[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 99 (Monday, July 8, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1217-E1218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      COMMEMORATION FOR 25 YEARS OF ELECTIVE GOVERNORSHIP IN GUAM

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, July 8, 1996

  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, in my home district of Guam, the right of 
the governed to elect a Governor from among their own ranks is 
relatively new. This year marks only the 25th anniversary of the 
extension of that right to the people of Guam. In commemorating this 
political milestone, we also pay tribute to the Honorable Carlos G. 
Camacho, the first native-born son of Guam to earn the trust and 
confidence of the people of Guam and bear the mantle of executive 
leadership of the territory. The man and the milestone are inextricably 
intertwined in the modern political history of Guam.
  Since Guam's first gubernatorial election in November 1970 and the 
start of Governor Camacho's administration in January 1971, the people 
of Guam have proudly and successfully participated in the open election 
process in six subsequent gubernatorial elections and have celebrated 
the triumph of democracy in installing six native sons as Governor of 
Guam. Governor Camacho was followed into office by Governor Ricardo J. 
Bordallo in 1975. And he by Governor Paul Calvo in 1979. In 1982, 
Governor Bordallo became the first Governor to win a second term in 
office. Governor Joseph F. Ada, who served as Lieutenant Governor under 
Paul M. Calvo, succeeded Governor Bordallo in 1987. He won again in 
1991, becoming the first Governor to serve consecutive terms. Last 
year, Governor Carl T.C. Guiterrez became Guam's seventh elected chief 
executive.
  Although our roster of chief executive is brief in comparison to 
those of the States, we exalt in the fact that we can add a name to it 
every 4 years. We, the people of Guam, can and will make those 
additions. This is the real significance of this silver anniversary. 
Mr. Speaker, the right of the people of Guam to elect their own 
Governors is relatively new, but it is highly cherished and 
enthusiastically exercised. I'm proud to say that our voter turnout 
rates exceed the national rates by several percentage points. In the 
1994 general election, a gubernatorial election year, 85 percent of 
Guam's registered voters went to the polls.
  Our enthusiasm for free elections reflects our continuing desire and 
commitment to press for political self-determination. Born in the 16th 
century, at the start of the Spanish colonization of Guam and the 
Marianas, the desire of the Chamorro people to regain control of their 
own destiny has been expressed in different ways and taken on different 
forms, but it has never abated. When armed conflict against the Spanish 
proved futile, the Chamorro people turned inward, resisting 
assimilation and steadfastly clinging to their own language, culture 
and traditions, while under the Spanish yoke.
  The dawning of the American Era in Guam in 1898 brought with it the 
promise of the freedoms, rights, duties and responsibilities of 
American democracy, as well as the birth of the Chamorro quest for 
political justice, equality and self-governance under the American 
flag. Though couched differently at various times, this has been our 
unchanging theme for nearly a 100 years. As early as 1901, 32 Guam 
leaders called on the U.S. Federal Government to clarify the political 
status of the island and its inhabitants. Subsequent efforts were 
geared toward the acquisition of U.S. citizenship as the means to 
secure political rights and protection. The passage of the Organic Act 
of Guam in 1950 satisfied the Guamanian desire of citizenship and 
civilian governance, but our appetite for true democracy remained sharp 
and hearty. The signing of the Elective Governorship Act, Public Law 
90-497, in 1968, was a major step forward. Although the consent of the 
governed had yet to be requested, the power of the governed to select a 
governor had been yielded. Two years later, the people of Guam were 
granted a nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.
  The struggle of the Chamorro people has been long and arduous, the 
triumph have been hard-won, but our cause is just and our faith in 
America remains steadfast. And our desire for greater self-government 
under the American flag is undaunted, even as we wrestle with the 
contentious issues surrounding the Guam Commonwealth Act. The 
willingness of the Federal Government to engage with us in frank and 
honest discussions of these issues strengthens our belief that justice 
for all will indeed prevail.

[[Page E1218]]

  In memory of all of Guam's political pioneers, I humbly restate the 
undying commitment of the people of Guam for political recognition, 
equality, and greater self-government. In celebrating 25 years of 
elective governorship, I am proud to acknowledge the pioneering work of 
Guam's first elected Governor, the Honorable Carlos G. Camacho, who 
also had the distinction of being Guam's last appointed chief 
executive, having been appointed by President Richard M. Nixon on July 
1, 1969. Governor Camacho piloted the territory through the devastating 
economic effects of the oil crisis of the 1970's and launched a 
campaign to encourage outside investment and development in Guam, 
paving the way for the tourism industry thriving on the island today. 
He worked to upgrade and improve the island's infrastructure and 
challenged Guamanian professionals to return home to revitalize and 
help rebuild Guam's economy. Governor Camacho, who passed away on 
December 6, 1979, is most affectionately remembered for his trips to 
the frontlines of Vietnam to visit Guam's men and women in uniform and 
bring them a touch of home.

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