Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize His Excellency, the Most Reverend Ryan Pagente Jimenez, D.D., as the Second Bishop of Chalan Kanoa, Northern Mariana Islands

Volumus Iesum Videre--``We would like to see Jesus'' (John 12:21).

In a world marked by challenges and uncertainty, these words encapsulate a profound spiritual longing: the desire to see and encounter Christ. With this guiding principle, the Most Reverend Ryan Pagente Jimenez, as the second Bishop of Chalan Kanoa, undertook the mission to embody and share the presence, love, and light of Jesus with the people of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Born on December 18, 1971, in Dumaguete City, Philippines, to Rogelio and Lilia Jimenez, Ryan Pagente Jimenez grew up in Siquijor with his three siblings. His vocational journey began at Saint Joseph Seminary in Negros Oriental, where he first discerned his call to the priesthood. He later pursued a Bachelor's degree in Pre-Divinity at the Ateneo de Manila University, graduating in 1992 from San Jose Major Seminary. His post-graduate experience included work as a Jesuit Volunteer and as a high school teacher, roles that deepened his commitment to service. In 1995, his path led him to the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, where he began a new chapter as a teacher at Eskuelan San Francisco de Borja on Rota.

Answering the call to priesthood, Ryan was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa by the late Bishop Tomas Aguon Camacho. He completed his theological studies at Saint Patrick's Seminary and University in California, earning a Bachelor's in Sacred Theology and a Master's degree in Divinity and Theology in 2003. He was ordained a priest on June 8, 2003, by Bishop Camacho at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral. Over the years, Father Ryan served in numerous capacities, including Parish Priest, Rector, Chancellor, and Superintendent of Catholic Schools, building a foundation for future leadership.

On November 28, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Father Ryan as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, following the resignation of Bishop Camacho and the unexpected passing of the then- Apostolic Administrator. In this role, Father Ryan provided spiritual leadership to over 43,000 Catholics in the CNMI. On June 24, 2016, Pope Francis appointed him as the second Bishop of Chalan Kanoa. His episcopal ordination on August 14, 2016, was presided over by Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai, S.D.B., with Bishops Julito Cortes and Tomas Camacho as co-consecrators.

Bishop Ryan's leadership was marked by the development of a 5-year pastoral plan, focusing on Evangelization and Faith Formation, Marriage and Family Life, Youth, Vocation, Liturgy, and Social Justice and Outreach. This plan emerged from extensive listening sessions and sought to guide the Diocese toward a shared mission of discipleship. His efforts emphasized unity, pastoral programs, youth ministry, and fostering dialogue within and beyond the Church community.

An advocate for education, Bishop Ryan championed Catholic education and faith formation programs, supporting initiatives like the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) and the Commission on the Youth. He led a delegation of 40 from the Diocese to the World Youth Day celebrations in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2023, demonstrating his dedication to nurturing the faith of the young.

In 2024, Bishop Ryan was elected President of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC) and Vice President of the Federation of Catholic Bishops' Conferences of Oceania (FCBCO). On July 6, 2024, Pope Francis appointed him as the Fourth Archbishop of Agana in Guam.

Archbishop Ryan Jimenez has left an enduring legacy in the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, characterized by humility, faith, and commitment to pastoral care. His leadership has shaped a vibrant, resilient, and united community inspired by the call to ``see Jesus.'' His contributions continue to guide the faithful as they carry forward his mission. Volumus Iesum Videre. We would like to see Jesus.

Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing the Court Improvement Equity Act which authorizes grants to improve child welfare services in Guam, American Samoa, and my district, the Northern Mariana Islands.

As it stands, courts located in the Pacific territories are the only entities that do not receive support from the Court Improvement Program (CIP) under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act. In all other territories and states, the CIP provides a grant to the highest court of appeal to assess and improve the handling of foster care and adoption proceedings.

Every child, regardless of where they grow up in our country, has the right to a safe, secure, and nurturing family. My bill would enshrine this right by extending the same base grant currently available everywhere else to our islands.

The gentleman from Guam, Mr. Moylan, is an original cosponsor of the bill. I urge my colleagues to support this vital bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a bill that would require the United States Census Bureau to conduct a census every five years in the U.S. insular areas of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This legislation is necessary because the priority, availability, timeliness, and types of data collected by federal agencies in the insular areas remains deficient compared to data collection in the states. Without accurate and timely information on changes in the economy, employment, income levels, and other key indicators, insular governments are hindered in the establishment of appropriate policy. And without these data, governments and the public are less able to assess the effectiveness of policies that have been established.

