests in indigenous language education by creating a dedicated grant program under the Higher Education Act to provide the resources Native-serving colleges and universities need to develop or strengthen their indigenous language programs. Schools can use the grant to provide in-service training for language teachers, develop curriculum, professional development of faculty, and create innovative programs, including language immersion. Eligible institutions can also partner with other organizations to reach students in early childhood education programs through grade 12. I thank Representatives Schrier, Gabbard and Case for cosponsoring the bill. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to help preserve the indigenous languages of the United States for future generations.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Native American Language Vitalization Act, which would help preserve the indigenous languages of the United States through grants to postsecondary institutions to support Native American language education programs and the pipeline of language instructors. Native American languages are part of our nation's cultural heritage and are as diverse as the rich cultures of American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and the Native peoples of the Pacific U.S. territories. Over the course of our nation's history, Native Americans have faced discrimination and government policies that restricted or banned the use of their indigenous languages. These policies have contributed to the decline in speakers of Native American languages. Without action, many of these languages, from Chamorro to Refaluwasch to Cherokee, are at risk of disappearing. Congress recognized this urgency in passing the Esther Martinez Act in 2006 to strengthen Native American language immersion programs. However, we must do more at the postsecondary level so that future generations have the programs and quality instructors necessary to not only preserve but increase the use of their ancestral languages. The Native American Language Vitalization Act invests in indigenous language education by creating a dedicated grant program under the Higher Education Act to provide the resources Native-serving colleges and universities need to develop or strengthen their indigenous language programs. Schools can use the grant to provide in-service training for language teachers, develop curriculum, professional development of faculty, and create innovative programs, including language immersion. Eligible institutions can also partner with other organizations to reach students in early childhood education programs through grade 12. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to help preserve the indigenous languages of the United States for future generations.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3504, which includes my bipartisan bill, the GI Bill Access to Career Credentials Act. The GI Bill Access to Career Credentials Act allow veterans to use their GI Bill benefits to cover the cost of approved preparatory courses for professional license and certification exams. Covering these courses under the GI Bill will give veterans and their eligible family members greater ability to enter careers that require government-recognized licenses and certifications, such as in-demand careers in health and technology. This is not the first time Congress has expanded GI bill benefit to cover non-tuition expenses. Over the last 75 years, we have broadened the GI bill to cover college admissions test fees, admissions test preparatory courses, and the exam fees for licenses and certifications. And, while more than 5,700 GI Bill students over the last year and a half used their license and certification exam fees reimbursement benefit, the courses designed to help them pass these tests were not reimbursable. That makes no sense. Not all students pass these exams on the first attempt. If we really want to help our veterans become licensed and certified for demanding careers, let us help them prepare to pass the necessary tests. Let us help them join the more than 25 million veterans and veteran family members who the GI Bill has helped achieve their educational and career goals. My GI Bill Access to Career Credentials Act is supported by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, National Guard Association, Enlisted Association of the National Guard, AMVETS, National Military Family Association, Association of the U.S. Army, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Fleet Reserve `Association, Reserve Officers Association and Paralyzed Veterans of America. I ask my colleagues to support this measure, as well, and H.R. 3504 of which it is a part. H.R. 3504 expands the VA's Specially Adapted Housing grant program to reach more veterans who need assistance and improves the Fry Scholarship program to cover more spouses and children of fallen servicemembers. Again, I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 3504.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, good news for the Northern Mariana Islands and all the insular areas: The Territories Health Care Improvement Act was introduced on Tuesday, addressing the Medicaid cliff our areas face when special ObamaCare funding ends this year. Thursday, the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee reported the bill without dissent. ``Let's keep it moving,'' Chair Eshoo said. I believe full committee Chairman Pallone intends to do so as well. I thank them both and Ranking Members Burgess and Walden for understanding the urgency of the Medicaid crisis in the insular areas. I also thank Mr. Soto and Mr. Bilirakis, who led the bill along with myself and seven bipartisan cosponsors. It provides exactly what the Northern Mariana Islands Medicaid director testified she needed: $60 million per year. No local match is required as we recover from last year's typhoons. After 6 years, we will get the FMAP any State is offered. There are new program integrity requirements that I support because every Federal dollar should go to those intended, without fraud or waste. So, healthcare in the insular areas can be as good as healthcare anywhere in America. That is good news.