[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 24, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E946]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 23, 2006

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5384) making 
     appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 
     Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes:

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment 
offered by the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) to 
strengthen the Resident Instruction Grants Program for the land-grant 
institutions in the U.S. territories. This amendment, which is also 
supported by the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Fortuno) and the 
gentlelady from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen), would increase 
the amount provided under this bill for this important Program by 
$200,000 for a total of $700,000.
  This Program is a competitively-awarded grants program administered 
by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, 
CSREES, of the United States Department of Agriculture. This Program is 
authorized by Section 7503 of the Farm Security Rural Investment Act of 
2002 (P.L. 107-171), and has been funded for the past two consecutive 
fiscal years.
  Resident Instruction Grants promote and develop teaching and 
education programs within the food and agricultural sciences, and 
related disciplines, at the landgrant institutions in the U.S. 
territories. This Program helps these institutions meet unique 
challenges by strengthening their institutional educational capacities 
in instruction and curriculum, and by enhancing the quality of teaching 
and learning. These unique challenges have been documented by CSREES 
and previously acknowledged by the Committee on Appropriations.
  CSREES has awarded two grants this past year with the initial level 
of funding provided for this program. The land-grant institutions in 
the territories formed a consortium with the University of Guam as the 
lead institution for the first year. These eight institutions are 
working together to increase the quality of their academic programs in 
the food and agricultural sciences. The consortium is using the first 
ever awarded Resident Instruction Grant to enhance courses of study and 
curricula, to explore alternative methods of delivering instruction, 
and to increase enrollment and retention in their degree programs. Each 
of these three objectives is being pursued through the development of 
coordinated and comprehensive five-to-ten year strategic plan. We 
believe that each member institution will be able to implement this 
strategic plan with funding awarded through future Resident Instruction 
Grants.
  We also believe that partnerships between faculties at institutions 
in the territories and on the mainland can be eventually forged as a 
result of continued and increased funding for this program. Such 
partnerships will allow for a more efficient use of existing 
educational funds by the institutions in the territories.
  I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bonilla), the Chairman of the 
Subcommittee, and the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), for 
recognizing the unique needs of the land-grant institutions in the U.S. 
territories and for their support of the Resident Instruction Grants 
Program. We ask for their support of this amendment and for their 
support for funding this Program at the highest level possible in 
conference with the other body.

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