[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 130 (Wednesday, September 5, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H10084-H10085]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1045
    PACIFIC ISLAND ECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2007

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 3062) to authorize appropriations to provide for South 
Pacific exchanges, provide technical and other assistance to countries 
in the Pacific region through the United States Agency for 
International Development, and authorize appropriations to provide 
Fulbright Scholarships for Pacific Island students, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3062

       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 ``Pacific Island Economic and 
     Educational Development Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRY EXCHANGES.

       There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
     State $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009 for 
     exchanges with Pacific Island countries carried out under the 
     educational and cultural exchange programs of the Department 
     of State.

     SEC. 3. USAID IN PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES.

       The Administrator of the United States Agency for 
     International Development (USAID) is authorized, upon request 
     by the government of a Pacific Island country, to provide to 
     such government technical and other assistance.

     SEC. 4. J. FULBRIGHT EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) From 1949 until 2003, the Department of State awarded 
     13,176 Fulbright Scholarships to students from East Asia and 
     the Pacific, but only 31 Fulbright Scholarships went to 
     students from Pacific Island countries.
       (2) In the 2003-2004 academic year, the Department of State 
     awarded 315 scholarships to students from East Asia and the 
     Pacific, but none were awarded to students from Pacific 
     Island countries.
       (b) Review and Report.--The Secretary of State shall 
     conduct a review and submit to the Committee on Foreign 
     Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations of the Senate a report regarding the 
     marginalization of students from Pacific Island countries in 
     the awarding of Fulbright Scholarships.
       (c) Participation of Students From Pacific Island Countries 
     in the J. Fulbright Educational Exchange Program.--
       (1) Establishment.--The Secretary of State shall establish 
     a program within the J. William Fulbright Educational 
     Exchange Program (established under section 112(a)(1) of the 
     Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 
     U.S.C. 2460(a)(1)), commonly referred to as the Fulbright-
     Hays Act) to make awards to students from Pacific Island 
     countries to permit such students to study in the United 
     States pursuant to the terms and conditions of such Exchange 
     Program.
       (2) Authorization of appropriations.--In addition to 
     amounts that are otherwise authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Secretary of State for fiscal years 2008 and 2009 to 
     provide awards under the J. William Fulbright Educational 
     Exchange Program, there is authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Secretary $500,000 for each of such fiscal years to 
     provide such awards to students from Pacific Island 
     countries.

     SEC. 5. PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRY DEFINED.

       In this Act, the terms ``Pacific Island country'' and 
     ``Pacific Island countries'' mean any of the following 
     countries:
       (1) The Cook Islands.
       (2) The Federated States of Micronesia.
       (3) The Independent State of Samoa.
       (4) The Kingdom of Tonga.
       (5) Niue.
       (6) Papua New Guinea.
       (7) The Republic of Fiji.
       (8) The Republic of Kiribati.
       (9) The Republic of the Marshall Islands.
       (10) The Republic of Nauru.
       (11) The Republic of Palau.
       (12) The Republic of Vanuatu.
       (13) The Solomon Islands.
       (14) Tuvalu.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 
Ros-Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from American Samoa.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from American Samoa?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
proposed resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Again, I want to thank the distinguished chairman of our committee, 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), and our senior ranking 
member of our committee, the gentlewoman

[[Page H10085]]

from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for their support and their leadership 
in bringing this important legislation before the floor.
  I am pleased to bring to the floor today a bill that will benefit the 
entire Pacific region. I am honored and proud to sponsor this 
legislation.
  While they may be overlooked when listing our great allies, the 
United States has long and profound relationships with the Pacific 
Island nations that stretch back more than two centuries. With 
consideration of this legislation today, Congress will act to 
significantly strengthen this vitally important alliance.
  The Pacific Island nations have long been integral to our strategic 
interests, from the vital role they played in the Pacific theatre of 
operations during World War II to their critical role that they played 
in the conduct of our nuclear testing and missile defense system that 
even today is critical to our overall military and strategic interests 
in this important region of the world.
  We work closely with the nations of the Pacific to combat 
transnational threats, particularly the rapidly increasing peril posed 
by global warming. The people of the Pacific have also fought and 
sacrificed side-by-side with American soldiers in conflicts from World 
War II to the current war in Iraq.
  But as we look towards the Pacific, we must step up both our 
multilateral and bilateral relationships to provide critically needed 
assistance to ensure that other countries do not fill the void. Foreign 
assistance and scholarship offerings from other countries to the 
Pacific Island nations has increased dramatically in recent years. Such 
aid comes with few requirements for good governance and few 
environmental or labor standards.
  The bottom line, Madam Speaker, our public diplomacy program and 
educational and cultural exchanges with the Pacific Island nations is 
shameful and without excuse.
  Left unchecked, such foreign assistance from other countries can 
cause further instability, leaving these island nations to believe the 
United States no longer is interested to assist them, and thereby leave 
them vulnerable to establish friendships with countries that do not 
necessarily support our interests in this vast region of the world.
  We must act now to fill the void and exert our influence. The Pacific 
Island Economic and Educational Development Act of 2007 seeks to 
address the development needs of our allies in the Pacific Islands and 
to engage the United States in the region more deeply.
  This legislation pushes for greater activity in the Pacific Islands 
by authorizing the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International 
Development to listen to the needs of the leaders of the Pacific 
Islands and to provide assistance accordingly. This task would be 
significantly easier if USAID reestablished a serious presence in the 
Pacific Island region, something that has been long overdue.
  The legislation also authorizes funds to increase the number of 
Fulbright scholars from the Pacific islands, making use of our most 
successful international educational program to increase the training 
of future leaders of the Pacific Islands. Fostering educational 
opportunities overseas is one of this government's strongest and most 
effective public diplomacy tools. Leveraging these grants would 
represent a tremendous way of reengaging with these critical allies in 
the Pacific region.
  Under section 2 of this bill now entitled Pacific Island Country 
Exchanges, it is the intent of Congress to specifically increase 
funding for the U.S.-South Pacific Scholarship program, a program which 
has been in place since 1994, and has been administered by the East-
West Center in Honolulu under the direction of the U.S. Department of 
State. The U.S.-South Pacific Scholarship program has successfully 
trained many Pacific Island leaders, and it is imperative to U.S. 
interests in the region that we continue this program.
  In this new world where shipping is vulnerable to terrorism and 
climate change is a top priority, we need these Pacific Island nations 
as much as they need us. Let's commit to reengaging with them, to 
strengthening our alliances with them, and to aiding them in every way 
possible.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3062, the Pacific Island 
Economic and Educational Development Act. The island nations of the 
South Pacific, which include longstanding friends of the United States, 
face continuing challenges in development and education.
  I want to commend the chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the 
Pacific and the Global Environment (Mr. Faleomavaega) for his 
leadership in introducing this legislation and for working with us in 
the committee to refine it during the committee process.
  Because the amended text deals with authorizations, not mandates or 
appropriations, it signals congressional interest in deepening our 
cooperation with the people of the Pacific Islands, while also allowing 
executive branch agencies appropriate discretion in carrying out such 
programs.
  The text before us will increase the amounts authorized for U.S. 
educational and cultural exchanges with South Pacific nations to $1 
million in each of the next 2 fiscal years, establish a Fulbright 
exchange program for Pacific Island students, and underscore the 
interests of the United States Congress in making appropriate USAID 
technical assistance available to Pacific Island governments.
  I thank the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) for 
accommodating some of our suggested changes. I am pleased to support 
the amended text.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) that the House suspend 
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3062, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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