Gregorio Sablan

Mr. SABLAN

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

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 674, the Rota Cultural and Natural Resources Study Act. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to determine whether it would be suitable and feasible to add certain cultural, archeological, historical, and natural resources on the island of Rota in the Northern Marianas to the National Park System. The House has already voted to authorize the suitability and feasibility study for Rota on two separate occasions, but the other body did not follow through, so here we are again. The third time may be the charm. Mindful of the previous House votes, I will not preach to the choir, but I do think that it is worth reminding my colleagues that a Park Service reconnaissance survey reported in 2005 that Rota contains natural, archaeological, and historical features of national significance. These include precontact village sites of the Chamorro people, who discovered and populated the Mariana Islands 3,500 years ago. I also want to remind my colleagues, because we're all mindful of cost, that the Congressional Budget Office finds the bill will not affect direct spending or revenues. Finally, I want to thank Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member Markey of the Natural Resources Committee for their support of H.R. 674. I also want to thank Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva of the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation for their help in bringing this measure to the floor today. I urge my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 674. At this time, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, before I yield back my time, I'd also like to thank the gentleman from American Samoa for his support of the bill. And because he mentioned Tinian, the Enola Gay and the Boxcar did fly from Tinian to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki and ended the war against Japan. Those airplanes, I'd like to also note for the record, originated and took off from Utah before they came to the Mariana Islands. So there's that connection here. So Mr. Bishop is actually the one who reminded me that while they took off from Tinian, it was in Utah that they started the flight to Tinian and eventually flew to Japan. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill corrects a survey error made in the 1960s. The landowners will be required to pay $20,000 for these two parcels. I want to commend my colleague, Congresswoman Kirkpatrick, for her leadership on this issue. And at this time, I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Kirkpatrick).

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, when the House acts this way, it's some of the most brightest, proudest moments for me--that I am a part of this House when Congress, when Members of this House do something to right a wrong. And in this case, not just right a wrong, but because of a survey and a mistake by surveyors in the 1960s, these homeowners are now even willing to put up their own money and buy a piece of property that they thought they always owned. This is a proud moment, and I support the bill, Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume, and then I will also yield time to the distinguished gentlelady from California. H.R. 520 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to study ways the National Park Service could commemorate the role of Buffalo Soldiers. Buffalo Soldiers were African American troops who served in our first National Parks, including Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, prior to the establishment of the National Park Service. The legislation, sponsored by Congresswoman Speier, was ordered favorably reported by the Natural Resources Committee in April. This legislation has passed the House during the previous two Congresses. I commend my colleague, Congresswoman Speier, for introducing this legislation and for her leadership on this issue. We strongly support this legislation. At this time, I yield as much time as she may consume to the Congresswoman from California.

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, we support the bill. I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN

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

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 356 clarifies existing law regarding the Federal Government's authority to permit land exchanges within the boundaries of the Ute Indian Reservation in northeastern Utah and resolve the tribe's split estate problem caused by Federal error over 50 years ago. The legislation returns the subsurface mineral estate to the Ute Tribe in a portion of its reservation that the tribe considers culturally and environmentally significant and, thus, preserves the area's pristine wilderness from development. Last Congress, the House passed a virtually identical bill under suspension of the rules by voice vote, and again, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 356. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN

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

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 767 will broaden the geographic reach of a pilot program created in 2005 to provide additional resources to some BLM field offices to permit oil and gas development and conduct environmental reviews. The Bureau of Land Management has testified that this pilot program has led to increased oil and gas inspection and enforcement capability as a result of hiring more skilled specialists. The Bureau of Land Management has also stated that the increase in inspections has led to better compliance by the industry and a reduction in major violations due to the increased number of inspectors in the field. We do not oppose this bill, and I ask support for H.R. 767. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN

