    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
    [September 27, 1994]
    [Page 1637]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1637]]

    Letter to Congressional Leaders on the Compact of Free Association With
    the Republic of Palau
    September 27, 1994

    Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)
    (Dear Mr. Chairman:)
        In my letter of July 26, 1994, I reported that the voters of Palau
    had approved the Compact of Free Association with the United States,
    opening the way, 7 years after its approval by the Congress, for the
    Compact to be brought into force.
        Along with my letter, in accordance with section 101 of the Compact
    of Free Association with Palau Act, Public Law 101-219 (December 12,
    1989), section 101(d)(1)(C) and (2) of the Compact of Free Association
    Approval Act, Public Law 99-658 (November 14, 1986), and section 102(b)
    of the Compact of Free Association Act of 1985, Public Law 99-239
    (January 14, 1986), I submitted the Economic Development Plan of the
    Republic of Palau, copies of certain subsidiary agreements between the
    United States and Palau, and an agreement between Palau and the United
    States establishing October 1, 1994, as the effective date for the
    Compact, provided that all lawsuits in Palau challenging approval of the
    Compact had been resolved by that date.
        I have been advised by the Government of Palau that approval of the
    Compact is now free from any legal challenge in the courts of Palau and
    that the time for filing additional challenges has expired. Therefore,
    in addition to the findings and determinations that I reported in my
    July 26 letter, I am pleased to advise you that:
        1. Pursuant to section 101(1) of Public Law 101-219, I have
    determined that the Compact was approved by the requisite percentage of
    votes cast in a referendum conducted pursuant to the Constitution of
    Palau and that such approval is free from any legal challenge.
        2. Pursuant to section 101(2) of Public Law 101-219, the requisite
    30 days in which either the House of Representatives or the Senate of
    the United States was in session have elapsed since my July 26
    notification to the Congress of the October 1, 1994, effective date of
    the Compact.
        3. Pursuant to section 101(d)(1)(A) of Public Law 99-658, I hereby
    certify that the Compact has been approved in accordance with section
    411(a) and (b) of the Compact and that there exists no legal impediment
    to the ability of the United States to carry out fully its
    responsibilities and to exercise its rights under Title Three of the
    Compact.
        4. Agreements have been concluded with Palau that satisfy the
    requirements of section 101(d)(1)(C) of Public Law 99-658.
        5. The period of congressional review provided in section
    102(b)(2)(B) of Public Law 99-239 having elapsed, the United States
    hereby concurs with Palau's Economic Development Plan.
        Therefore, all statutory conditions for implementation of the
    Compact having been met, I have issued the attached proclamation
    terminating the trust relationship between the United States and Palau
    and the entry into force of the Compact of Free Association between the
    United States and the Republican of Palau, effective October 1, 1994, at
    one minute past one o'clock p.m. local time in Palau.
        Sincerely,

                                                          William J. Clinton

    Note: Identical letters were sent to Thomas S. Foley, Speaker of the
    House of Representatives; Albert Gore, Jr., President of the Senate;
    Claiborne Pell, chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; J.
    Bennett Johnston, chairman, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
    Resources; Lee H. Hamilton, chairman, House Committee on Foreign
    Affairs; and George Miller, chairman, House Committee on Natural
    Resources. The proclamation is listed in Appendix D at the end of this
    volume.