[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 18 (Thursday, January 30, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S652-S654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  POM-193 and POM-194 originally appeared without text in the 
Congressional Record of Wednesday, January 29, 2014.

       POM-193. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the Northern 
     Mariana Commonwealth Legislature petitioning the United 
     States Congress to amend the Radiation Exposure Act of 1990; 
     to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                 Senate Joint Resolution No. 18-04, S1

       Whereas, the United States Government and the Atomic Energy 
     Commission together with the United States Armed Forces 
     conducted testing of atomic nuclear weapons on Eniwetok and 
     Bikini Atolls in the Marshall Islands, South Pacific, from 
     1946 to 1962; and
       Whereas, a total of 67 atomic and thermonuclear bombs/
     devices were detonated with a total yield of 108,492.2 
     kilotons which resulted in fallout across a wide area around 
     the Marshall Islands in the Pacific; and
       Whereas, no less than ten of those detonations yielded 
     between five to ten megatons of radioactive material from the 
     center of the explosion to the height of between 12 to 55 
     miles into the jet-stream; and
       Whereas, on October 31, 1952, Operation Ivy was conducted 
     on Elugelab Island (``Flora'') in the Enewetak Atoll, in 
     which the first true thermonuclear hydrogen bomb (a 10.4 
     megaton device) code name Mike was detonated, destroying the 
     entire island leaving behind a 6,240 feet across and 164 feet 
     deep crater in its aftermath; and
       Whereas, in 90 seconds the mushroom cloud climbed to 57,000 
     feet into the atmosphere and within 30 minutes had stretched 
     60 miles in diameter with the base of the mushroom head 
     joining the stem of 45,000 feet; and
       Whereas, radioactive fallout is the after effect of the 
     detonation of a nuclear bomb where radioactive particles and 
     earth debris, which comprise the mushroom cloud, are released 
     into the atmosphere and remain in the atmosphere for about 24 
     hours before descending back to earth; and
       Whereas, before the decend back to earth, these radioactive 
     particles can be carried through jet-steams in the atmosphere 
     to locations over a thousand miles away from the actual test 
     site and settle into the environment causing multiple health 
     and environmental problems; and
       Whereas, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
     are located approximately 1,230 miles directly west of the 
     test sites; and
       Whereas, the radioactive dust particles travelled through 
     the westward flowing jet-streams from the Marshall Islands to 
     Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; 
     and
       Whereas, due to the deleterious effects of the nuclear 
     radiation, on October 5, , 1990, the United States Congress 
     passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (``RECA'') 
     which established new programs for persons physically present 
     in areas near the Nevada nuclear test site during atomic 
     testing at the site. Atmospheric testing of atomic devices--
     important to national security during the darkest days of the 
     ``cold war''--ended in 1963 when, under President Kennedy, 
     the United States signed and ratified the limited Test Ban 
     ``Treaty''. Prior to the Treaty, the United Stated detonated 
     over 200 atomic devises in the open air in both the South 
     Pacific and in Nevada. The RECA provides compassionate 
     payments to persons with specified diseases who fear that 
     their health were harmed because of fallout from atmospheric 
     atomic testing at the Nevada test site, regardless of whether 
     causation can be scientically established; and
       Whereas, on July 10, 2000, Public Law 106-245, the 
     Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2000 was 
     passed, adding two new claimant categories, providing for, 
     among other things, additional compensable illnesses, 
     removing certain lifestyle restrictions, and adding 
     additional geographic areas to the ``downwinder'' claimant 
     category; and
       Whereas, although RECA coverage has been expanded, it still 
     does not provide relief to all Americans affected by fallout, 
     particularly residents of the Commonwealth of the Northern 
     Mariana Islands and the Territory of Guam; and
       Whereas, there is no doubt that the Territory of Guam has 
     received radioactive debris from fallout during the nuclear 
     weapons testing in the Pacific Ocean to such an extent that 
     in March 2004, Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo spoke 
     before the Committee to Assess the Scientific Information for 
     the Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program to 
     request that they include an assessment of Guam for 
     ``downwinders'' and ship decontamination as part of their 
     congressionally mandated study; and
       Whereas, because the islands in the CNMI are in close 
     proximity to the Territory of Guam, separated by a scant 30 
     miles, and both are affected by the same win, weather and 
     ocean current patterns, it logically follows that radiation 
     which affects the Territory of Guam necessarily affects the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and
       Whereas, as a result, the Nuclear and Radiation Studies 
     Board (``NSRB'') published in 2005 its report entitled 
     ``Assessment of the Scientific information for the Radiation 
     Exposure Screening and Education Program''; and
       Whereas, because fallout may have been higher for the 
     people outside RECA-designated areas, the NRSB recommended 
     that all residents of the continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, and 
