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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 104 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 142 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 1996 No. 33 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. and was derstand the reasons behind an effort seems a step below territory. Wake Is- called to order by the Speaker pro tem- to change the status. An unincor- land is a possession and has no govern- pore [Mr. KOLBE]. porated territory is little more than a ment functioning there. It is managed f colony with a legal title which dis- by a Federal agency. guises it. An unincorporated territory Guam is an unincorporated territory DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO means that the territory is owned by TEMPORE the United States and that the Con- that is working to establish a new The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- gress has plenary power over it. But it Commonwealth. The Guam Common- fore the House the following commu- is not incorporated meaning that it is wealth Act, H.R. 1056, which I intro- nication from the Speaker: not truly an integral part of the United duced early in the 104th, provides the WASHINGTON, DC, States. framework for this new Common- March 12, 1996. Unincorporated means that the Con- wealth. Governor Gutierrez and the I hereby designate the Honorable JIM stitution is not fully applicable to Guam Commission on Self-Determina- KOLBE to act as Speaker pro tempore on this Guam. Unincorporated means that the tion have been negotiating with the day. territory is not on a path to statehood Clinton administration to resolve areas NEWT GINGRICH, Speaker of the House of Representatives. in the same way that incorporated ter- of disagreement. I am encouraged by f ritories have historically been. Unin- the commitment shown by the admin- corporated means that the Congress istration's special representative, Mr. MORNING BUSINESS can make the most basic decisions John Garamendi, to complete these The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- about your political existence. And be- discussions, but I am mindful of the ant to the order of the House of May 12, cause we have no voting representation difficult issues that remain. 1995, the Chair will now recognize in the House or the Senate and because Territories as Commonwealths have Members from lists submitted by the we cannot vote for President, the peo- existed in American history and today majority and minority leaders for ple of Guam have not truly given their morning hour debates. The Chair will consent to the Government which con- we have twoÐthe Commonwealth of alternate recognition between the par- trols their lives. The most basic tenet the Northern Mariana Islands and the ties, with each party limited to not to of American democracy is that govern- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The exceed 30 minutes, and each Member ment comes from the consent of the term implies that there is an agree- except the majority and minority lead- governed. In the case of Guam and ment to be a Commonwealth on both er limited to not to exceed 5 minutes. other territories, this is not the case. sides and that this is a step up from un- The Chair recognizes the gentleman Consequently, the term ``colony'' is incorporated territory. The legal foun- from Guam [Mr. UNDERWOOD] for 5 min- clearly applicable. dations of this assumption are ques- utes. It is much to the credit of Congress tionable and are highly dependent upon f that this plenary power, which so the specific nature of the agreement clearly offends the people of Guam and which created the Commonwealth. ADVANCING THE CAUSE OF POLIT- which should offend any principled ICAL STATUS RESOLUTION IN American, has generally been used in I will spare no effort to work toward THE TERRITORIES positive ways; ways which promote the a Commonwealth agreement for Guam Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, in progressive development of the terri- because it is a progressive step. But I the course of dealing with territorial tories. However, there have been occa- recognize that it does not answer a fun- issues and the resolution of political sions when this authority has been damental decision about what Guam status for this country's colonial areas, used in ways which have been damag- may be in the future. The Common- the use of terms has been instructive. ing to the territories and countless wealth is an intelligent response to At times, the island I represent, Guam, times when Congress has failed to con- what we can be in the present. Guam has been referred to by Members of this sider the unique circumstances of the may be a State, may be an independent body as a ``territory,'' ``colony,'' ``pos- area. country, may be a nation in free asso- session,'' or ``protectorate.'' In point of In this context, the terms are impor- ciation with the United States. That is fact, Guam is an unincorporated terri- tant. Guam is not a protectorate which a story waiting to be written and we tory of the United States. implies total internal sovereignty with must be mindful of our responsibility The legal implications of this status some tradeoff agreement for protec- to reserve these possibilities for the are important because it helps us un- tion. Guam is not a possession which people of Guam to decide. b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H2035 H2036 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE March 12, 1996 What happens to other territories is Mr. Speaker, let me tell the Mem- polluters off the hook. We think that is important to Guam because it may af- bers, the story goes on and on. Let me wrong. fect us in ways that are not readily ap- tell you what the mayor of Columbus f parent. I want Guam to be a Common- said. This is his quote: ``What bothers SUPPORT HIGHER EDUCATION wealth. I want to help advance politi- me is that new rules coming out of cal status discourse on Guam and on Washington are taking money from de- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under other areas. I have consponsored H.R. cent programs and making me waste the Speaker's announced policy of May 3024 for the resolution of the Puerto them on less important problems. It 12, 1995, the gentleman from Puerto Rico political status issue. kills you as a city official to see this Rico [Mr. ROMERO-BARCELOÂ ] is recog- I appreciate the problems of the ap- kind of money being spent for noth- nized during morning business for 5 proach outlined in this bill, but I hope ing.'' minutes. to advance the discussion for Puerto Let me tell the Members, Mr. Speak- Mr. ROMERO-BARCELOÂ . Mr. Speak- Rico in a way that I wish others would er, what this debate is all about. This er, the proposed 1996 spending package also help to advance the discussion for debate is about command and control for education is unacceptable. Once Guam. And there is in this legislation in Washington, DC. We would think again, the country's children and a fundamental admission about the ter- there are a lot of Federal EPA officials youth will be made to pay. ritorial policy of this country. That ad- working in the States and trying to Under the current budget, education mission is that the political status improve the environment. Wrong. Let programs have been forced to operate issue is never fully resolved until a ter- me show the figures of what we have at greatly reduced funding levels, to ritory becomes a State or its sov- done. First of all, there are nearly 7,850 the detriment of students in school dis- ereignty is recognized. Federal EPA employees. Of that, there tricts all across the country. This legislation admits that the are 5,924 in Washington, DC, within 50 The appropriation bill provides for United States has colonies which are miles of where I am speaking right additional funds for certain programs awaiting the final resolution of their now. There are almost 6,000, just under but does so only on a contingency status. The final resolution may be 6,000. In fact, a dozen years ago there basis. And what is the contingency? closer for some than for others, but we were not that many in the entire EPA Agreement to cut vital entitlement will all need to cross that bridge in the program. In Atlanta, in a regional of- programs. In the name of balancing the future. In the meantime, we can make fice, one of 10 regional offices, there budget, children are being pitted the path to that bridge more beneficial are 1,287 bureaucrats. against each other. Now, we have seen for all concerned, whether we call that This whole debate is about this bu- everything. path unincorporated territory or Com- reaucracy that we have built up. EPA Once again, college and college- monwealth. was a Republican idea. The department bound students may lose an oppor- f creating an agency of environmental tunity to pursue higher education. protection was a Republican idea in How many talented, intelligent, REVERSE THE PROCESS OF 1972, to set some national standards. young men and women will be deprived SPENDING MORE AND GETTING We should do that. We can do that of the opportunity of a higher edu- LESS without this huge bureaucracy.

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