[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17778]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     CONTINUING OUR HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MARSHALL ISLANDS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 10, 2003

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today after reading the eloquent and 
thoughtful remarks offered this morning to the House Resources 
Committee by Gerald Zackios, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of 
the Marshall Islands. I commend Chairman Richard Pombo and Ranking 
Member Nick Rahall for their leadership in holding this hearing.
  I would like to comment for the record on the importance of renewing 
the Compact of Free Association with the Marshall Islands as soon as 
possible. The Marshallese have long been a strong ally to the United 
States and our bilateral relationship must continue on its historically 
solid path. While the amended document negotiated in good faith by the 
Marshallese and the Departments of State and Interior is outstanding, I 
believe it still needs to be thoroughly reviewed and enhanced by 
Congress.
  As Congress examines the negotiated agreement, it is imperative that 
serious consideration is given to the additional provisions that could 
enhance U.S. assistance to the Marshall Islands in the following areas: 
infrastructure development that will strengthen their economy, federal 
education programs--which the Marshallese rely on to better prepare 
their children for the future, disaster relief, adjusting our grant 
assistance for inflation and finally, providing for the future needs of 
the landowners of the Kwajalein Atoll, home of a key U.S. Army missile 
testing facility.
  Mr. Speaker, I also hope at some appropriate point during the 108th 
Congress that we will give a full and proper hearing to the outstanding 
nuclear claims issues for which the Marshallese have petitioned the 
U.S. government.
  In closing, the U.S. could not ask for a better partnership than that 
which we share with the Marshellese. Our careful, collective attention 
to the Compact and to the wishes of the Marshallese will pay dividends 
to both countries for decades to come.

                          ____________________