Gregorio Sablan

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the amendment, submitted by my good friends and colleagues, Mr. Tonko and Mr. Bass, that would amend the Energy and Water Appropriations for fiscal year 2012. This important amendment restores funds to the fiscal year 2011 levels for the Weatherization Assistance Program and the State Energy Program. The Weatherization Assistance Program funds are intended to assist low-income residents across America and in the Northern Marianas to improve energy efficiency, and reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions in their homes. The State Energy Program funds are used to upgrade the efficiency of government facilities, promote consumer products that carry the Energy Star label, or invest in alternative fuel infrastructure. Both of these funds create an immediate benefit to those being helped and a long-term benefit to all of us by investing in our future and making America more energy efficient and independent. Where I live in the Northern Mariana Islands, electricity rates are unusually high and energy efficiency is especially important due to the fact that the Northern Mariana Islands is warmer in climate. As of January 2011, the current base electric rate is 28 cents per kilowatt hour. While electricity rates are one of the highest in the nation, our minimum wage is only $5.05 an hour. Therefore, we rely on Weatherization Assistance Program to give funds to those who need the assistance the most and to alleviate the financial burden that energy use places on these low-income households. The Northern Mariana Islands also benefit from the funds under the State Energy Program by creating programs like the Green Energy Project, which provided for solar panels and wind turbines at eleven of our public schools on Saipan, Tinian and Rota. In addition, both programs have the potential and a record of creating local jobs in the construction and energy sectors for all of our economies. I ask that my colleagues support the Tonko-Bass amendment. It is an amendment that helps those that need it most and invests in our future. Taking money away from these very important programs hurts our progress in energy efficiency and job creation.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, last week I introduced H.R. 2236, the Wildlife Refuge System Conservation Semipostal Stamp Act of 2011. This bill would let Americans donate to the upkeep of the National Wildlife Refuge System by purchasing semipostal stamps. There are 553 refuge sites in or nearby almost every congressional district in this country; and those refuges need financial help. Last month, Chairman Fleming of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs held an oversight hearing on the National Wildlife Refuge System's finances. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the System, testified that it has $3.3 billion in unmet operational needs and deferred maintenance projects. A semipostal stamp could help--at least in some small way--to pull the Refuge System out of that deep hole. Semipostals are postage stamps sold at a premium, with the difference going to fund a cause of national interest. The stamps have proven successful. The Breast Cancer Research Stamp has raised over $71 million since it was authorized in 1998. Now, in times of budget constraint, Americans are looking for ways to revitalize the wildlife refuges in their backyards without increasing the demand on taxpayers. The semipostal stamp authorized in H.R. 2236 would provide Americans a way to support their 553 refuge sites without increasing taxes or taking funds from other important government services. The National Wildlife Refuge System was created by President Theodore Roosevelt and today it is the world's premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve fish, wildlife and plants. In my district, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Volcanic Unit and the Mariana Trench Unit of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument are parts of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Volcanic Unit is an arc of undersea mud volcanoes and thermal vents where exotic animals thrive in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. This is an area of cutting-edge scientific scrutiny, and awakens dreams of deep-sea exploration and discovery in us all. In almost every state and territory wildlife refuges are similarly important. They provide recreational opportunities. By exposing our young people to the natural world, refuges inspire the next generation of scientists and researchers. And the wildlife refuges are economic assets. Every year, the Refuge System attracts 44 million tourists, generating $1.7 billion in sales and sustaining 27,000 jobs. Despite the value of the National Wildlife Refuge System, it remains drastically underfunded--unable to keep up with basic operations and maintenance costs. My bill would help alleviate that problem. H.R. 2236 brings a fresh source of income to the National Wildlife Refuge System without drawing on taxpayers or increasing the national debt. The bill gives Americans the choice to contribute to a program deeply important to our Nation and I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 2236.