Every decade, the Census Bureau conducts a census throughout the country to determine the number of people living in the country In the insular areas, detailed demographic, housing, and socioeconomic data is also collected in the decennial census using a ``long-form'' questionnaire consisting of about 75 questions. The decennial census conducted in the states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico only asks 10 questions because the vital information gathered in the decennial census is now acquired annually in the American Community Survey. Unfortunately, the American Community Survey does not collect critical data from the insular areas.

As an alternative to annual surveys, my bill would require the Census Bureau to conduct a mid-decade census in the insular areas. The bill starts the first mid-decade census in 2035 and in addition to the decennial census, a census will be conducted every five years. This will provide more current data in the insular areas, like that provided by five-year estimates produced by the American Community Survey. Having a mid-decade census will also enable insular governments and the Census Bureau to plan and conduct data collection efforts that are often logistically challenging in these diverse, remote regions.

I ask my colleagues for their support in achieving equitable statistical data collection for the territories.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Juan Sablan Tenorio, Juan Santiago. Juan was born to the late Santiago Camacho Tenorio and Maria Sablan Tenorio on the island of Saipan in 1953.

Most will describe Mr. Tenorio as a prominent businessman, but I would describe Juan as a lifelong philanthropist and an advocate for entrepreneurship in the Northern Mariana Islands.

After attending school abroad and graduating from Gonzaga University in 1976, Mr. Tenorio returned to the Marianas at the pivotal time when the Trust Territory Government was transitioning to the Commonwealth Government. Mr. Tenorio spent the next few decades dedicated to building business and in support of entrepreneurship recognizing its crucial role in growing the NMI economy.

In 1977, he became the president of JET Holding Company and later served as the chairman of several Commonwealth boards, including the Commonwealth Development Authority and the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation. In private business he has served on the boards of Saipan Stevedore Company, Pacific Health, Inc., City Trust Bank, and, currently, as the President of Saipan Shipping Company.

Mr. Tenorio actively supports numerous non-profit organizations, including serving as chair of the financial committee of the Mount Carmel Cathedral Parish for many years.

He was recognized as Businessman of the Year in 1994; and, on the occasion of his retirement from public service in 2002, was recognized for his contribution to our community and for his public service by the 13th Northern Mariana Islands Legislature.

Always in service to his community, Juan was front and center after Super Typhoon Kim in the 1980s and the two most recent category 5 supertyphoons Soudelor and Yutu, using his relationships and resources to provide necessary supplies including water and ice to those in need.

He, also, has organized a larger group of friends, who call themselves the chenchulu group, after the Chamorro word for the dragnet used for fishing. Much as the harvest of the chenchulu is shared with family and friends, this group often rallies to support those in need, whether the local little league teams, individuals who needed financial medical assistance, and students who needed help to travel abroad. This work is at the heart of Tenorio's humble nature.

Beyond his professional achievements, Juan is a devoted family man, married to Elizabeth ``Becky'' Kintol Tenorio and blessed with four children; Juan Santiago, Michelle Ross, Mary Margaret, and Francine Angeline; and eight grandchildren.

I recognize Juan Sablan Tenorio's lifelong dedication to improving the lives of those who call the Northern Marianas home. His unwavering support for entrepreneurship and his commitment to helping others have left an indelible mark on the islands, making him a true inspiration to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mr. Isidoro Tudela Cabrera, born to the late Gregorio Camacho Cabrera and Escolastica Tudela Cabrera on the island of Saipan in 1953.

Isidoro Cabrera has spent his life learning how to grow food and sharing his passion for agriculture with the rest of us in the Northern Marianas. lsidoro graduated from Vudal Agricultural College in Papua New Guinea with a degree in Tropical Agriculture and later received certification in seed technology from the University of the Philippines. Then, he began his professional career working for the United Nations Trust Territory Government, as an intern and an entomology technician.

With the formation of the Commonwealth Government, Mr. Cabrera transitioned to work for its plant division, as an agriculturist. In 1987, he moved to the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, where he was an agriculture extension agent until his retirement in 1998. He then joined Northern Marianas College Cooperative Research, Extension and Education Services where he serves as a consultant to this day.

Outside of this professional career, Mr. Cabrera is equally passionate about agriculture. He taught students with an interest in farming and gardening to start their own school garden at his alma mater, Marianas High School. He has worked with students at Kagman Elementary School and Kagman Headstart to demonstrate his love for growing food.