     overseas US territories who have been diagnosed with specific 
     RECA-compensable diseases and who may have been exposed to 
     radiation from U.S. nuclear-weapons testing fallout be 
     compensated; and
       Whereas, the United States Congress has the authority to 
     amend RECA to include residents of the Commonwealth of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands affected by radiation as eligible 
     ``downwinder'' claimants; and
       Whereas, the failure of the United States Congress to amend 
     RECA in such a way as to compensate affected residents of the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Islands will cause the people of 
     the Commonwealth to bear a disproportionate burden in 
     defending the United States of America; and
       Whereas, we, the people of the Commonwealth of the Northern 
     Mariana Islands, United States of America, humbly request 
     that the Commonwealth be included in RECA with the same 
     criteria that was made for Nevada test site in 1990 for 
     compassionate payments: Now, therefore be it
       Resolved, on behalf of the people of the Commonwealth of 
     the Northern Mariana Islands by the Eighteen Northern 
     Marianas Commonwealth Legislature, That the United States 
     Congress is hereby respectfully petitioned to declare that 
     all Americans shall be given the same consideration when it 
     comes to compensation for exposure to radiation from U.S. 
     nuclear testing; and be it further
       Resolved, That the United States Congress is hereby 
     respectfully petitioned to amend the Radiation Exposure 
     Compensation Act of 1990, Public Law 101-426, as amended by 
     Public Law 101-510, 3139 (43 U.S.C. 2210) and Public Law 106-
     245, to include the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands in the jurisdiction ``downwinders'' covered by the 
     Act; and be it further
       Resolved, That the United States Congress is hereby 
     respectfully requested to include the Commonwealth of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands similarly as the Territory of Guam 
     and be granted RECA ``on site'' status; and be it further
       Resolved, That the affected population previously and 
     currently in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
     (those residing who have been exposed to radiation from the 
     Atomic Energy Commission tests in the Marshall Islands) be 
     recognized as being ``downwinders'' of such test; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the President of the Senate and the Speaker 
     of the House of Representatives shall certify, and the Senate 
     Legislative Secretary and the House Clerk shall attest to the 
     adoption of this joint resolution, and thereafter the Senate 
     Clerk shall transmit a certified copy to the Honorable Barack 
     Obama, President of the United States of America; to the 
     Honorable John Boehner, Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives; to the Honorable Patrick J. Leahy, President 
     Pro Tempore of the United States Senate; to the Honorable 
     Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader, United States House of 
     Representatives; to the Honorable Mark Chuck Grassley, 
     ranking member,

[[Page S653]]

     Committee of the Judiciary United States Senate; to the 
     Honorable Mark Udall, United States Senate; to the Honorable 
     Tom Udall, United States Senate; to the Honorable Martin 
     Heinrich, United States Senate; to the Honorable Mike Crapo, 
     United States Senate; to the Honorable James Risch, United 
     States Senate; to the Honorable Michael Bennet, United States 
     Senate; to the Honorable Tom Harkin, Chairman, Committee on 
     Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, United States Senate; 
     to the Honorable Michael B. Enzi, ranking member, Committee 
     on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, United States 
     Senate; to the Honorable Robert Menendez, Chairman, Committee 
     on Foreign Affairs United States Senate; to the Honorable Bob 
     Corker, ranking member Committee on Foreign Affairs United 
     States Senate; to the Honorable Barbara Mikulski, Chairwoman, 
     Committee on Appropriations United States Senate; to the 
     Honorable Ben Lujan, member of Congress, United States House 
     of Representatives; to the Honorable Lamar Smith, Chairman, 
     Committee on Judiciary United States House of 
     Representatives; to the Honorable John Conyers, Jr., ranking 
     member, Committee on Judiciary United States House of 
     Representatives; to the Honorable Fred Upton, Chairman, 
     Committee on Energy and Commerce, United States House of 
     Representatives; to the Honorable Henry Waxman, ranking 
     member, Committee on Energy and Commerce, United States House 
     of Representatives; to the Honorable Hal Rogers, Chairman, 
     Committee on Appropriations United States House of 
     Representatives; to the Honorable Nita Lowey, ranking member, 
     Committee on Appropriations, United States House of 
     Representatives; to the Honorable Ed Royce Chairman, Foreign 
     Affairs Committee, United States House of Representatives; to 
     the Honorable Eliot Engel, ranking member Foreign Affairs 
     Committee, Unites States House of Representatives; to the 
     Honorable John Kline, Chairman, Committee on Education and 
     the Workforce, United States House of Representatives; to the 
     Honorable George Miller, ranking member, Committee on 
     Education and the Workforce, United States House of 
     Representatives; to Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., 
     Attorney General of the United States; to Mr. RJ Ritter, 
     National Commander, National Association of Atomic Veterans; 
     to Mr. Bob Kilthau, Hawaii State Commander, National 
     Association of Atomic Veterans; to the Honorable Madeleine Z. 