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, it's ``getting ridiculous.'' That's what Saipan Chamber of Commerce President Doug Brennan said about the Department of Homeland Security's failure to issue regulations implementing Federal immigration in the Northern Mariana Islands. And I agree, it is getting ridiculous. Three years since the law was enacted, 18 months since it took effect, two oversight hearings, letters from congressional leaders, meeting after meeting, and still no regulations. Workers don't know what their status will be 5 months from now. Businesses can't plan for the future. ``It's putting the brakes on the economy,'' the chamber president says. And what does DHS say? The regulations will be released when the regulations are released. That is no way for a Federal agency to fulfill its responsibilities. We will get to it when we get to it? Federal immigration was supposed to benefit the Marianas, improve the economy. Instead, it's making things worse. As we think about funding Homeland Security today, Homeland Security should be explaining why it isn't doing its job issuing these long-overdue regulations for the Northern Mariana Islands.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, in the Northern Mariana Islands, modern-day mayors represent a proud tradition that dates back thousands of years to the maga'lahi who led families, clans, and villages of ancient Chamorro society. These individuals, and their forebears, represent an enduring line of local self-government in our islands. They deserve recognition for the important role they have filled, particularly during the return to local self-government after World War II, which was essential to regaining and preserving our cultural identity. This process began soon after American troops freed our islands in the 1944 Battle for Saipan. Chamorro and Carolinian survivors of the war elected a high chief, roughly the equivalent of a mayor, in their first exercise of American democracy. The mayor in those days served in a role now customarily identified with the office of the governor. Today, mayors are charged with more traditional responsibilities such as administering government programs, public services, and appropriations in their respective municipalities. Please join me in honoring the past and present mayors of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, who have contributed greatly to the quality of life in our community. Mr. Speaker, in the Northern Mariana Islands, the modern-day mayors of our far-flung community represent the democratic embodiment of a proud tradition of local leadership that dates back thousands of years to the maga 'lahi who led families, clans, and villages in ancient Chamorro society. These individuals, and their forebears, represent the most enduring line of local government in our islands and merit recognition for the important roles they have filled historically, and particularly during the return to local self-government during the past 65 years. Over 3,500 years ago, the Mariana Islands were first discovered by intrepid sailors from elsewhere in Asia. They organized a society at harmony with nature on our islands that thrived for millennia. Beginning in the early 1500s, however, with the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan, the Marianas lost their independence to successive colonizing forces from all corners of the globe. Spanish forces were followed in the Northern Marianas by Germans, then by the Japanese, and finally-- under a United Nations trusteeship--by the United States, until the people of our islands were given the opportunity for self-determination and voted overwhelmingly to adopt a Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America. During these four centuries of colonialism, our ancestors were told where they could live or not live, their traditional latte stone homes were destroyed, they were forced to adopt foreign customs and religions, and their populations were decimated by foreign diseases and violence at the hands of their colonizers. Although there were titular local leaders, the reestablishment of a substantive government, under the control of the indigenous people, was essential to regaining and preserving cultural identity. This process began approximately five months after American troops wrested control of the Northern Marianas from the Japanese in the 1944 Battle for Saipan. In December of that year, Chamorro and Carolinian survivors of the war, interned at Camp Chalan Kanoa, elected a high chief in their first exercise of American democracy. The office of high chief was later renamed chief commissioner, after the United States naval government implemented a municipal charter for Saipan during the post-war years. Municipal governments developed in similar fashion on the Northern Islands, Tinian and Aguiguan, and Rota. During the early days of an emerging democracy in the islands, the chief commissioner served as the principal liaison between the local political structure that was being established and the U.S. naval administration, and in a role now more identified with the office of the governor. The chief commissioner was responsible for overseeing the work of the several departments which comprised the executive branch: the treasury, economics, public works, education, public health, and public safety. This official was also responsible for preparing the municipality's annual budget; proposing legislation to the legislature, which at that time was made up of commissioners and councilmen; and serving as the judge of the municipal court. With the adoption of the Covenant and the formation of a constitutional government, each of the island municipalities has continued to elect a local executive. These mayors are charged with advising the governor on government operations and matters concerning their respective municipalities. They also administer government programs, public services, and appropriations provided by law; conduct