[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 23, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1346-E1347]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS DELEGATE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELTON GALLEGLY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 23, 1996

  Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I am introducing today a bill to provide 
for a nonvoting Delegate to the House of Representatives to represent 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
  I do so with the original cosponsorship of Chairman Don Young. Both 
of us have set the goal of clearing away the old, traditional ways of 
dealing with the territories of our Nation. The Northern Mariana 
Islands Delegate bill serves that goal. This measure enjoys broad 
bipartisan support and I want to acknowledge members of the minority 
who are also original cosponsors.
  I believe in fairness and political justice. Every U.S. citizen 
living within the borders of this Nation should have a voice in 
Congress. Only the people of the Northern Marianas do not. My bill 
corrects that. It provides for a Delegate to represent the Northern 
Marianas here in the House of Representatives.
  Historically, Congress has provided for representation by Delegate 
for over 30 U.S. territories. Today, four of five territories and the 
District of Columbia, or the six areas of our Nation which have 
permanent populations but are not States, are so represented. My bill 
provides representation for the sixth, the Northern Mariana Islands.
  I also believe in reducing the influence of Washington in local 
affairs and in increasing local responsibility for local actions. 
During the last two Congresses, I urged the closing of the Interior 
Department office that has for years been a kind of territorial 
overseer. With the bipartisan support of my colleagues, the 104th 
Congress has terminated the Office of Territorial and International 
Affairs, eliminated the Assistant Secretary political position for that 
office, and reduced the bureaucracy in half. That office was no longer 
required since the territories have their own elected officials at home 
and their own elected official in Congress. However, only the Northern 
Marianas lacks an elected representative in Congress and the 
legislation I have introduced corrects that. With passage of the 
Northern Mariana Islands Delegate Act, all these territories will be

[[Page E1347]]

able to speak for themselves and will be responsible for their own 
actions.
  Many of us in this Congress have concerns about local law enforcement 
and protection of fundamental human rights in the Northern Marianas and 
there is no intention to lessen the commitment in these areas. At the 
same time, we can also see that the society and economy of the islands 
have flourished as part of the United States. We should have a 
Delegate, elected by the people of the Northern Marianas, here in 
Congress, to whom other Members can go to answer our concerns. We 
should have a Delegate here who can legitimately advise Congress of 
what Federal actions are appropriate and necessary in the Northern 
Marianas.
  In introducing this bill today, I want to remind Members of the 
special circumstances under which the Northern Marianas became a part 
of the United States after World War II. The Marianas were one of four 
Micronesian archipelagoes in the United Nations Trust Territory of the 
Pacific Islands administered by the United States. The other three 
areas voted in self-determination referenda to become separate 
sovereigns in free association, with separate nationality and 
citizenship. However, unlike the other areas, the people of the 
Northern Marianas chose to be part of the American political family. In 
1975, they did so by an overwhelming vote of 79 percent approving a 
Covenant of political union negotiated by their representatives and 
representatives of Presidents Nixon and Ford. In 1976, Congress 
approved that Covenant with Public Law 94-241.
  Despite this birth by democratic self-determination and having gained 
U.S. citizenship on November 3, 1986, the people of the Northern 
Marianas have never had representation here in the House of 
Representatives. In 1985, a Commission appointed by President Reagan 
and including Congressman Robert J. Lagomarsino, long an expert on 
insular affairs in this House, recommended a Northern Marianas 
Delegate. His predecessor on the Commission, former Congressman Phillip 
Burton, was another advocate of the U.S.-Marianas relationship, and 
supported eventual representation for the islands.
  The Northern Marianas Legislature has three times in the last 6 years 
petitioned Congress for a Delegate. The speaker of the NMI Legislature, 
Diego T. Benavente, recently appeared before a congressional hearing I 
conducted which addressed this issue, and affirmed that the NMI is 
prepared to enact the necessary implementing legislation for the 
election of a Delegate. The elected official who represents the islands 
here, Resident Representative Juan N. Babauta, has untiringly sought 
the voice in Congress his people want.
  Today, I am responding to the Commission's recommendation, the clear 
desire of the people of the Northern Marianas, and to my own sense of 
what is right. I hope that the House of Representatives and the Senate 
will act on this legislation in this session, so that the new Americans 
of the Northern Mariana Islands can cast their votes for the election 
of a Delegate to Congress on their 10th anniversary of U.S. 
citizenship. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the Northern Mariana 
Islands Delegate Act. Following is the text of the legislation.

                                H.R. --

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Northern Mariana Islands 
     Delegate Act''.

     SEC. 2. DELEGATE TO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE 
                   NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.

       The Joint Resolution entitled ``Joint Resolution to approve 
     the `Covenant To Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern 
     Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of 
     America', and for other purposes'' approved March 24, 1976 
     (48 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``SEC. 6. DELEGATE TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

       ``(a) In General.--The Northern Mariana Islands shall be 
     represented in the United States Congress by a nonvoting 
     Delegate to the House of Representatives. The Resident 
     Representative of the Northern Mariana Islands, as authorized 
     by section 901 of the foregoing Covenant and upon election 
     pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, after the date of 
     the enactment of this section, shall be the Delegate.
       ``(b) Compensation, privileges, and immunities.--Until the 
     Rules of the House of Representatives are amended to provide 
     otherwise, the Delegate from the Northern Mariana Islands 
     shall receive the same compensation, allowances, and benefits 
     as a Member of the House of Representatives and shall be 
     entitled to whatever privileges and immunities are, or 
     hereafter may be, granted to the Delegate from Guam to the 
     House of Representatives.
       ``(c) Election of Delegate.--The Delegate from the Northern 
     Mariana Islands shall be elected, but not appointed, as 
     authorized by section 901 of the foregoing Covenant and the 
     Constitution and laws of the Northern Mariana Islands so long 
     as such authorization complies with the Federal election 
     criteria for, and provides for elections in sequence with, 
     the election of other Delegates to the House of 
     Representatives.
       ``(d) Vacancy.--In case of a permanent vacancy in the 
     office of Delegate, by reason of death, resignation, or 
     permanent disability, the office of Delegate shall remain 
     vacant until a successor is elected and qualified.
       ``(e) Lack of Effect on Covenant.--This section shall not 
     be construed to alter, amend, or abrogate any provision, 
     other than section 901, of the foregoing Covenant.''.

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