[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 146 (Monday, October 3, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H6480-H6481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CONVEYING SUBMERGED LANDS TO NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 670) to convey certain submerged lands to the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in order to give that 
territory the same benefits in its submerged lands as Guam, the Virgin 
Islands, and American Samoa have in their submerged lands.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 670

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

     SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN SUBMERGED LANDS TO THE 
                   COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.

       (a) In General.--The first section of Public Law 93-435 (48 
     U.S.C. 1705) is amended by inserting ``the Commonwealth of 
     the Northern Mariana Islands,'' after ``Guam,'' each place it 
     appears.
       (b) References to Date of Enactment.--For the purposes of 
     the amendment made by subsection (a), each reference in 
     Public Law 93-435 (48 U.S.C. 1705) to the ``date of 
     enactment'' shall be considered to be a reference to the date 
     of the enactment of this section.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands 
(Mr. Sablan) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. 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 Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  It is my pleasure to be here on this particular bill, H.R. 670. It 
conveys, as was mentioned in the title, 3 miles of submerged lands to 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. This authority will 
give the Pacific territory similar authority and benefits as are 
currently enjoyed by many coastal States and other U.S. territories, 
specifically Guam, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa.
  The last Congress passed similar legislation out of the House by a 
rollcall vote of 416-0, and I hope we can beat that record today. I am 
pleased to have been able to work on this, and I thank the gentleman 
from the Northern Marianas (Mr. Sablan) for actually presenting this 
particular bill to us. It is a good piece of legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. SABLAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)

[[Page H6481]]

  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 670, a bill that 
conveys to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands the 3 miles 
of submerged lands surrounding each of our islands. I want to thank the 
leaders from both sides of the aisle, particularly Chairman Hastings 
and Ranking Member Markey of the Natural Resources Committee, and my 
very good friend, Dr. John Fleming, chairman of the Fisheries, 
Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs Subcommittee, for their support of 
H.R. 670.
  I would like to note, also, that the language of H.R. 670 previously, 
as my good friend has noted, passed the House in the 111th Congress by 
a vote of 416-0. As we know sometimes happens, however, though 
favorably reported from its committee of jurisdiction, the other body 
took no final action. So I hope that Members of this House will join me 
today in making a second effort to get this bill enacted into law.
  The Northern Mariana Islands is the only United States coastal 
jurisdiction that does not have ownership of the submerged lands off 
its coasts. H.R. 670 corrects that irregularity and provides the same 
ownership rights over the submerged lands surrounding the Northern 
Marianas as are provided by Federal law to Guam, the U.S. Virgin 
Islands, and American Samoa.
  This bill provides equity to the people of the Northern Marianas. It 
returns management of these near-shore lands and waters to those who 
know them best and need them to be well-managed. It gives the people of 
the Marianas, who have such limited land resources, the power to 
protect and to benefit from the seas around our 14 islands.
  To highlight the importance of this point, in 2006, Louisiana leased 
392,118 acres of its submerged lands for oyster harvest, profiting the 
State and providing an economic opportunity for holders of 8,167 
leases. Likewise, the State of California leases tracts off its 
submerged lands for oil and gas extraction, creating jobs and 
contributing to the State's economy. Other coastal jurisdictions have 
similar stories to tell about the important role that coastal lands and 
waters can play in economic growth.
  For the area I represent, which has suffered declining GDP year after 
year since 2004 and a 20 percent drop in 2009, gaining control of 
surrounding submerged lands could help to turn things around. Whereas 
now the Federal Government is in charge and does nothing with the 
potential of these lands, H.R. 670 would put the local government in 
charge. We would be free to develop offshore wind farms or other energy 
alternatives and be responsible for protecting the rare marine 
environment, which is both our legacy and our trust, and also makes our 
islands alluring to tourists.
  What H.R. 670 does for the Northern Marianas is what this Congress 
previously has done for other U.S. coastal jurisdictions. In the 1941 
case of U.S. v. California, the Federal courts found that the Federal 
Government owned the submerged lands off the shores of California and 
other coastal States. These States then turned to Congress to regain 
control of their submerged lands, and Congress granted these States 
title to the waters and submerged lands out to 3 miles in the Submerged 
Lands Act of 1953.

                              {time}  1650

  History repeats itself here.
  In 2005, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the submerged 
lands and waters off our coastline did not belong to the people of the 
Northern Marianas--despite that we had fished and sailed there for at 
least 3,500 years. The Ninth Circuit did recognize, however, that 
Congress had the power to convey the submerged lands to the Marianas. 
H.R. 670 does exactly that. H.R. 670 employs the constitutional 
authority of this Congress to dispose of Federal property, the same 
authority that Congress used to convey offshore lands to Guam, the 
United States Virgin Islands, and American Samoa under the Territorial 
Submerged Lands Act of 1974.
  Finally, let me say there is great support for this legislation among 
the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, so much so that when I was 
sworn in as the first Representative of the Northern Mariana Islands in 
the House of Representatives, this was my first bill. The Governor of 
the Northern Marianas has expressed his support. The Northern Marianas 
Legislature has passed a resolution in favor of a return to local 
management. In addition, the Obama administration has expressed its 
support for the conveyance of submerged lands to the people of the 
Northern Mariana Islands.
  This House, too, as I said at the beginning, has given overwhelming 
support to the language of this bill, which passed the House 
unanimously on July 15, 2009.
  Once again, I ask for your support. H.R. 670 costs nothing. Congress 
has the constitutional authority to enact this bill. It will provide 
equity--the same ownership and responsibility for surrounding lands and 
waters that every other coastal area of our Nation enjoys.
  I want to thank all of those Members who are cosponsors of this bill, 
and I ask that my colleagues support H.R. 670.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this 
particular resolution.
  I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 670, ``To convey certain submerged lands to the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands in order to give that territory the same 
benefits in its submerged lands as Guam, the Virgin Islands, and 
American Samoa have in their submerged lands'' conveys to the 
government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
submerged lands surrounding such Islands and extending three 
geographical miles outward from their coastlines.
  The Act provides the American public, more specifically the occupants 
of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, with added ways to 
use and enjoy land surrounding their coastlines. It is in a spirit of 
encouraging the most beneficial use of natural resources that I support 
the idea of providing an expanded use of otherwise unused land to the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It is the responsibility 
of all Members of Congress to fulfill our moral obligation to promote 
harmony between Americans and their natural resources.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 670, to convey 
certain submerged lands to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands in order to give that territory the same benefits in its 
submerged lands as Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa have in 
their submerged lands.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 670.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

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