[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 114 (Friday, July 30, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1531-E1532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




A BILL TO ENSURE BETTER ECONOMIC DATA IS COLLECTED FOR THE TERRITORIES 
                         AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 30, 2010

  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, today I have introduced a bill to 
require the Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the 
Department of Commerce to publish certain economic data regarding 
territories and freely associated States, and for other purposes. This 
bill is timely and important to the economic growth of our insular 
areas. I want to thank the ranking member of my subcommittee, Mr. Brown 
of South Carolina, for being an original co-sponsor. Additionally, I 
would like to thank my colleagues Mr. Faleomavaega of American Samoa, 
Mrs. Christensen of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mr. Pierluisi of Puerto 
Rico, Mr. Honda of California, Mr. Serrano of New York, Mr. Al Green of 
Texas, and Ms. Hirono of Hawaii have joined on as original co-sponsors.

[[Page E1532]]

  The first section of this bill requires the Bureau of Economic 
Analysis (BEA) to publish annual reports on the gross domestic product 
(GDP) for the U.S. Territories of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, and the United States Virgin 
Islands (USVI), as well as for the three Freely Associated States (FAS) 
for which the United States has entered into a Compact of Free 
Association. The three FAS are the Federated States of Micronesia 
(FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of 
Palau (ROP). The economic data that the BEA promulgates and publishes 
are important for states and our country. These statistics are used by 
federal, state, and local governments for budget development and 
projections; by the Federal Reserve for monetary policy; by the private 
sector for planning and investment; and by the American public to 
follow and understand the performance of the national economy.
  Historically, the BEA has not encompassed the U.S. Territories in its 
Regional Economic Accounts or as part of its annual State GDP reports. 
Until last year, a formalized, uniform and federal framework for 
estimating the GDP in the U.S. Territories did not exist. In March 
2009, the BEA and the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) at the U.S. 
Department of the Interior entered into a formal agreement to develop 
such a framework and federally assist the U.S. territories in 
developing and producing annual (GDP) statistics for their respective 
jurisdictions. The agreement established these efforts as the 
``Statistical Improvement Program'' (SIP) and OIA financed it under its 
discretionary budget at $1.6 million over a period of 18 months (March 
2009-September 2010). The results were unveiled this year, and the bill 
I have introduced today would direct BEA to permanently continue its 
efforts in estimating the GDP for these jurisdictions as part of its 
existing program and resources so that this important work continues.
  The second section of this bill amends the Consolidated Natural 
Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA), Public Law 110-229, for the purpose of 
implementation of the new Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program and other 
provisions. The interim final rule issued by the U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security last year limited the full administration of the new 
Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver program and it did not fulfill the Congressional 
intent, established under the law. Secretary Napolitano used her 
discretionary parole authority to allow travel of certain visitors only 
to the CNMI. While this was an important action to preserve the CNMI 
economy, it did not fulfill the intent of a new joint visa waiver 
program.
  Given that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is in the process 
of issuing a final rule regarding the joint Guam-Visa Waiver Program, 
this bill is timely and essential in preserving the regional economy of 
Guam and the CNMI. Most importantly the bill requires the Secretary of 
DHS to ``provide for an alternative procedure'' to achieve the benefits 
that formal inclusion of countries determined to have had significant 
economic benefit in the CNMI would otherwise bring under the Guam-
Northern Mariana Islands Visa Waiver Program. The bill does not specify 
or give definition to a scope of possible ``alternative procedures;'' 
it leaves it to the discretion of the Secretary of DHS. This is 
important to the economy of the Western Pacific, as tourism remains our 
largest industry.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues as this bill moves 
forward in the legislative process.

                          ____________________