He is a founding member of the Saipan Sabalu Farmers Market Association, which started a regular farmer's market. He has served the boards of the Saipan Farmers Market Association, Saipan Agricultural Far Association, the CNMI Farmers Cooperative and the AMOT Natibu Association that created a field guide to medicinal plants in the Northern Marianas in the Chamorro and Carolinian languages.

Understanding the significance of soil and water, Mr. Cabrera has spent a significant part of his career working on soil and water conservation as it relates to agriculture. Additionally, he studied hydroponics and set up his own farm, sharing his knowledge of this technology with anyone interested.

Last year, Isidoro lost the love of his life, Susana, with whom he shared three children: Isidoro Victor, Shani Joy, Antonette Esco; ten grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. It is not unusual to see him, accompanied by

one of these grandchildren, taking the harvests of his garden to share with neighbors and friends.

I recognize Isidoro Tudela Cabrera and celebrate his over four decades' long commitment to agriculture. I thank him for all the nourishment he has gown for those of us who call the Northern Marianas our home.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Carlos Sablan Camacho, the first Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands and a man who has devoted his life to the health and welfare of our island community.

Dr. Camacho was born to Luis Taimanao Camacho and Ramona Sablan Camacho on November 4, 1937, on the island of Saipan, during the Japanese administration.

He witnessed as a child the effects of World War II and particularly the Battle of Saipan in 1944, in which one in ten Mariana islanders lost their life.

For a person in our community, Carlos Camacho had unusual access to education during his formative years. He completed nine years of schooling in the Marianas, then in 1954 left for the island of Chuuk, where he attended the Pacific Island Central School and studied basic medicine and dentistry.

Two years later, he was recruited to attend the Fiji School of Medicine. There he received advanced medical training and after six years received a degree to practice medicine. He returned home to the Marianas and went to work at the Dr. Torres Hospital.

He returned to learning in 1971, when he began work on an advanced degree in Public Health at the University of Hawaii--Manoa. Signaling his accomplishment, Dr. Camacho was chosen to represent the School of Public Health and the Pacific Islands at the Colorado Medical Center Seminar in 1972. Upon completion of his studies, he returned from Hawaii and took up work on Saipan as the Chief Medical Officer of the public Health Service.

It was then that Dr. Camacho turned his attention to governance. In 1976, he was elected to the Congress of Micronesia. He became President of the Saipan Democratic Party. After the people of the Marianas voted to join the United States as a self-governing Commonwealth, Dr. Camacho was appointed to the convention that drafted the Constitution under which we now live.

When that Constitution first became effective in 1977, Dr. Camacho was elected the first Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and took office on January 9, 1978.

During his term as governor, Dr. Camacho fought against the implementation of gambling in our islands, was a leading voice protesting nuclear waste dumping in the Pacific, and managed the transition from governance by the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands to self-government by the people of the Marianas.

He was a strong advocate for our newly formed Commonwealth government throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific. In the capitol of the Nation we chose to join, he forged a special working relationship with U.S. Congressman Phillip Burton, who had been instrumental behind the scenes in negotiating the Marianas Covenant of Political Union with the United States and who won approval for the Covenant in just three days' time here in the House of Representatives.

After serving one term as governor, Dr. Camacho retired from public service in 1981 and went into private business.

Dr. Camacho is married to Lourdes Winefreda Ito Pangelinan. They share seven children: Carla, Mona Lynn, Carlos Patrick, Kevin Frank, Francine, Jiana, and Franklin Luis; four grandchildren: Carlos Joe, Liana Margaret, Lucas Patrick, and Leia Rose.

His own early life experiences as a colonial subject of the Japanese empire and witness to the ravages of war greatly shaped Dr. Camacho's commitment to public service. His example of learning and service inspires us today and is a legacy he leaves for future generations in the Northern Mariana Islands and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce legislation that gives this House an opportunity to provide more funding for policing.

My bill, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa Criminal Justice Support Act, does this by allowing the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa to be treated as two separate entities for the purposes of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program. Currently, the Marianas and American Samoa are considered as one entity for funding, unlike the other U.S. insular areas--Puerto Rico, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands--which are treated as individual jurisdictions, as are all fifty States.

By fixing this inequity in funding for police in the Marianas and American Samoa, we can ensure our local law enforcement agencies receive the necessary training and equipment they need to keep our communities safe. Making this change will also provide more funding to support prosecutors and the courts, as well as justice-related initiatives aimed at crime prevention.

