[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 131 (Friday, September 26, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                COMMONWEALTH OF NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 24, 1997

  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, while the gentleman from California 
[Mr. Miller] and I seldom agree on issues, we are apparently in 
agreement that more resources and effort must be committed to law 
enforcement in The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It is 
my strong recommendation that additional funds be transferred to the 
appropriate category for use in adding an additional Assistant U.S. 
Attorney to be stationed in the NMI. It is the obligation of the 
Federal Government to ensure that Federal laws are enforced in the 
Commonwealth. The addition of an Assistant U.S. Attorney will provide 
needed support to enforce Federal criminal law. I hope the Chairman 
[Mr. Rogers] will include language in the managers statement to this 
affect.
  In a report prepared under Mr. Miller's supervision and published in 
April of this year by the minority staff of the House Resources 
Committee, it is alleged that in the past 5 years there are 27 
documented examples of failure to prosecute violations in the CNMI. Of 
these, 21 were either in the exclusive or concurrent jurisdiction of 
the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, the 
U.S. Attorney's Office or other U.S. Departments. Only six were within 
the exclusive jurisdiction of the CNMI. Mr. Miller's report was a 
scathing denunciation of the CNMI but contained no similar rebuke of 
the Federal agencies who had jurisdiction over the majority of abuses 
he cites. I am pleased to see his recognition of the need for Federal 
attention to Federal problems in the CNMI.
  While this may be a proper forum to take this first small step, it is 
not the forum to address the larger questions of Federal responsibility 
in the CNMI. The committee of jurisdiction is the Resources Committee. 
It is my understanding that my good friend from Alaska, Mr. Young, 
chairman of the Resources Committee, will lead a delegation to that 
area in January. I strongly suggest that the gentleman from California, 
who is the ranking member of that Committee join the chairman on that 
trip. Hopefully, he will be persuaded--as I was after my visit there--
that while there are some problems in that area--which voluntarily 
became a part of America 21 years ago--those problems are not 
insurmountable. I believe this cooperation will yield much more readily 
to reasoned solutions than the impassioned rhetoric heard on the House 
floor.

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