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

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I also rise in support of H.R. 573. The bill conveys to the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas the 3 miles of submerged lands surrounding each of our 14 islands. I want to thank leaders from both sides of the aisle, Chairman Doc Hastings and Ranking Member Ed Markey of the Natural Resources Committee, and my good friend, Dr. John Fleming, chairman of the Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs Subcommittee, and my good friend, Mr. Bishop from Utah, for managing today's bill, all for their support of H.R. 573. The Northern Marianas is the only coastal jurisdiction that does not have ownership of the submerged lands off its coasts. H.R. 573 corrects that irregularity. It provides the same ownership rights over the submerged lands as are provided by Federal law to Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Today will be the third time that the House will vote to convey these lands. In both the 111th and the 112th Congress, we approved this transfer unanimously. I hope that the House will make the same decision again today. And I hope that the other body will this time, finally, also agree that the Northern Mariana Islands should have the rights of ownership of our offshore submerged lands and natural resources as other coastal areas of America enjoy. For thousands of years, the people of the Northern Marianas certainly believed these resources were ours. It was not until a 2005 ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that we were informed that these were not our lands but instead belonged to the Federal Government. We were grateful that there were Members of Congress who quickly responded to our plight, for at the time we had no representation here. Then- Congressman, now-Senator Jeff Flake, introduced a bill conveying these lands shortly after the Ninth Circuit ruling. New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici introduced a companion to the Flake measure. As the first representative from the Northern Mariana Islands, I have continued their work on this issue, as I have said, in the 111th, the 112th, and now in the 113th Congress. In summary, H.R. 573 costs nothing. Congress has the constitutional authority to enact it. The bill will simply provide parity--the ownership and responsibility for submerged surrounding lands and waters that every other coastal area of our Nation enjoys. I want to thank all 36 Members who are cosponsors of this bill, and I ask that my colleagues here today support H.R. 573. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I am introducing a bill to allow for the expansion of the federal Employment Service network to my district, the Northern Mariana Islands to be eligible for Employment Service Programs by amending the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. The Employment Service Programs provide funds to establish a nationwide system of public employment offices and One-Stop Career Centers across the United States. These centers have successfully connected millions of job seekers with employers throughout the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. The legislation I am introducing today, in remedying the statutory absence of the Northern Mariana Islands from the definition of ``State,'' will allow for the expansion of the federal Employment Service network to the NMI, thereby contributing to both the local and National economy by supporting the development of an experienced, motivated, and most importantly, employed American workforce. Should the Commonwealth government choose to apply for this grant, the funds could be used to stand up One-Stop Centers in the NMI that would help those searching for work find jobs and help local employers find qualified workers. These Centers provide services that have a proven record of success in hundreds of locales throughout the United States. Our national economy is still pulling itself out of the deepest recession since the 1930s. The economy in the NMI is in even worse condition, however, with declines in GDP every year from 2004 to 2009. This bill provides for the possible extension of a federal program that is helping address unemployment around our Nation to the one place, perhaps, that needs help the most, the Northern Marianas. The employment services the Wagner-Peyser programs provide have proven effective in facilitating the connection between the employers' demand for employees and the labor market's abundant supply of a willing workforce. That is why I ask my colleagues to support this bill. We have to do more in this Congress for U.S. workers. This is not a new program. This is not a fundamental amendment to the intent of the Act. This bill merely offers equal treatment to the Northern Marianas in giving them the chance to access funding to support our local businesses and workers in need.