     Bordallo, Member of Congress, United States House of 
     Representatives, Territory of Guam; to the Honorable Gregorio 
     ``Kilili'' Camcho Sablan, CNMI Delegate to the United States 
     Congress; to the Honorable Eloy S. Inos, Governor, 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; to the 
     Honorable Judith T. Won Pat, Speaker, 32nd Guam Legislature, 
     Territory of Guam; to the Honorable Edward B. Calvo, 
     Governor, Territory of Guam and to Mr. Robert N. Celestial, 
     Atomic Veteran from Guam and President of the Pacific 
     Association for Radiation Survivors.
                                  ____

       POM-194. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the Northern Mariana Commonwealth 
     Legislature requesting the United States Congress to 
     eliminate Section 2109 of S. 744 and similar legislation 
     which will allow thousands of alien workers, their families, 
     and persons of other ethnic origin who are in the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to become 
     permanent residents and subsequently become U.S. citizens; to 
     the Committee on the Judiciary.

                       House Resolution No. 18-34

       Whereas, the Chamorro and Carolinian people of the Northern 
     Mariana Islands, in the exercise of their inalienable right 
     of self-determination, negotiated the Covenant Agreement 
     which established the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands in a Political Union with the United States of 
     America. And, in a plebiscite called by the United States on 
     June 17, 1975, they approved the Covenant Agreement by 78.8 
     per centum. And, with the approval of the Covenant (U.S. 
     Public Law 94-241; 90 Stat. 263) by the 94th United States 
     Congress in a Joint Resolution (H. J. Res. 549) on March 24, 
     1976 and approved by the President of the United States on 
     October 24, 1977, the Chamorro and Carolinian people of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands finally realized their aspiration to 
     be freed from foreign dominations, and to be recognized as a 
     people of the Northern Mariana Islands, with the ``the right 
     of local self-government and to govern themselves in 
     accordance with a Constitution of their own adoption'' as 
     agreed upon and guaranteed pursuant to Article 1, Section 103 
     of the Covenant; and
       Whereas, this desire of the Chamorros and Carolinians of 
     the Northern Mariana Islands is not unique, and serves as a 
     basic tenet that guides indigenous peoples around the world 
     who wish to be protected and secure in their homeland, and to 
     exercise their right to self-government. These include the 
     Filipinos, led by national hero and icon Jose Rizal; the 
     Native Americans of North America; the indigenous Fijians, 
     outnumbered at one point by ethnic Indians; the Aborigines of 
     Australia; the Maori of New Zealand; and the Native 
     Hawaiians; and
       Whereas, the debate on immigration reform issues is now 
     before the 113th United States Congress, and in particular, 
     the passage of Section 2109 (Long-Term Legal Residents in the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) of S.744 by the 
     Senate, that is now before the House of Representatives, if 
     approved and becomes a law, will make thousands of alien 
     workers, their families and people of other ethnic origin in 
     the Commonwealth eligible to become U. S. permanent residents 
     five years from its enactment, and five years thereafter, 
     they will be eligible to become U. S. Citizen; and
       Whereas, the CNMI's 2010 census data shows that there were 
     53,883 people in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands. Of that figure, 2,461 were Carolinians and 12,902 
     were Chamorros, representing a combined total of 15,363 
     persons of Northern Marianas descent. The 2010 census 
     reported other ethnic groups as follows: 19,017 Filipino; 
     2,253 Korean; 3,659 Chinese; 1,979 other Asian persons; 1,343 
     persons of other ethnic origin; 6,832 persons of two or more 
     ethnic origins; and 3,437 persons of native Hawaiian or 
     Pacific Islanders. These groups of people represent a total 
     of 38,520 or 71 percent of the total population of the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, compared to 
     only 15,363 or 29 percent of Chamorro and Carolinian people 
     of Northern Marianas descent. Undoubtedly, the alien workers, 
     their families and people of other ethnic origin have already 
     outnumbered the population of the Chamorro and Carolinian 
     people of Northern Marianas descent; and
       Whereas, the U. S. Senate, in introducing S. 744 with the 
     added Section 2109 (Long-term Legal Residents of the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), failed to 
     recognize and respect the spirit and sanctity of the Covenant 
     Agreement; the fundamental provisions delineated in Article 
     I, Section 105 of the Covenant, namely, Articles I, II, and 
     III and Sections 501 and 805; and in particular, Article I, 
     Section 103, which guarantees the indigenous Chamorros and 