public hearings with respect to government operations and local matters; coordinate any provision of federal programs extended to their respective municipalities; act as the principal local official for mobilizing resources and coordinating response and recovery efforts in the face of emergencies; in consultation with the Municipal Council, submit items for inclusion in the proposed budgets for both government operations and capital improvement projects; and, in the case of Rota, and Tinian and Aguiguan, appoint, in consultation with the head of the respective executive branch department, all resident department heads. In recent years, mayors of the Northern Islands, Saipan, Tinian and Aguiguan, and Rota have contributed greatly to the quality of life in the Northern Mariana Islands. The mayors have participated in the Commonwealth-wide street naming project, they have hosted cultural and educational symposia, they have spearheaded the development of public lands and coordinated infrastructure improvements, and, on a daily basis, they coordinate the provision of public services to the residents of their islands. I ask you to join me today in honoring the past and present mayors of the local municipalities that comprise the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The mayors of Saipan, from the dark days of the war to the present include: Gregorio San Nicolas Sablan, Elias Parong Sablan, Ignacio Villagomez Benavente, Vicente Diaz Sablan, Luis Arriola Benavente, Francisco Manibusan Diaz, Jose Santos Rios, Gilbert Castro Ada, Jose Mettao Taitano, Jesus Sablan Guerrero, Jose Camacho Sablan, Juan Borja Tudela, and Donald Glenn Flores. The mayors of the Northern Islands: Daniel Pangelinan Castro, Vicente Matagolai Aldan, Ambrosio Satur Ruben, Joseph Taman Ogumoro, Valentin Igisaiar Taisakan, and Tobias Dela Cruz Aldan; and before, the District Administrator Representatives Juan Mettao and the long-serving Francisco Borja Kaipat. The atkadi, commissioners, and mayors of Rota: Carlos Songsong Calvo, Andres Camacho Atalig, Tomas Camacho Mendiola, Melchor Songsong Mendiola, Juan Camacho Diaz, Manuel Ada Manglona, Antonio Camacho Atalig, Prudencio Taisacan Manglona, Joseph Songao Inos, Benjamin Taisacan Manglona, and Melchor Atalig Mendiola. The commissioners and mayors of Tinian and Aguiguan: Jose Manglona Hocog, Juan Cruz Villagomez, Jose Reyes Cruz, Antonio Simabukuru Borja, Henry Gikibai Hofschneider, William Villagomez Hofschneider, Felipe Camacho Mendiola, Herman Muna Manglona, Ignacio King Quichocho, James Masga Mendiola, Francisco Manglona Borja, Jose Pangelinan San Nicolas, and Ramon Muna Dela Cruz.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, today I am re-introducing the Rota Cultural and Natural Resources Study Act. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating certain areas of prehistoric, historic, and natural significance on the island of Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands as a unit of the National Park System. Rota is truly a ``jewel,'' as the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Napolitano, called the island at last year's hearing on this same bill. National Park Service representatives who conducted a reconnaissance survey there in 2004 reported that Rota has the best-preserved village sites of the ancient Chamorro people and that Rota's native limestone forests provide habitat to locally and federally protected, rare bird species. The House of Representatives approved the Rota Park study under suspension of the rules in July last year. There was no objection or controversy. But, unfortunately, the other body did not have time on its agenda to act before the 111th Congress ended. Now, I ask that we quickly restart the process of having the Park Service study the suitability and feasibility of designating parts of Rota for a national park. There are time pressures involved. Rota is at a crossroads. Major land use changes are possible resulting from development by the U.S. military on the neighboring island of Guam. We have to know which areas on Rota can be and need to be protected, so that the people of Rota can maintain the important cultural and natural features of their island while at the same time taking advantage of opportunities for economic development. For these reasons the leaders of Rota support the study. The Honorable Teresita Santos, Rota's representative in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, flew to Washington, DC to speak in support of the bill at the hearing by Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oceans, Wildlife and Insular Affairs last year. The Mayor of Rota, the Honorable Melchor Mendiola, submitted his letter for the record during last year's consideration of the bill in the House. He, too, supported passage. Today, I am including another letter of support for the study bill. This letter is from the Honorable Paul S. Manglona, President of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate, who represents Rota in the Senate. And, of course, the National Park Service reconnaissance survey also recommended that the cultural and natural resources are truly of national significance and that the appropriate next step is a suitability and feasibility study. The people of Rota have done a tremendous job over the millennia in protecting the treasures of their remarkable island. Let us support their efforts. Let us determine whether this ``jewel'' should be considered by Congress for inclusion in the National Park System. I ask that my colleagues support the Rota Cultural and Natural Resources Study Act. The Senate, Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature, Saipan, MP, March 15, 2011. Hon. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, Delegate, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman, I am writing to support the Rota Cultural and Natural Resources Study Act (Act). The Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability of designating prehistoric, historic and limestone forest sites on Rota as a unit of the National Park System. As testified to by Commonwealth Legislator Representative Teresita Santos for the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs, the Island of Rota is unique in the Marianas as the only primarily inhabited island spared fighting during World War II. Consequently, plant and animal life was spared the near total destruction similar on Saipan and Tinian. Archaeologists describe Rota as having the most intact and numerous historic sites of any island in the Mariana Archipelago. Rota has the best examples in the Marianas of Latte houses, the ancient stone houses of the Chamorro culture. Four prehistoric sites on Rota are included in the Register of Historic Places, Monchon Archeological District, Taga Latte Stone Quarry, the Dugi Archeological Site, and the Chugai Pictograph Cave containing examples of ancient Chamorro rock art. In addition to prehistoric sites, historic relics from the Japanese period--on the Historic Register of Historic Places--include Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha Sugar Mill, Japanese Coastal Defense Gun and the Japanese Hospital. Natural resources are prevalent on Rota primarily due to its native limestone forests that provide habitat for federally endangered listed species including the Mariana crow and the Rota bridled white-eye birds, in addition to two (2) plant species endemic to Rota. The National Park Service completed a preliminary resource assessment regarding Rota in 2005, concluding designating Rota as part of the national park system appeared to be the best way to ensure the long term protection of Rota's pre- historic and historic natural and man-made habitat and structures. I strongly encourage you, along with the Rota Legislative Delegation, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability of designating prehistoric, historic and limestone forest sites on Rota as a unit of the National Park System. Sincerely, Paul A. Manglona, Senate President.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, today I am re-introducing the American Memorial Park Annex in Tinian Act at the request of Senators Jude U. Hofschneider and Francisco Cruz, and many of the people of Tinian, one of the Northern Mariana Islands I represent. The bill, which I also introduced late in the last Congress, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the National Park Service, to establish an annex of the American Memorial Park, located on the island of Saipan, on the adjacent island of Tinian. Tinian is only 39 square miles in area. But the island played an outsize role in ending World War II. While a military lease of two-thirds of Tinian precludes any set- aside of the historical land on Tinian, creating an annex of the American Memorial Park, a repository for artifacts to be displayed, and a locus for the interest of visitors to Tinian and locals alike, would be appropriate. I am submitting for the record the letter of request from Senators Hofschneider and Cruz. I am also submitting NMI Senate Resolution No. 17-37 that supports the establishment of annex. The Resolution refers to H.R. 6380, the bill number from the 111th Congress. But the language of today's bill is essentially the same as H.R. 6380. I ask that my colleagues support the American Memorial Park Annex in Tinian Act. Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature, Saipan, MP, March 14, 2011. Hon. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, Delegate, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman: I am writing to request your reintroduction of legislation authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to establish an annex of the American Memorial Park in Saipan, on the Island of Tinian. The North Field on Tinian has been designated as one of the most important World War II (WWII) sites in the Pacific. The North Field was used as the launching point for the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan during WWII, in addition to the strategic bombing of Japan. Many historians believe use of the Atomic bomb ended America's war with the Japanese expeditiously, saving the lives hundreds of thousands, if not millions of lives had the U.S. naval and ground forces invaded Japan. On June 18, 2009, I wrote you regarding adding Tinian's North Field to the national park system. However, as I stated in that letter, the U.S. military leases approximately two thirds of Tinian, and their training needs preclude inclusion. On December 23, 2009, the National Park Service suggested several options to recognize the North Field such as brochures, an interpretive film and providing interpretive tours on Saipan. While these suggestions are a good start, the people of Tinian feel a permanent memorial, the Tinian Annex of the American Memorial Park, will appropriately recognize the historic role of Tinian in WWII. The Tinian Delegation of the Commonwealth Legislature, Senator Cruz and me, and the Mayor and Municipal Council of Tinian and Aguiguan humbly encourage you to assist us with this legislation to obtain the Tinian Annex to the American Memorial Park. Such a memorial appropriately recognizes the historic role of Tinian in WWII. Thank you for your consideration, Sincerely, Jude U. Hofschneider, Senator, CNMI Legislature. Francisco Q. Cruz, Senator, CNMI Legislature.