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Chair, my amendment No. 337, which is included in the en bloc amendment No. 13, clarifies that students holding or expecting to receive their associate degree can apply for the Technology and National Security Fellowship. Section 239 of H.R. 2500 creates a new Technology and National Security Fellowship program to help increase science, technology, engineering and math recruitment in our national security agencies. Those holding or expecting to receive undergraduate and graduate degrees may apply to be placed in national security-focused positions for one-year tours with pay. In support expanding this kind of opportunity for young people to serve their country. But why exclude otherwise qualified applicants simply because they are enrolled in an associate degree program at a community college? Over a third of students nationwide and over half of part-time students are in two-year colleges, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. In many parts of our country, including my district in the Northern Marianas, community college is the only option for students pursuing higher education. Other Defense Department programs for civilian students, such as the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation scholarship program, are already open to applicants from community college students. Let us include these students, too, as long as they meet program standards, and expand the selection pool of those who may serve as Technology and National Security Fellows. I urge the adoption of my amendment, so we can be sure that the Technology and National Security Fellowship program is open to as many qualified students as possible, regardless of what type of college they happen to enroll in. I ask my colleagues to support the en bloc amendment No. 13. I would like to also express support for the following amendments to H.R. 2500 I cosponsored. Amendment No. 390 offered by Representative Velazquez of New York extends to all U.S. territories, including the Northern Mariana Islands, a provision in law that allows federal agencies to double the value of a contract awarded to a Puerto Rico business for purposes of the small business contracting goals. The amendment ensures equity and further incentivize contracting opportunities for small businesses in all the territories. Amendment No. 182 offered by Representative Hastings of Florida conveys the sense of Congress that the United States should promptly begin negotiations on the renewal of the Compacts of Free Association with our trusted allies in the Pacific--the freely associated states of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia. We understand the strategic importance of these Pacific island nations that provide the U.S. exclusive military use rights covering huge swaths of land and waters in the Western Pacific. And we know what is at stake for American interests and security with growing foreign influence in the region. The compacts will expire in a few short years. To keep America strong in the Pacific, we must move towards expeditious negotiations on renewing the compacts with our close allies so that Congress may act on approving and funding the agreements. Amendment No. 249 offered by Representative Lee of Nevada aims to improve benefits and services to veterans through better accountability measures and coordination between the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA). The amendment clarifies the purpose of the interagency program office (IPO) while also directing both departments to allocate sufficient resources and authorities for the IPO. Requires annual reports on IPO activities and quarterly reports on VA and DOD funding to the IPO. Amendment No. 63 offered by Representative Banks of Indiana helps ensure smooth implementation of electronic health records (EHR) for servicemembers and veterans by requiring the Department of Defense, Coast Guard, and the Department of Veterans Affairs jointly develop a comprehensive enterprise interoperability strategy. Amendment No. 236 offered by Representative Lamb of Pennsylvania also helps ensure smooth implementation of the EHR for servicemembers and veterans by setting milestones for achieving interoperability of the EHR. The amendment further requires DOD and VA to work with an independent evaluator to assess and report to Congress on whether the joint EHR is achieving those milestones. I urge my colleagues to support these amendments.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Medicaid and CHIP Territory Transparency and Information Act, which would require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to publish on its website, and periodically update, specified information related to federal expenditures under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in each of the U.S. territories. Presently, data reporting for the Northern Mariana Islands' (NMI) Medicaid program is waived at the discretion of Secretary of Health and Human Services, as allowed by Section I902(j) of the Social Security Act. American Samoa also has this waiver. Absent this waiver, other insular areas are required to maintain appropriate reporting systems as a condition of receiving Medicaid funds. However, there is little evidence to suggest that CMS has been carrying out any robust oversight. An