     Carolinians of the Northern Mariana Islands their right of 
     local self-government and to govern themselves with respect 
     to internal affairs in accordance with a Constitution of 
     their own adoption; and
       Whereas, S. 744, Sections 2109 B(i), (ii), (iii), (v)(I), 
     (V), and (C) will allow the alien workers, their families and 
     people of other ethnicity to become permanent residents and 
     eventually become U. S. citizens upon it becoming law. 
     According to the 2010 census these foreign people represent a 
     combined total of 38,520 or 71 percent of the Commonwealth's 
     population. Such data clearly depicts a great disparity in 
     the population profile of the Commonwealth, where the people 
     of Northern Mariana descent represent only 15,363 or 29 
     percent of the total population of 53,883. As a consequence, 
     the Chamorros and Carolinians of the Northern Marianas 
     Islands will ultimately become powerless and minority voice 
     in their homeland. Their social, economic, and political 
     rights and all that they have aspired, bargained and worked 
     hard to achieve, pursuant to the Covenant Agreement; 
     including their rights under the Northern Mariana Islands 
     Constitution, which they wrote, adopted, and approved by the 
     President of the United State of America on October 24, 1977, 
     will undeniably be taken away from them; and
       Whereas, Article V, Section 506 of the Covenant, which the 
     Chamorro and Carolinian people of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands agreed to, and approved, hold the same provisions as 
     those found in Section 2109 of S. 744. Sub-section (II) of 
     Section 2109 permits such alien who was, on May 8, 2008, and 
     continues to be as of the date of the enactment of this 
     paragraph, a permanent resident (as defined in section 4303 
     of this title 3 of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth 
     Code, in effect on May 8, 2008); and (III), is the spouse or 
     child (as defined in section 101(b)(1) of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(b)(1))), of an alien described 
     in sub-clauses (I) or (II); and (IV), was, on May 8, 2008, an 
     immediate relative (as defined in section 4303 of title 3 of 
     the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Code, in effect on 
     May 8, 2008, of a United States citizen, notwithstanding the 
     age of the United States citizen, and continues to be such an 
     immediate relative on the date of the application described 
     in subparagraph (A); and (V), is the spouse or child (as 
     defined in section 101(b)(1) of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(b)(1))), of the alien guest 
     worker described in sub-clause (V) and is presently resident 
     under CW-2 status. The intent of these provisions are already 
     permitted under Section 506 of Article 5 of the Covenant 
     Agreement, notwithstanding Sections 2109B(i), (ii), (iii), 
     (v)(I), (V), and (C) (Long-term Legal Residents of the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) of S.744; and
       Whereas, Section 2109 ((Long-Term Legal Residents of the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) of S. 744 is 
     amending Article V, Section 506 of the Covenant by including 
     Section 2109 B(i), (ii), (iii), (v)(I), (V), and (C) to allow 
     alien workers, their families, and people of other ethnic 
     origin, who were counted and described in the CNMI's 2010 
     Census, to become permanent residents and eventually become 
     U. S. citizens. Clearly, this Act violates the fundamental 
     provisions delineated in Article I, Sections 105 and other 
     provisions of the Covenant; and
       Whereas, the House of Representatives of the 18th Northern 
     Marianas Commonwealth Legislature recognizes the importance 
     of granting improved status to the few stateless persons who 
     were born in the Northern Mariana Islands between January 1, 
     1974 and January 9, 1978 (Section 2109 B(v)(I)); however, the 
     granting of permanent resident status to foreign persons 
     delineated in Section 2109 B(i), (ii), (iii), (V), and (C) of 
     S.744,

[[Page S654]]

     should and must go through the established process, pursuant 
     to the Immigration and Nationality Act. Therefore, the 
     Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature disagrees with and 
     is strongly opposed to the inclusion of the Commonwealth of 
     the Northern Mariana Islands in S.744, under Section 2109 
     (Long-Term Legal Residents of the Commonwealth of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands); and
       Whereas, Article V, Section 503(a) of the Covenant 
     authorizes the United States Congress to make applicable to 
     the Northern Mariana Islands the immigration and 
     naturalization law of the United States after the termination 
     of the Trusteeship Agreement. This was accomplished when the 
     U.S. Congress enacted the Consolidated Natural Resource Act 
     of 2008 (Public Law 110-229). However, such authority given 
     to the United States Congress under the said Article V, 
     Section 503(a) does not necessarily mean that the U.S. 