Local law enforcement is increasingly the first line of defense against the evolving security threats our country faces. We must do all we can to recognize the vital role of our police in maintaining public safety.

The gentlelady from American Samoa, Ms. Radewagen, is an original cosponsor of the bill. I urge all my colleagues to consider this critical and bipartisan legislation for the good of our island communities.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Pacific Defense Small Business Incentive Act of 2024, which would allow small businesses in the Pacific Insular Areas to become more active participants in the defense industrial base. Specifically, my legislation would authorize an incentive payment equal to five percent of a Department of Defense contract to prime contractors who subcontract to a small business concern in the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, or American Samoa.

Providing access to defense contracts is critical, especially as the United States continues to execute its Indo-Pacific strategy, promoting a free-and-open region and defending Pacific Island interests. Empowering our small businesses located at the forefront of the Indo- Pacific will not only streamline defense projects and initiatives but will also spur local economic growth in our U.S. Pacific Insular Areas.

My bill, the Pacific Defense Small Business Incentive Act, seeks to bridge the gap between Pacific-based entrepreneurs and prime contractors throughout the United States by incentivizing strategic partnerships. Continued defense buildup in areas like the Marianas further necessitates the need for local business participation. This bipartisan legislation provides an impetus for contracting like the Indian Incentive Program authorized by Congress in 1988, which has been considerably impactful for Native American and Native Hawaiian small business concerns.

The DOD Office of Small Business Programs under the Biden Administration has emphasized that America's small businesses are ``essential to U.S. national security'' and the ``heartbeat of the U.S. economy''. I could not agree more but add that Pacific small businesses are indeed America's small businesses.

The gentlelady from American Samoa, Ms. Radewagen, is an original cosponsor of the bill. I urge all my colleagues to consider this crucial legislation and the elevation of Pacific small businesses in defense contracting.

Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing legislation that would improve senior work-based training programs in my district, the Northern Marianas Islands. Specifically, my bill would address the ongoing disparity impacting my constituents by amending the Older Americans Act (OAA) to increase and equally distribute funding for the Community Service Employment for Older Americans program amongst the Marianas, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The OAA supports a wide range of social services and programs for older individuals defined as aged 60 years or older. Under Title V (Community Service Employment for Older Americans) of the Act, states and territories receive funding to operate a community service and work-based job training program for low-income, unemployed seniors.

Currently, of the funds appropriated, the law reserves 0.75 percent for the Marianas, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands each receive 30 percent of the funds reserved. The Marianas receives only 10 percent of the funds. Despite having the same population and median household income levels as American Samoa, my district only receives one-third of the funds other territories receive. This unequal distribution was enacted prior to the Marianas having representation in Congress.

My bill would not only address this disparity, but also provide additional funding for the four territories. The legislation would increase the territorial reservation to 1 percent and equally divide that reservation amongst our islands.

An equitable distribution of funds enables the Marianas Office on Aging to expand their current programs. Currently, the Office on Aging provides 31 jobs for our seniors. Approval of this legislation will increase job opportunities and help alleviate the ongoing issue of poverty in the Marianas.

I urge my colleagues to support this vital legislation and give older Americans from all the territories the help needed to improve their quality of life.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8281 would deny United States citizens in my district their right to vote. This Delegate standing here speaking in this Hall will be denied the right to vote for this seat. So for that reason, I rise in opposition to the bill.

To register to vote, H.R. 8281 requires documentary proof of citizenship issued by a State or a Tribal Government, but my constituents do not live in a State. My constituents live in a U.S. territory, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. So if my constituents try to use a valid photo identification card issued by the Commonwealth showing place of birth as the Northern Marianas, they would be denied registration.

If I were to produce the Department of State-issued passport given to Members of Congress, it says my place of birth is the Northern Mariana Islands, and I will be denied the right to vote.