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, just over 50 years ago, in the fall of 1962, the first school to offer secondary education in the Northern Mariana Islands was renamed Hopwood Junior Senior High School, in honor of Admiral Herbert Gladstone Hopwood, a Naval officer with 42 years of distinguished service to our country, including 3 years as Commander- in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet. The school had been founded following the end of World War II, as our community turned from the harrowing years of desperate survival to the work of rebuilding our islands and improving the lives of those who lived there. The American administration of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands directed that uniform public education be implemented throughout Micronesia; and in September 1949 secondary education was introduced in the Northern Mariana Islands with the establishment of Saipan Intermediate School, offering classes for grades seven through nine. At first, the small school shared a campus with Chalan Kanoa Elementary School, but Saipan Intermediate moved to its own campus in the village of Chalan Piao in 1952, where classes were held in reconditioned wartime Quonset huts. The original curriculum included arithmetic, English, native languages, science, history, geography, domestic arts, crafts, vocational training, and music. Teacher training courses were also established. During these early years in the reconstruction of the Northern Mariana Islands educational options beyond ninth grade were limited. There were few private high schools and, prior to 1962, no public high schools. But the desire for formal educational advancement had already established a foothold in our society. In the late 1950's, Saipan Intermediate School was renamed Hopwood Intermediate School. And then in 1962, it was renamed Hopwood Junior Senior High School to recognize the enrollment of tenth grade students. This first class of public high school students in the Northern Mariana Islands then graduated from Hopwood in 1965. But Hopwood's time as a senior high school was short. In 1969 a new and larger public high school opened on Saipan; and Hopwood assumed its current name of Hopwood Junior High School. In the years since, the school has greatly expanded. The campus now includes vocational education buildings; an alternative school, Lina'la Malawasch Academy; and a performing arts building. Hopwood now has the second largest student body of any Saipan school, serving nearly 1,200 young scholars. Along with improvements in the physical facility, so too have academic opportunities, student achievement and faculty development evolved. One significant milestone reflective of this ongoing advancement was reached in 1993, when the school was granted preliminary accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It continues today as a fully accredited member of WASC. Hopwood's motto is ``We Make Everyday the Best.'' This upbeat attitude is reflected in the faces and in the actions of the school's students, teachers, and staff alike. This drive to be the best is also reflected in the wide range of co-curricular and sports activities in which students participate and represent their school so well. By way of example, in recent years Hopwood Junior High students have won awards in the National Junior Forensic League regional competition, regional spelling bees, Academic Challenge Bowls, regional thespian competitions, and local essay and logo contests. This diversity extend to the athletic fields, as well, where Hopwood students have won numerous track and field, cross country, soccer, volleyball, and basketball competitions. From its humble beginnings in 1949 and to this day, Hopwood is recognized as an institution that has played a historic role in our community and that continues to serve a vital role in the lives of our students and our community. I have great confidence that the school will continue to distinguish itself in the years to come. And I offer my congratulations to all those who have been affiliated with Hopwood Junior High School over these many years--teachers, staff, students, alumni, and parents.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, the first school to offer secondary education in the Northern Mariana Islands was officially named Hopwood Junior-Senior High School, in honor of Admiral Herbert Gladstone Hopwood, commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet. In 1969, when a senior high school opened, the name was shortened to Hopwood Junior High School. But the school itself expanded. It now has the second-largest student body of any Northern Marianas school, serving nearly 1,200 young scholars. Facilities expanded to vocational education buildings; an alternative school, Lina'la Malawasch Academy; and a performing arts building. Hopwood's motto is: ``We Make Every Day the Best.'' This upbeat attitude is reflected in a record of performance, including awards in regional forensic and theater competitions, spelling bees, and Academic Challenge Bowls. From humble beginnings in 1949, to this day, Hopwood has served a vital role in the lives of our students and our communities. I have great confidence the school will continue to distinguish itself in the years to come. Congratulations to the Hopwood Hilitais.