     Congress can unilaterally and arbitrarily enact immigration 
     laws and/or other bills or legislations for the Commonwealth 
     of the Northern Mariana Islands that contradicts and 
     infringes on the fundamental provisions delineated in Article 
     1, Section 105 and other provisions of the Covenant; 
     particularly, outlined in Article 1, Section 103, which 
     guarantees the indigenous people of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands the right of local self-government and to govern 
     themselves with respect to internal affairs in accordance 
     with a Constitution of their own adoption; and
       Whereas, Article 1, Section 105 of the Covenant states: 
     ``The United States may enact legislation in accordance with 
     its constitutional processes which will be applicable to the 
     Northern Mariana Islands, but if such legislation cannot also 
     be made applicable to the several States the Northern Mariana 
     Islands must be specifically named therein for it to become 
     effective in the Northern Mariana Islands. In order to 
     respect the right of self-government guaranteed by this 
     Covenant the United States agrees to limit the exercise of 
     that authority so that the fundamental provisions of this 
     Covenant, namely Articles I, II and III and Sections 501 and 
     805, may be modified only with the consent of the Government 
     of the United States and the Government of the Northern 
     Mariana Islands''; and
       Whereas, Section 2109 (Long-term Legal Residents of the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) of S. 744 
     contradicts U.S. Public Law 110-229 (Consolidated Natural 
     Resources Act of 2008) which mandates the alien worker 
     population of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands to be zeroed out when the transition period ends on 
     Dec. 31, 2014. U.S. Public Law 110-229 (Consolidated Natural 
     Resources Act of 2008) seeks to help create jobs for the many 
     unemployed indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian people and U.S. 
     citizens who are residents in the Northern Mariana Islands, 
     who have been actively searching for work in the job market. 
     Section 2109 of S. 744, on the other hand, will deprive the 
     Chamorro and Carolinian people of Northern Marianas descent 
     and U.S. citizens who are residents of the Commonwealth of 
     employment opportunities, as alien workers and people of 
     other ethnic origin will continue to occupy and fill the 
     positions in the job market; and
       Whereas, alien workers who are recruited for employment 
     purposes, should not, irrespective of the length of their 
     employment in the Commonwealth, be automatically entitled to 
     full social, economic, and political rights, because such 
     benefits and privileges of United States citizens were never 
     promised, bargained, entered, and/or agreed upon in their 
     employment contracts, which were approved by them and the 
     Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands; nor were discussions made or suggested for alien 
     workers, their families, and persons of other ethnic origin 
     to become permanent resident during the negotiation of 
     Covenant Agreement between the indigenous people of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands and the United States of America, 
     notwithstanding Section 506 of Article V of the Covenant; and
       Whereas, the enactment of Section 2109 (Long-term Legal 
     Residents of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands) of S. 744, and/or any similar Act by Congress, will 
     dramatically change the social, economic, and political 
     landscape in the Commonwealth to the advantage of the 
     thousands of alien workers, their families and people of 
     other ethnic origin or race upon them becoming U.S. Citizens. 