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate American Red Cross Month, I would like to pay particular tribute to the Northern Mariana Islands Chapter of the American Red Cross for the leading role it plays in responding to disasters large and small and in providing vital health and safety services in our islands. Our small community has been blessed since 1978 with an exceptionally active and effective local Red Cross chapter. With just four staff members and 150 volunteers, the Northern Mariana Islands chapter last year provided financial assistance to 26 families who suffered house fires or localized flooding, facilitated emergency communications between 154 servicemembers and their families, provided community disaster preparedness materials to over 3,700 individuals, and trained over 2,300 students in courses on CPR, first aid, lifeguarding, and swimming. The Northern Mariana Islands Chapter of the American Red Cross is an integral part of the Commonwealth community, a leader in health and safety training, and an invaluable partner in helping people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. We thank them for their work.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Chair, people in the Northern Mariana Islands pay up to 40 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity. That's four times the national average because we're dependent on diesel oil shipped long distances. A technical assistance grant for the Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs, however, has helped identify a possible source of geothermal energy on one of the islands. Further exploration and more investments are needed to be sure that this alternative source will work for us; but without the technical assistance grant from Interior, we wouldn't even know that we have this possibility of getting off our dependence on expensive foreign oil. And now, H.R. 1 proposes to cut the funds that Interior uses to help the Northern Marianas and the other insular areas in this way. That kind of thinking is penny wise and pound foolish. But helping us get free of foreign oil is only one example of how this Interior Department funding helps us. These cuts threaten the brown tree snake program. I know this may sound like a joke to some, but on Guam there are literally 500,000 or more of these snakes. A few came in on military aircraft and spread quickly. They have caused millions of dollars in damage to electrical distribution systems and destroyed the rare indigenous bird life. And we don't want to see these pests spread to the Northern Mariana Islands or Hawaii or mainland United States. And the Interior Department funding is keeping these snakes in check. Do away with this funding and these unwanted immigrants will break through our borders. The Interior Department funding that H.R. 1 cuts supports training programs for high school and college students in the islands. It supports training for our professional people in financial management, accounting and auditing to help us manage our money to U.S. standards. Take away that training money and you will make it even more difficult for us to build capacity and become fully integrated into the American family. Our economy is based on tourism. Tourists come to enjoy our warm oceans and beautiful coral reefs there, but these reefs are at risk. Run-off from development on land kills the coral. Funding that H.R. 1 cuts is helping us to protect the coral that underpins our tourism economy. Take away the funding and you hit our already fragile tourism industry. We all know that the Federal Government has to cut spending. There is no disagreement there. We need to weed out wasteful programs. We have to get more efficient and effective with our own spending. But the money that goes to the Interior Department to help the insular areas is not wasted. It is effective. It is targeted on precisely the problems that the insular areas confront. It will be a mistake, it is a mistake, to cut this tiny amount of money that has a large positive effect in the Northern Mariana Islands and all of the U.S. insular areas. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing H.R. 670, a bill that will give back to the people of the Northern Mariana Islands three miles of submerged lands surrounding our islands. Exactly two years ago, I introduced the same bill, which was H.R. 934. The bill was lauded by the leaders of the Commonwealth Government and the Legislature. The bill received wide support from both sides of the aisle and in fact was unanimously passed by the House on July 15, 2009. The bill was also approved by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in May 2010. The bill was made part of Senate Majority Leader Reid's The America's Great Outdoors Act of 2010, which was introduced in the closing days of the 111th Congress. However, the Senate did not act on Senator Reid's omnibus lands bill because of many competing priorities. But allow me to explain why this bill is crucial to the people of the Northern Mariana Islands and why it has received such wide support. The Northern Mariana Islands is the only U.S. jurisdiction that does not have ownership of the submerged lands three miles off its shores. We have been a Commonwealth under a permanent Covenant with the United States since 1976. For thousands of years, the Chamorro and Refaluuwasch people farmed the land and fished the seas. However on February 25, 2005 the people of the Mariana Islands were shocked to discover that the waters and the submerged lands below them did not belong to them. But that they were the property of the United States of America, as concluded by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In the same breath, the Court recognized the integral connection between the land, water and my people. The Court pointed out that Congress can return these lands back to the people of the Northern Mariana Islands. H.R. 670 does exactly that. I want to thank all those Members who are original cosponsors of this bill and I ask that my colleagues support H.R. 670.