    [Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 10, 2018)]
    [Extensions of Remarks]
    [Pages E22-E23]
    From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                           COMPACT IMPACT RELIEF ACT

                                     ______

                           HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                    of guam

                        in the house of representatives

                          Wednesday, January 10, 2018

      Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I reintroduce the Compact Impact Relief
    Act to address the costs of providing local public services to migrants
    under the Compacts of Free Association.
      I am very pleased to have the support of our colleagues from Hawai'i
    and the Northern Mariana Islands, as original cosponsors.
      Under the Compacts, an unlimited number of citizens from three Freely
    Associated States (FAS)--the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of
    Micronesia, and Palau--may live and work in the United States.
      Compact migrants effectively enjoy the same freedoms of movement and
    to work as lawful permanent residents, like green card holders, in our
    country do.
      As such, our bill seeks to allow Compact migrants to participate in
    select federal programs, if they meet the program criteria, the same
    way that green card holders can under current law.
      Importantly, our bill ensures that federal resources are not diverted
    from U.S. citizens and nationals in order to accommodate Compact
    migrants.
      Economic conditions and the reality of climate change for Pacific
    island nations have driven more and more Compact migrants to the United
    States.
      Guam remains the primary destination for Compact migrants, followed
    closely by Hawai'i.
      According to the most recent Census Bureau figures, more than 76,000
    FAS citizens reside in the United States, including nearly 18,000 on
    Guam.
      I appreciate that the Compacts remain important to American strategic
    interests in the Asia-Pacific region, including Guam's security.
      I also know--firsthand--the significant contributions that Compact
    migrants make to

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    Guam and other communities as far away as Springdale, Arkansas.
      Many citizens of the Freely Associated States serve proudly in the
    United States military.
      However, insufficient support from the federal government causes
    serious strain on local jurisdictions with significant Compact migrant
    communities.
      The costs borne by GovGuam and other local governments are simply
    unsustainable.
      Congress must act to provide federal relief to Guam and other
    jurisdictions required to serve these underprivileged Compact migrant
    communities.
      Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what the Compact Impact Relief Act would
    do.
      Our bill includes novel policy changes that would provide additional
    federal resources for Guam, Hawai'i, and other states and territories.
      In particular, the Compact Impact Relief Act ensures that Guam--and
    other territories--can utilize fully important federal programs
    including: Job Corps centers funded by the U.S. Department of Labor;
    national and community service programs like AmeriCorps and the Youth
    Conservation Corps; and an accurate 10-year census that counts Compact
    migrant residents.
      Our bill would permit Guam and other affected jurisdictions to apply
    costs spent providing public services to Compact migrants toward the
    non-federal portion required to provide Medicaid to Americans.
      The bill also classifies Compact migrant schoolchildren as
    ``federally connected students'' to make local schools serving them
    eligible for impact aid funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
      Importantly, our bill authorizes additional funding so that Compact
    migrant students do not take resources away from school districts
    receiving federal impact aid currently.
      Next, our bill requires comprehensive assessments of: the Compacts
    and their implementation; the economies of jurisdiction affected by the
    Compacts and the three Freely Associated States; and the unique health
    needs of Pacific Islanders.
      As the United States looks to renew the Compacts ahead of their
    expiration in fiscal year 2023, the federal government cannot continue
    to force local jurisdictions to shoulder the substantial costs of
    accommodating Compact migrants.
      Guam and other states and territories affected by Compact migrants
    need to be reimbursed fairly for the costs of serving these
    underprivileged communities.
      Congress must increase mandatory funding for Compact impact to the
    level recommended by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), as I
    have called for consistently.
      In the meantime, I urge this House to pass the practical policy
    changes included in my Compact Impact Relief Act into law.

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