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation that provides the full protection of federal election law to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands. The people of these areas deserve to have their elections protected by the same laws that safeguard elections and voters everywhere else in our Nation. Because of various anomalies federal election laws do not always apply in the territories as in the states. There are gaps in application from one territory to the next. My legislation simply closes those gaps, so that the laws that govern federal elections apply in the same way throughout our country. The result will be that voters in the territories will be protected from intimidation, threats, and coercion, when they cast their ballots in federal elections--just as voters are protected in the rest of America. The result will be that the manipulation of elections for federal office by public officials will be illegal--just as in the rest of America. By extending federal election law, as it does, my bill makes clear that aliens are prohibited from voting and extends the penalties of fine and imprisonment that apply in the rest of our country. By extending federal election law, as it does, my bill makes sure that persons employed in federal or territorial government offices are barred from using their official authority to interfere with the nomination or election process for any federal office and penalizes those who do. By extending federal election law, as it does, my bill gives voters assurance that their votes will not be diluted with votes cast by persons using false information to register or identify themselves at the polling place, just as federal law assures voters in the rest of America. My bill simply adds the Northern Mariana Islands and other U.S. territories to those parts of the law where we are not included, in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, for example, and in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971. Each and every Member of Congress from each and every State abides by and is protected by these same laws. I believe that Members of Congress from the non-State areas and their constituents must abide by the same standards and deserve these same safeguards in their elections for federal office. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, today I am re-introducing the Rota Cultural and Natural Resources Study Act, which authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to report to Congress on the feasibility and suitability of designating certain areas on the island of Rota as a unit of our magnificent national parks system. This same measure passed the House in both the 111th and the 112th Congresses. I hope that we can quickly bring the bill to the floor in the 113th Congress for passage again and send the measure back to the other body for its agreement. The cultural and natural resources of Rota merit our persistence. In 2005 a National Park Service reconnaissance survey determined that these resources meet the standards of national significance and are not adequately represented anywhere else in our national parks. The next step in the very thorough and methodical process of choosing which areas of our Nation should become part of the system is the determination of feasibility and suitability, which my bill authorizes. Rota's cultural resources are truly unique. People first arrived on the island some 3,500 years ago. Remnants of their ancient settlements are found at several sites and include the iconic latte stone houses. These consist of two parallel rows of limestone columns with each column supporting a hemispherical capstone upon which a wooden framed house was placed. A quarry for these columns and capstones is also among the archaeologically important sites that could eventually be part of a Rota National Park. Also of national significance are Rota's natural resources, not least of which is the native limestone forest there that provides habitat to the endangered Mariana crow, the Aga. This rare species is protected under both local and federal laws; and its future could be further assured if areas of its already limited range were incorporated into a park. The Rota Cultural and Natural Resources Study Act was passed by the House in both the 111th and 112th Congress with broad bipartisan support. One important reminder made then and worth repeating is that passage of the Act gives the Rota study no special preference. There are other suitability and feasibility studies, which Congress has approved and which are waiting in turn for the National Park Service to have the resources to conduct. The bill I am introducing simply ensures that the island of Rota is in that queue. That is not to say there is no urgency to completing a study. Rota is very much at a crossroads. Land use changes are taking place that could affect eventual park boundaries. Rare and endangered species, such as the Aga, would be safer with the permanent protection of a park. The economy of Rota, which could be developed around themes of eco-tourism, needs a high value destination that park designation would provide. These are some of the many reasons that the people of Rota support the park study and why I am introducing the bill today. I want to thank all those Members who are original cosponsors of the Rota Cultural and Natural Resources Study Act. And I want to thank the hundreds of House Members who voted in favor of this study in the 111th and 112th Congresses. I ask that you do so again, when this bill returns to the floor in the 113th Congress