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 5493, authorizing the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands each to display a statue here in the Capitol. I thank the gentleman from American Samoa, Eni Faleomavaega, who has championed this idea to include the territories for many years. And I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who support the non- state areas of our country each having one statue of a distinguished person they regard as worthy of praise and commemoration displayed here. Currently, the National Statuary Hall Collection holds statues from all 50 states. Each has produced native sons or daughters who exemplify the state's sense of itself or who have played a significant role in the history of this great United States of America. H.R. 5493 will recognize that the non-state areas of our Nation have also contributed and sacrificed for America. As Americans, we, too, would like to share our experience and our pride, as embodied in one individual, with the rest of the American people here in our Capitol. I ask that my colleagues support H.R. 5493.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H.R. 5012 into the Record.

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask for support on H.R. 5012, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus).

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5012) to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch to establish a weekend and holiday feeding program to provide nutritious food to at-risk school children on weekends and during extended school holidays during the school year, as amended.

Mr. SABLAN. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5012, the Weekends Without Hunger Act, legislation to help us prevent school-aged children from having to go hungry during weekends and breaks when they are not in school. The Weekends Without Hunger Act helps prevent children from going hungry when they are not in school. The bill responds to the growing challenge of children coming to school hungry on Mondays and after extended holidays. It establishes a 5-year pilot program to provide commodities to schools and food banks in low-income areas, to provide nutritious food to at-risk school children to take home on weekends and during school holidays. Nearly one in four of our Nation's children are at risk of going hungry every day. No child should go hungry, yet millions of families struggle to make ends meet and put healthy food on the table at home. More than 19 million school-age children eat a free or reduced-price meal at school every day and many of them depend on the school meals as their main source of food throughout the week. During days that school is in session, school breakfasts and lunches help keep children healthy and prepared to learn in the classroom. Children who experience hunger get sick more often and exhibit decreased attention and test scores. Even with the child nutrition safety net already in place, there is still a significant gap in children's access to nutrition during weekends and breaks from school. For many children, this gap means going without nutritious meals--or any meals at all over the weekend and when school is out. The organization Feeding America has been at the forefront of public- private partnerships to ensure children and families have access to healthy meals. Their BackPack Program is one in a number of innovative programs they operate to meet the needs of families who experience hunger. This program provides backpacks filled with nutritious food that is child friendly, nonperishable and easily consumed. These backpacks are discreetly distributed to children on the last day before the weekend or holiday vacation. Currently, more than 3,800 BackPack Programs serve nearly 190,000 children in 46 States and the District of Columbia. The BackPack Program has been very successful and in much demand. Many programs have begun waiting lists because they are unable to fulfill every request for service. Earlier this year, the Committee on Education and Labor reported the bipartisan bill improving nutrition for America's Children Act, H.R. 5504, to the House by a vote of 32-13. The Weekends Without Hunger provision was included in this bill. Last week, the House approved S. 3307, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, to reauthorize and improve the child nutrition programs to increase children's access to these critical programs and to improve nutrition quality. While we were unable to include H.R. 5012 in that bill, the committee strongly believes this initiative deserves consideration and supplements what was included in the Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Representative Titus for her leadership in bringing this bill to the floor and once again express my support for H.R. 5012, the Weekends Without Hunger Act. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN

Mr. SABLAN. I yield the gentlewoman 30 additional seconds.

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on Senate bill 3817 into the Record.