H.R. 8281 says unless the birth certificate was issued by a State, you can't vote. The same is true for U.S. citizens in Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The same is true for all naturalized U.S. citizens throughout the country. All will be denied the right to vote because H.R. 8281 does not recognize these territories as part of the United States, and people being born in these territories are United States citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this poorly drafted legislation. I don't understand something that only Americans can vote and the U.S. citizens who are not Americans cannot vote.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for the Insular Areas Act of 2014, which would protect access to health insurance for our most vulnerable Americans in the territories. Specifically, my legislation would authorize the redistribution of unused Medicaid block grant funding to address shortfalls in the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Medicaid programs in the U.S. territories are subject to a statutory cap, denying them the open-ended federal funding enjoyed by Medicaid programs in the states. Block grant programs, however, are inherently ill-equipped to respond to emergencies due to their fixed funding structure. This disparity most recently became pronounced during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Congress knows well the challenges associated with block grant programs. That's why we designed contingency measures for other block grant programs, such as the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In the event of a funding shortfall, states and territory CHIP programs have access to multiple contingency measures to protect and sustain access to healthcare services. Territory Medicaid programs face similar funding challenges as CHIP due to their shared block grant structure yet lack equivalent contingency measures.

My bill, the Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for the Insular Areas Act of 2024, fixes this critical gap in our Nation's health safety net for Americans in the territories. Under terms set out by my legislation, territory Medicaid programs--like CHIP programs--would be better equipped to address emergencies through the redistribution of unused territory Medicaid allotment funds to shortfall territories.

This bipartisan legislation presents a common-sense, budget-neutral solution, establishing a long overdue fail-safe for Medicaid in the territories. The well-being of our citizens and the care to which they have access to, regardless of their geographic location, must be our top priority.

The gentleman from Guam, Mr. Moylan, and the gentlelady from American Samoa, Ms. Radewagen, are original cosponsors of the bill. I urge my colleagues to support this vital legislation and uphold our commitment to providing equitable health insurance coverage for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa College Access Act, which would authorize tuition assistance grants to cover the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition costs for Marianas and American Samoa community college graduates seeking to attend a four-year public university.

The importance of having an educated citizenry is a bedrock principle of our nation and has been since our founding. And in today's competitive job market, a postsecondary education is increasingly becoming a critical necessity for obtaining a decent job with a decent wage.

The Northern Mariana Islands has only been part of America for forty- five years. We understand well that education is key to our continued growth, but the reality is that household incomes in the Marianas are less than half the national median. The U.S. territory of American Samoa is in similar economic straits. Poverty and unemployment rates there are among the highest in the country.

I believe the best way to improve economic conditions in these territories is to improve the educational opportunities available to our residents. Unfortunately, however, neither the Marianas nor American Samoa have a four-year institution of higher education. In fact, they are the only U.S. states or territories in the country without a public four-year college or university. Each has an accredited community college, but academic offerings are substantially limited.

Students from these U.S. territories wanting the advantages of a four-year university in another state or territory face significant financial difficulty. Nonresident students spend an average of $16,380 in out-of-state tuition and fees more per year than their resident peers at public four-year colleges, according to College Board. That $16,380 differential puts a four-year college degree out of reach for many students from our islands where the median household income is $30,000. And many students in the Marianas and American Samoa wanting to attend a four-year university not only face the cost of out-of-state tuition, but also the significant expense of travel. The Marianas is over 3,700 miles from the nearest state, Hawaii--a $1,100 one-way trip by plane. American Samoa to Hawaii is over 2,500 miles, which is over $800 one-way.

The bill follows the model of P.L. 106-98, the D.C. College Access Act, which allows students residing in the District of Columbia to apply for grants to help pay the cost of attending colleges outside D.C., but much smaller in scope and cost. My legislation creates a program through which public four-year schools in the 50 states, D.C., and other U.S. territories may be reimbursed for offering in-state tuition to undergraduate students from the Marianas and American Samoa.

The gentlewoman from American Samoa, Mrs. Radewagen, is an original cosponsor of the bill. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation and help give students from the Marianas and American Samoa the means needed to make their educational dreams a reality.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 443, a bill to assist the United States Department of Labor in identifying and preventing cases of human trafficking.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Walberg for his leadership and partnership on this issue and for introducing this legislation, of which I am an original cosponsor.

Human trafficking is a scourge that preys on the most vulnerable, subjecting more than 27 million people around the world--and thousands here in the United States--to abhorrent working and living conditions.

Eradicating all cases of human trafficking first requires an awareness of where it exists. As the Federal agency that oversees labor laws, the Department of Labor is uniquely positioned to identify patterns of labor exploitation.

That is why Representative Walberg and I reintroduced H.R. 443, the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act. This bipartisan, no-cost legislation directs the Department of Labor to train appropriate Department staff on how to detect human trafficking and ensure that personnel of the Department of Labor are provided with screening tools to identify and detect trafficking activities.

The bill requires the Department to report back to Congress within a year on the progress that is being made by such efforts.