April 2016 Government Accountability Office report found that ``the lack of enforcement of program integrity mechanisms and information systems--have contributed to the limited federal program integrity efforts in the territories.'' The report goes on to state ``until recently, CMS regulations exempted territories from the requirement to develop a Medicaid Management Information System, which could provide more detail on the territories' Medicaid and CHIP spending, including increasing the level of detail on the territories' . . . reporting.'' Data collection on existing insular area Medicaid programs is not only important for transparency and accountability, but essential if long-term Medicaid funding solutions are to be developed for our most remote U.S. jurisdictions. Gathering enrollment, utilization, and expenditure data will allow for a greater understanding of unique health care needs--enabling local government and CMS officials to make evidenced based decisions when it comes to Medicaid program improvements for our insular areas. The gentleman from Florida, Mr. Bilirakis originally introduced this bill in the 115th Congress and is an original co-sponsor of this bill today along with my colleagues, Ms. Plaskett, Mrs. Radewagen, Mr. San Nicolas, and Miss Gonzalez-Colon. This bill is important to the future of Medicaid in the U.S. Territories. I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, the Mariana Islands and four other U.S. insular areas face a Medicaid ``cliff''. Funding included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act expires this year. Two-thirds of our annual Medicaid funding disappears, gone, putting healthcare at risk not just for Medicaid recipients, but for everyone who uses our hospital or other providers, because they depend as well on Medicaid revenues to stay in business or open. I held a hearing last month on this Medicaid cliff. Chair Eshoo held a hearing yesterday, for which I am grateful. This attention is good. We need Congress to focus on this impending healthcare crisis for Americans living in the insular areas. Certainly, more money is needed. Treat the insular areas like the States. But the goal is not just money. What we want is medical care for those who need it in the insular areas to be every bit as good as medical care anywhere in America.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Chair, my amendment is intended to ensure that the Northern Mariana Islands Nutritional Assistance Program has enough funding, so that household income eligibility standards and benefit levels currently in place for FY19 are kept in place throughout FY20. We do not want anyone removed from eligibility or barred from the program because there is not enough money next year. We do not want anyone to have their benefits cut. We have worked hard and long to raise benefits in the Marianas to match neighboring Guam and to meet the true costs of food in our islands. We do not want that progress lost. I do not expect cuts to happen. We provided generously for the Marianas in the disaster supplemental appropriation enacted earlier this month, Public Law 116-20. We appropriated $25.2 million for disaster nutrition assistance in response to the Presidentially declared major disasters--we had two last year: Typhoon Mangkut and Super Typhoon Yutu--and for emergencies. And we made the funds available for all fiscal year 2020. The Marianas had already used $10.6 million of our annual block grant and other monies to pay for disaster nutrition assistance in response to these two typhoons. It is the intent of Congress that the new disaster funding in Public Law 116-20 be applied retroactively to make whole those other funding sources. Going forward, we are concerned about the economic emergency that has developed in the aftermath of the typhoons. Tourism, the primary driver of the economy, is down significantly; and Commonwealth government revenues have fallen. As a result, local government employees have had their hours reduced from 40 to 32 per week. Public school teachers are being forced to agree to a salary cut. The reduced consumer purchasing power will accelerate the economic downturn. During the period of recession and government austerity that occurred from 2008 through 2012, the demand on the nutritional assistance program increased by 44 percent. This scenario may well now repeat. Congress recognizes that, because of the nexus between the typhoon disasters and the subsequent economic emergency, any new demand on the nutritional assistance program in fiscal year 2020 should be addressed with disaster funding provided in Public Law 116-20. It is not certain, however, that the disaster supplemental appropriation will cover all contingencies. To prepare for any eventuality, the amendment I offer makes clear that SNAP contingency funds are a permissible source should the Marianas nutritional assistance program face a shortfall in fiscal 2020. It is a ``belt and suspenders'' proposition. Only needed if, for some reason, disaster funds prove insufficient. This use of the contingency funds is statutorily authorized under the broad discretion given to the Secretary in 48 U.S.C. 1469d(c) to extend to the Marianas any program administered by the Department of Agriculture. The Secretary is also authorized to waive or modify any statutory requirements relating to the provision of assistance under such programs when he deems it necessary in order to adapt the programs to the Marianas needs. My amendment makes clear Congress' intent: that no household eligible for food assistance under the income standards in effect for FY19 will be denied benefits in FY20 and that the benefit amounts being provided in FY19 will not be reduced in FY20. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.