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the American Memorial Park Tinian Annex Act. This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop, maintain, and administer on the island of Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands an extension of the existing American Memorial Park on the neighboring island of Saipan. American Memorial Park was established to honor the 5,204 U.S. military personnel and Northern Mariana Islanders, whose lives were lost during the Marianas Campaign, one of the most strategically significant events of World War II. The Park houses a museum that affords residents and visitors alike an opportunity to learn about the vital role of the Northern Mariana Islands in the United States' successful effort to bring World War II to a close. The Marianas Campaign was so important because capture of the islands placed U.S. bombers within range of the Japanese homeland. B- 29s were deployed from both Saipan and Tinian; and, eventually, the atomic bombs that ended the War in the Pacific were launched from the airfield on Tinian, which was at the time the largest facility in the world. Despite the critical role of Tinian and its airfields, today there is no repository on the island for artifacts recovered from the vast military sites that were quickly abandoned at the end of the conflict. Nor is there any location at which residents and visitors to Tinian can obtain adequate information about the historically significant events that occurred there. The proposed Tinian Annex would fill this gap. The Annex would have both a curatorial and an interpretive function. And, as conceived, the Annex would accomplish these purposes by building on National Park Service resources and infrastructure already established to manage the American Memorial Park and largely supported by a trust fund. Although the Department of Defense has said that it will seek additional funding to support a historical center on Tinian, the proposed Act also respects the limitations on federal financial resources by encouraging the use of public lands, provided by the local government, as the site of the Annex. The need for the Tinian Annex is pressing. For decades after World War II the historically significant areas of the island remained relatively undisturbed. The U.S. military leased two-thirds of Tinian and there were only occasional training exercises on these lands. But more recently, as U.S. forces have begun to be reconfigured and realigned in the Pacific region, the tempo of activity on Tinian has increased. Lands are being developed for firing ranges, encampments sites are being enlarged, and the airfields of the 1940s are being reconstructed as part of the military's on-going readiness exercises. Although the people of the Northern Mariana Islands certainly support this increased activity and are proud to have a role in our Nation's defense, we are also concerned that historically important artifacts that may be unearthed over the coming decades of stepped-up training will be discarded and lost without a nearby repository for their preservation. We are concerned, too, that because this military activity will at times necessarily limit physical access to large parts of the island Tinian residents and visitors will need some alternative, virtual means of learning about the role of Tinian North Field, where the atomic bomb carrying B-29s, Enola Gay and Bock's Car, lifted off and about other sites of historic significance. We are concerned that we may be losing a little bit of our Nation's and our islands' history, day by day. The purpose of my bill is to remedy this. This is not solely the concern of those of us who live in the Northern Mariana Islands. I would like to share with you the perspective of U.S. Marine Corps Chaplain Lt. David Jeltema who was on Tinian last September. He accompanied a Marine expeditionary unit training there. Lt. Jeltema said the visiting Marines were in awe to be in such a historically significant location and viewed Tinian as ``hallowed ground.'' Tinian's North Field is one of those places he said he wished more people could see, ``so that we can remember the tremendous power the military has and realize what an incredible responsibility it also has.'' That is certainly one of the many important lessons that could be drawn by any visitor to the Tinian Annex of the American Memorial Park, which the bill I introduce today would authorize. I want to thank the House Natural Resources Committee, which favorably reported this same legislation in the 112th Congress. I thank all those Members who are original cosponsors of the measure today. And I ask the House to move quickly to approve the American Memorial Park Tinian Annex Act for the benefit of the future and in honor of the past.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a bill that will return to the people of the Northern Marianas ownership of the three miles of submerged lands surrounding each of our islands. In doing so, this bill also puts the management of these lands back in the hands of those who have the greatest interest in protecting the natural resources there and in developing their economic potential--the people of the Northern Mariana Islands. I say ``return'' because, until 2005, we believed we owned these lands around our islands; and we cared for them accordingly. But in 2005 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that--unlike the case for every other coastal state and territory in our Nation--the submerged lands and waters off our shores did not belong to us, but rather belonged to the federal government. The Court did acknowledge in its ruling that Congress had the authority to convey these lands to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and it is that authority that my bill would exercise. We have been here before. In three previous Congresses legislation has been offered to provide the same ownership of submerged lands to the Northern Mariana Islands as is enjoyed by American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 2005 Representative Jeff Flake of Arizona-- now Senator Jeff Flake--introduced H.R. 4255 for this purpose. And in 2009, when for the first time the people of the Northern Mariana Islands themselves were represented in this House, I introduced H.R. 934, conveying these lands. That bill passed the House without dissent, 416-0, in July of 2009, but died in the Senate. Again in 2011 I introduced this legislation, as H.R. 670. Again the House passed the bill without dissent, 397-0. Again the Senate failed to act, although the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on a companion measure, S. 590, sponsored by Senator Jeff Bingaman and Senator Lisa Murkowski. In each Congress each bill introduced on this issue has progressed farther down the legislative track. I hope the fourth time proves to be the charm. We know from past action that this House supports local control of these local resources in the Northern Mariana Islands. The Obama Administration has testified in favor of the conveyance. And I can attest that my constituents desire equivalent treatment to other U.S. coastal jurisdictions. So, we just have to give the other body one more opportunity to join in this wide agreement. Let me add that the cost of the measure I have introduced is nothing and that Congress has the Constitutional authority to enact this bill-- two threshold questions that we must always answer. And let me thank the hundreds of Members who voted in favor of this conveyance in the 111th and 112th Congresses and all those Members who are original co-sponsors of today's measure, which provides the right of ownership and responsibility of management for submerged lands and waters to the Northern Mariana Islands that every other coastal area of our Nation enjoys.