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 3817) to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978, and the Abandoned Infants Assistance Act of 1988 to reauthorize the Acts, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Senate bill 3817, as amended, which reauthorizes and improves the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, the Adoption Opportunities Act, and the Abandoned Infants Assistance Act. These programs are critical to our Nation's effort to help some of the Nation's most vulnerable children. Child abuse and neglect continues to be a significant problem in this country. In 2008, approximately 772,000 children were determined to be victims of child abuse and neglect, and an estimated 1,740 children died in 2009 as a result of child abuse. A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds in the United States. In addition to suffering physical and emotional harm, children who experience abuse or neglect are more likely to have developmental delays, have difficulties in school, be arrested as juveniles and later as adults, experience depression, anxiety or other mental health problems, engage in more health-risk behaviors as adults, and have poor health outcomes as adults. In 1974, Congress enacted the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, or CAPTA, to create a single Federal focus for preventing and responding to child abuse and neglect. That landmark legislation helped establish minimum standards for specific reporting and response practices for States to include in their child protection laws. CAPTA remains the only Federal legislation exclusively dedicated to preventing, assessing, identifying, and treating child abuse and neglect. In order to receive grant funds under the act, States are required to have procedures in place for receiving and responding to allegations of abuse or neglect and for ensuring children's safety. Since its enactment, CAPTA has been reauthorized numerous times, more recently by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003. Currently, it authorizes three critical programs. These include formula grants to States to help improve their child protective services, competitive grants to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect, and formula grants to States for support of community-based prevention services. In addition, CAPTA authorizes formula State grants, commonly referred to as the Children's Justice Act grants, to improve the prosecution and handling of child abuse and neglect cases. This CAPTA reauthorization works to support and expand the use of evidence-based best practices in the field of child welfare, and makes changes to encourage States to adopt a differential response model in working with at-risk families and in preventing and intervening in cases of child abuse or neglect. Differential response allows child welfare agencies to intervene with families in more supportive ways, often by focusing or assessing families' strengths and needs and providing services. Research shows this approach can be less disruptive and more supportive to families, leading to safer and stronger homes for children. The bill improves the Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention, CBCAP, program to encourage a greater child and family voice in planning efforts. Additionally, the bill takes steps to improve research on how to prevent child abuse and neglect in tribal families, enhance access to grants for tribes and tribal organizations, and expands the involvement of tribal leaders in advisory roles. Thanks to Subcommittee Chair Mrs. McCarthy's leadership on the issue, the bill before us also ensures fewer children will fall through the cracks by improving services when there are cross-jurisdictional complications. Also included in this legislation is a reauthorization of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. FVPSA is the primary Federal funding stream for domestic violence shelters and direct services to victims of domestic violence and their children. Over 2,000 shelters and programs receive grant funding under this statute. With this reauthorization, FVPSA will better meet the needs of children exposed to domestic violence, including those exposed to teen dating violence or abuse. The bill also expands capacity for the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which provides a toll-free 24-hour hotline to offer assistance and referrals to victims of domestic violence and their families. This bill reflects some of the language from H.R. 4116 reauthorizing FVPSA, of which I am an original cosponsor. It will strengthen the Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence in the Northern Mariana Islands and similar groups working to help victims in the other U.S. insular areas. These nongovernmental organizations provide shelter, counseling, and intervention and prevention services. But for island jurisdictions like the Northern Marianas, providing this help can be difficult. We have three main inhabited islands, and services available on one are not readily available on the others. Passage of S. 3817 will allow for establishment of shelters on each of the three islands to provide temporary protection for victims. Currently, the single shelter on the island of Saipan is inaccessible to victims who are living on the islands of Tinian and Rota. I want to thank Representative Gwen Moore and her staff for working closely with me to help ensure that insular areas are able to provide protection to victims of domestic violence, as we do in the rest of the United States. Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller has also been a strong supporter. I also want to thank the sponsor of the Senate bill, Senator Chris Dodd, for his leadership in bringing this important legislation to the House, as well as Senators Daniel Inouye, Daniel Akaka and Jeff Bingaman, and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin for working to ensure that help is available for victims of sexual and domestic assault anywhere in America. Finally, I want to thank Mr. Kline for working with us to complete this important reauthorization. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting Senate bill 3817 to reauthorize the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support Senate bill 3817, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield another 30 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, at this time I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).