     This will have a devastating effect on the social, political 
     and economic livelihood of the Chamorro and Carolinian people 
     of the Northern Mariana Islands. It will give birth to a new 
     form of foreign domination on the indigenous people once 
     again, but this time, sadly, it evolves from within the 
     Commonwealth by way of Section 2109 (Long-term Legal 
     Residents of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands); and
       Whereas, the enactment of Section 2109 of S. 744, and/or 
     any similar legislations by Congress will place the 
     Carolinian and Chamorro people of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands back in time, trapped under a new form of foreign 
     domination once again, and a direct violation of the Covenant 
     Agreement, and the mandates of the Trusteeship Agreement 
     which was agreed upon by the United States and the United 
     Nation Security Council, including the Charter of the United 
     Nation which obligates the United States ``to promote the 
     development of the people of the trust territory toward self-
     government or independence as may be appropriate to the 
     particular circumstances of the trust territory and its 
     peoples and the freely expressed wishes of the peoples 
     concerned''. The enactment of Section 2109 and/or other 
     similar act or legislations by Congress is a direct 
     contradiction to the freely expressed wishes of the Chamorro 
     and Carolinian people of the Northern Marianas Islands when 
     they exercised their inalienable right of self-determination 
     and negotiated the Covenant Agreement with the United States 
     of America--to be free from foreign domination, and to be 
     recognized as a people of the Northern Mariana Islands, with 
     ``the right of local self-government and to govern themselves 
     in accordance with a Constitution of their own adoption; and
       Whereas, Section 2109 of S. 744, and/or any similar Act 
     currently before both houses of the U.S. Congress for 
     consideration, or are being proposed will create alarming 
     concerns to the Chamorro and Carolinian people of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands, thus affecting the relationship 
     between them and the United States; therefore, the 18th 
     Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature urged the U.S. 
     Congress that any and all propose legislations that infringes 
     upon the social, economic and political rights of the 
     indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian people who are of Northern 
     Marianas descent, who called for, negotiated, and voted 
     favorably in support of the Covenant, must be addressed 
     pursuant to Article 1, Section 105 and Section 902 of the 
     Covenant; and
       Whereas, Section 902 of Article IX states in part: ``The 
     Government of the United States and the Government of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands will consult regularly on all 
     matters affecting the relationship between them''. . . ``to 
     consider in good faith such issues affecting the relationship 
     between the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States as 
     may be designated by either Government and to make 
     recommendations with respect thereto'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the 18th 
     Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature respectfully 
     request and urge the House of Representatives of the 113th 
     United States Congress to eliminate Section 2109 (Long-Term 
     Legal Residents of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands) of S. 744, and any similar legislation that is 
     currently before both houses of the U.S. Congress undergoing 
     review for consideration until such legislative intent for 
     the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is discussed 
     pursuant to Article 1, Section 105 and Article IX, Section 
     902 of the Covenant to Establish the Commonwealth of the 
     Northern Marianas in Political Union with the United States 
     of America; and to recognize, respect and take into serious 
     consideration the mandates of the Trusteeship Agreement which 
     was agreed upon by the United States; and the United Nation 
     Security Council, including the United States obligation 
     under the Charter of the United Nation as stipulated in the 
     House Joint Resolution No. 549--to approve the ``Covenant To 
     Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in 
     Political Union with the United States of America''; and be 
     it further
       Resolved, That the Speaker of the House shall certify, and 
     the Clerk of the House shall attest to the adoption of this 
     resolution. The Clerk of the House shall transmit a certified 
     copy of this Resolution to the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, 
     Jr., President of the Senate, 113th United States Congress; 
     the Honorable John Boehner, Speaker of the House, 113th 
     United States Congress; the Honorable Gregorio ``Kilili'' 
     Sablan, CNM1 Delegate to the 113th United States Congress; 
     the U. S. Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell; the 
     Secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security; the 
     Honorable Eloy S. Inos, Governor, Commonwealth of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands; the Honorable Ralph DLG Torres, 
     President of the Senate; 18th Northern Marianas Commonwealth 
     Legislature; the Honorable Donald P. Flores, Mayor of Saipan; 
     the Honorable Ramon M. Dela Cruz, Mayor of Tinian and 
     Aguigan; the Honorable Melchor A. Mendiola, Mayor of Rota; 
     and the Honorable Tobias C. Aldan, Mayor of the Northern 
     Islands.

                          ____________________