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing legislation that will provide this Congress with the information we need to determine whether the U.S. Department of Agriculture is correctly reimbursing schools in the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands for student meals. Congress has already recognized that there may be costs in the insular and non-contiguous areas of our nation that are different than those in the continental United States and for this reason gave the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to set adjusted reimbursement rates in 42 U.S.C. 1760(f): In providing assistance for breakfasts, lunches, suppers, and supplements served in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Secretary may establish appropriate adjustments for each such State to the national average payment rates prescribed under sections 1753, 1759a, 1761 and 1766 of this title and section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, to reflect the differences between the costs of providing meals and supplements in those States and the costs of providing meals and supplements in all other States. [Here ``States'' means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the named U.S. insular areas.] The Secretary has used this authority to set adjusted--and place- appropriate rates--for both Alaska and Hawaii, where transportation and other factors add to the cost of providing meals in the schools. In the other insular areas--the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands--however, where distance and reverse economies of scale can increase costs just as in Alaska and Hawaii, schools are reimbursed at the standard national rate that applies throughout the continental U.S. Those of us who shuttle between our duties in Congress and the insular areas we represent are familiar with the costs of food and other services both here and at home. We know that there are differences. And, if these differences mean that children in our areas are receiving less food or less nutritious food or no food at all because the current reimbursement rates are inadequate, then we need that information. By the same token--though this is not my expectation--if the federal government is overpaying, then Congress needs to know that, as well. The legislation I am introducing today requires the Secretary of Agriculture to report to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate on: 1. the difference between the costs of providing meals and supplements under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 in the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and the average cost of providing these meals and supplements in the 50 States and the District of Columbia; and 2. the relationship of those cost differences and the reimbursement rates offered to the insular areas. Accurate information, such as this legislation will provide to Congress, is essential for accurate policy-making. I urge my colleagues to co-sponsor this bill and thank them for their support.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, I'd also like to express my deepest condolences to the people of Hawaii for their loss of a great Senator and a great American. I would not be here today standing in the well of the House if not for Senator Daniel K. Inouye. This beloved leader did so much for many Americans, for so many people of the Pacific, as we are hearing tonight. He touched the lives of so many individuals, including my own life. In 1986, Senator Inouye gave me the opportunity to work as a Fellow in his office here at the Capitol. Senator Inouye had established a program to bring young men and women from the Pacific Islands to Washington to learn about Congress and the United States Government. We came from American Samoa and from the Northern Mariana Islands, my home. What an opportunity Senator Inouye gave us. What an eye-opening experience to see Congress at work. What an education to watch up close this distinguished man of the Senate, by turns dignified, gracious, good humored, principled, quiet and when called to defend the forgotten, fierce, fierce and formidable. I was inspired. Seeing what an elected official could be, what he could do to bring justice to this world, I dared to dream of one day doing the same. The Northern Mariana Islands did not even have a seat in Congress in 1986. That did not happen until 23 years later. But throughout those 23 years, I held that dream deep in my heart, the dream that Senator Daniel Inouye planted that some day I could represent my people as I had seen him represent the people of Hawaii and America. I will admit that dream did not always burn brightly. There were times when I did not tend the flame. But when the day came that Congress granted a seat to the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, that flame roared to life. That inspiration that Daniel K. Inouye had lit in my heart, fed by the ideals that he had instilled in me those many years ago, the ideal that we're all equals in this great country, as citizens and as individuals, and that, against all odds, we can overcome poverty, we can overcome prejudice, we can overcome terrible, terrible, physical injury and survive stronger than ever. We can survive and prevail if we believe in the inherent decency and goodness of America, as Senator Daniel K. Inouye believed--if we are not afraid to dream. And so I dreamt, inspired by this man, aided by the opportunity he once gave to me. And tonight, Mr. Speaker, I stand here in the well of this hallowed Chamber to say thank you to Daniel K. Inouye. Thank you, Senator Inouye, for showing me the way here. Thank you, sir, for showing us all what it means to be a true Member of Congress. Thank you, and good night. Rest well. We shall always remember you.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. No, I don't, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise, as many others have, to offer my deepest condolences to the children, families, and community of Newtown, Connecticut. They are enduring a terrible tragedy in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. But merely to offer condolence feels meaningless to me unless we also act to save other children and families and communities from a repetition of this same terrible tragedy. We in Congress must take action to keep assault weapons and high- capacity clips out of the hands of those who are so dangerous or deranged or deluded that they can snuff out the lives of innocents on a whim. I understand there is a constitutional right to bear arms--I know the lawyers here will debate the fine points of that constitutional protection--but if our talk does not take guns out of the hands of people who would murder children, then our condolences today are just empty words. We owe it to those who died. We owe it to children still alive. We must protect our families from this gun violence.