Unfortunately, this horrible crime occurs in every part of our country, including in my own district in the Northern Mariana Islands. In the past, several construction companies have lured non-U.S. workers to come to the Marianas with false promises and misrepresentations about pay and conditions. They didn't come through the southern border, I will assure you of that. They came by airplane. The companies then withheld the employees' wages and confiscated their passports.

The workers were subjected to inhumane working conditions and crowded, unsanitary barracks with barely enough food and water. They were forced to work in unsafe conditions, forced to look up to the community for food and food assistance, some suffering serious injuries without access to adequate medical care. There was even a workplace fatality.

To their credit, the Department of Labor's OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and Wage and Hour Division have worked to address these crimes, issuing fines and citations and recovering wages.

These grave injustices that rob people of their freedom, and sometimes their lives, are preventable. Congress can and must do more to hold human traffickers accountable. H.R. 443, the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act, is an important step toward ensuring that the Department has the tools and resources it needs to combat human trafficking.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the leadership of the House, especially Chairwoman Virginia Foxx and Ranking Member Bobby Scott of the Education and the Workforce Committee, for moving this bill to the floor. Again, I thank my friend, Representative Walberg, for his leadership in combating human trafficking.

One reason we should vote for this bill is because it is a good bill. Another good reason we should vote for it is because Mr. Walberg's team got the national championship. He deserves this win here.

Last month, this bill gained overwhelming support in committee with a vote of 42-0. It passed the House unanimously in the 117th Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill today and support this legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Fostering Family Cohesion Nationwide Act. The legislation makes Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), child support enforcement, and foster care programs available everywhere else in our Nation also available in the Northern Mariana Islands.

My district is the only jurisdiction ineligible for such programs under Title IV of the Social Security Act. In every other part of the United States, these programs help low-income families with children achieve economic self-sufficiency, promote joint parental responsibility, and provide safe foster care placements for children who cannot remain in their homes.

The continued exclusion of our islands is not only inequitable, but also violates the agreement negotiated in the covenant that established the current political relationship between the Marianas and the United States. Section 703 of P.L. 94-241 provides that the United States will make available to the Marianas the full range of federal programs and services available to the other territories. And by failing to remedy the Marianas' exclusion from programs under Title IV, Congress is reneging on its promise and perpetuating the unequal treatment of Americans residing in U.S. territories.

My bill, the Fostering Family Cohesion Nationwide Act, makes this long overdue correction, and upholds our nation's statutory obligation to the people of the Marianas. Each child's right to a safe, nurturing, and permanent family must be safeguarded no matter where they grow up in the United States.

I thank my colleagues who joined me in introducing this bipartisan legislation--Mr. Moylan, Ms. Radewagen, Ms. Plaskett, and Mr. Case.

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today to introduce the Medicaid Accountability Act of 2023. My legislation would remove barriers to operating Medicaid Fraud Control Units in the territories, advancing our ability to recover taxpayer money through the investigation of Medicaid provider fraud, abuse, and neglect.

The U.S. territories are subject to a hard, statutory cap on federal Medicaid support, unlike the 50 states and the District of Columbia. As such, any spending for the operation of an MFCU is counted against the cap and subtracts from the amount of federal funding available for the coverage of healthcare services.

Congress has acknowledged this challenge. We acted to exempt MFCU spending from Puerto Rico's cap through P.L. 115-31, Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017. This exemption was extended to the U.S. Virgin Islands through P.L. 115-123, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. We did not, however, extend this exemption to the other territories although all territories are statutorily required to operate an MFCU.

Congress has previously agreed that spending towards systems improvement measures should be exempt from the cap. In addition to MFCUs, Congress has exempted spending related to Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System, Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Program, and the design and operation of the claims and eligibility systems.

Without such exemptions, territories must choose between covering healthcare services or making systems improvements. And faced with various emergencies--from natural disasters to a pandemic--in recent years, territories have prioritized the coverage of healthcare services. Furthermore, certain territories have repeatedly exhausted their limited block grant, leaving no federal funding to support systems improvement measures.

My bill, the Medicaid Accountability Act of 2023, plugs a gap in our nation's ability to protect taxpayer money. By extending the exemption on MFCU spending to all territories, Congress can promote the success of the territories in meeting statutory obligations to combat healthcare fraud and safeguard our Medicaid population from abuse, neglect, and misappropriation of funds.

I thank my colleagues who joined me in introducing this legislation-- Mr. Moylan, Ms. Plaskett, and Ms. Radewagen.