[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 182 (Monday, December 7, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H13533-H13534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          AUTHORIZATION OF A PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR GUAM

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3940) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to extend 
grants and other assistance to facilitate a political status public 
education program for the people of Guam, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3940

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

     SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       Congress reaffirms that it is the responsibility of the 
     Secretary of the Interior to advance the economic, social, 
     and political development of the territories of the United 
     States.

     SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE FOR POLITICAL STATUS PUBLIC EDUCATION 
                   PROGRAMS.

       (a) In General.--Section 601 of the Act entitled ``An Act 
     to authorize appropriations for certain insular areas of the 
     United States, and for other purposes'', approved December 
     24, 1980 (48 U.S.C. 1469d), is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsections (b) through (d) as 
     subsections (c) through (e), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(b) The Secretary of the Interior may extend to the 
     governments of American Samoa, Guam, and the United States 
     Virgin Islands, and their agencies and instrumentalities, 
     assistance, including assistance in the form of grants, 
     research, planning assistance, studies, and agreements with 
     Federal agencies, to facilitate public education programs 
     regarding political status options for their respective 
     territories.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 19(a)(2)(C) of the Food 
     Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2028(a)(2)(C)) is amended by 
     striking ``section 601(c) of Public Law 96-597 (48 U.S.C. 
     1469d(c))'' and inserting ``section 601(d) of Public Law 96-
     597 (48 U.S.C. 1469d(d))''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3940 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior 
to assist the Governments of Guam, American Samoa, and the United 
States Virgin Islands in developing and implementing political status 
public education programs.
  Such programs would aid the people of these territories in 
understanding the various and viable political status options available 
to them. With such information, they could, in turn, express informed 
opinions about their future in any political status plebiscite or 
convention.
  Today, Guam, American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands are 
the three United States territories recognized by the international 
community as nonself-governing. The Federal Government is obligated to 
advance their self-government, taking into account the political 
aspirations of their peoples. The Secretary of the Interior is 
responsible for these efforts under U.S. law, and the resolution of 
status for these territories is a matter for Congress to ultimately 
resolve under article IV of the United States Constitution. Although 
efforts have been made in the past in each territory toward improving 
its status consistent with the right of self-determination, status 
remains ultimately unresolved for them.
  In Guam, a local law has authorized a plebiscite to be held that is 
to involve a public education program. In American Samoa, the work of a 
locally established commission to assess status options, the third such 
commission in the history of the territory, was recently concluded. A 
plebiscite on status was also held previously in the Virgin Islands.
  Each circumstance, however, demonstrates the importance of a public 
education program for resolving status in each territory and for 
preparing for future plebiscites or other processes by which their 
people can collectively express their political aspirations.
  This bill, Mr. Speaker, simply clarifies in law that the Secretary of 
the Interior can exercise existing authority to provide general 
technical assistance to these territories for the purpose of 
facilitating political status public education.
  So I ask my colleagues to support the passage of this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3940 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior 
to extend assistance to facilitate political

[[Page H13534]]

status public education programs for American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. 
Virgin Islands. These territories may request grant funds from the 
Secretary to conduct public education programs to assist their 
electorate in understanding the political status options for each 
territory.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1300

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3940, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to amend Public Law 96-
597 to clarify the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to extend 
grants and other assistance to facilitate political status public 
education programs for the peoples of the non-self-governing 
territories of the United States.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________