Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, we recently celebrated an important anniversary in the Northern Mariana Islands: between our community and one of our longest-serving spiritual leaders. Reverend Father Isaac Masga Ayuyu, a native of Rota, has led the faithful in our islands for twenty-five years. Pale' Ike, as he is fondly known, was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa on August 30, 1986. He is now the Parochial Vicar of Mount Carmel Cathedral on Saipan and the Director of Worship in the Diocese. Pale' Ike is the first ordained priest from Rota, and the first ordained priest of the new Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, Saipan. He is the fifth local priest to serve our islands.

Hailing from a large family, Pale' Ike has a diverse, well-educated, and well-traveled background that is belied by his humble nature. As a youngster, he attended grade school in Rota. He then moved to our neighboring territory of Guam for his junior high and high school years, which was followed by college in California and Connecticut. Pale' Ike received his spiritual training at Saint Patrick's Seminary in California before returning to his home in the Northern Marianas. The decision that the church was his true calling was formed during his youth, when he was an altar server for two of our region's most well- respected leaders: Bishop Emeritus Tomas A. Camacho

of the Northern Marianas and the late Archbishop Felixberto Flores of Guam.

Pale' Ike's parents, Francisca Masga Ayuyu and the late Corbiniano Songao Ayuyu were also supportive of their son's path, which he recalls each time he celebrates mass with the chalice that was a gift from them.

In addition to his duties in the church, Pale' Ike is a strong advocate of, and a member of the Ecclesial Team for, our local chapter of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter program, which is designed to strengthen couples' relationships with one another and with God. His involvement in Marriage Encounter has improved the lives of countless married couples in the Northern Marianas. In his typically unassuming and candid fashion, Pale' Ike explains to others that the program has even improved his relationship with the people to whom he ministers.

Spirituality has always been an important component of life in our islands, even before the arrival of what we think of as ``organized religion.'' The Chamorros and Carolinians of our islands have always held spiritual leaders in high regard. In our small, faith-based community, local priests are in demand. Pale' Ike is a man whose work truly is never done. He baptizes the newly-born and conducts funeral rites for the recently departed; he tends to the spiritual needs of those who are homebound or in the hospital; he conducts weddings; he hears confessions; and he celebrates the Mass. Just a few of his Diocesan titles offer a glimpse into the scope of his responsibilities: he is the hospital chaplain, the coordinator of pre-baptismal seminars, and the coordinator of the marriage preparation program for the Diocese. Outside of traditional priestly responsibilities, in our culture if there is a village fiesta, he plays a lead role; if there is a large family party, he's expected to attend; if someone builds a new home, he is called upon to bless it before it is occupied. Pale' Ike is very much a part of the daily life of many residents of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Please join me in congratulating Pale' Isaac Masga Ayuyu in celebration of his twenty-five years in the priesthood.

Mr. Speaker, we recently celebrated an important anniversary in the Northern Mariana Islands for one of our longest- serving spiritual leaders. Reverend Father Isaac Masga Ayuyu has led the island faithful for 25 years. Pale' Ike, as he's fondly known, is the first ordained priest from the island of Rota, and the fifth local person to join the priesthood. He serves today as Parochial Vicar of Mount Carmel Cathedral on Saipan, and as Director of Worship for the Diocese.

Pale' Ike has had many mentors on his way to the priesthood, in particular, his parents, Francisca Masga

Ayuyu and the late Corbiniano Songao Ayuyu, whose support he recalls each time he celebrates mass with the chalice that was a gift from them.

In our faith-based community, priests are ever in demand. Pale' Ike baptizes the newly born and conducts funeral rights for the recently departed. He tends to the spirit of those who are homebound or in hospitals. And he conducts weddings, he hears confessions, he says mass.

Outside of this tradition of priestly duties, he also has a lead role in community functions. Where there is a large family gathering, he is expected to attend. When someone builds a new home, Pale' Ike is called upon to bless it.

For your 25 years in the priesthood and as part of our daily life, thank you, Pale' Ike.

Today, I welcome Father Jesse T. Reyes, from the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa in the Northern Mariana Islands, as our guest chaplain.

Father Reyes, or ``Pale Jesse'' as we say in the Marianas, was ordained in 2007. Since then, he has devoted himself to serving our people as the parochial vicar for the parish of San Jose in the village of Oleai.

Pale Jesse's ministry also includes serving as chaplain at the adult correctional facility, as vocation director for the diocese, and as the spiritual director for the Christian Mothers and the Divine Mercy prayer group.

I am very grateful that Pale Jesse was able to set aside that work for a few days to accept the invitation to be here. This marks the first time that a member of the clergy of the Northern Mariana Islands has offered the opening prayer for the U.S. House of Representatives; and it is, indeed, a great honor for the people of our islands--people of all creeds and denominations.

Welcome, Pale Jesse, and thank you for your blessings.

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

(Mr. SABLAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 686 will transfer a parcel of Federal land to the State of Utah for use as part of a Utah National Guard facility. The bill specifies that the land would return to Federal ownership if it is no longer needed for national defense purposes.

This legislation passed the House under Democratic leadership in both the 110th and 111th Congresses, and we support its passage again today.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

(Mr. SABLAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, the law governing the use of Forest Service lands for ski resorts has not kept pace with the development of year- round activities at many of these sites. New legislation is needed to authorize activities such as rock climbing, mountain biking and other offseason recreational activities.

H.R. 765 will authorize the Forest Service to permit certain nonsnow sports identified in the bill while specifically prohibiting things like tennis courts, swimming pools, and golf courses. The legislation will provide this expanded authority while ensuring that only activities which encourage outdoor recreation and harmonize with the environment are permitted.

Our colleague, Representative DeGette of Colorado, sponsored this legislation in the previous Congress and successfully guided the bill to approval by the House. This is important legislation that will create jobs, and she is to be commended for her leadership on this bill.

We support H.R. 765.

I have no requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

(Mr. SABLAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 489 would specify that the Bureau of Reclamation is authorized to approve necessary operation and maintenance activity for the C.C. Cragin project on National Forest System land.

H.R. 489 was introduced this Congress with language that reflects negotiations between the Bureau of Reclamation, the Forest Service, and the Salt River Project and the Congress. This legislation is not meant to serve as precedent for the management of utility corridors on Forest Service land. Instead, the legislation allows for the management of C.C. Cragin consistent with all the other Salt River Project facilities on Forest Service land where the Bureau of Reclamation oversees the operation and management of the facilities.

I have no requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Mr. SABLAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will allow the Indian Nation's Council of the Boy Scouts to expand a very popular adventure camp in Oklahoma. The Scouts would pay fair market value for an additional 140 acres of Forest Service land to be added to the existing camp.

Mr. Speaker, the Boy Scouts are a beloved organization dedicated to education and public service. The sale of this parcel to the Scouts is a good use of public lands, and we support the legislation.

I would also like to acknowledge that my good friend, Mr. Boren, has been a tireless champion for this bill and for the Boy Scouts and is to be commended for his work over several years on behalf of this proposal.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 473.

I yield the balance of my time to the good gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Boren).

Mr. Speaker, I associate myself also with my good friend Mr. Bishop. How can anyone be against the Boy Scouts?

I ask my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

(Mr. SABLAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 670, a bill that conveys to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands the 3 miles of submerged lands surrounding each of our islands. I want to thank the leaders from both sides of the aisle, particularly Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member Markey of the Natural Resources Committee, and my very good friend, Dr. John Fleming, chairman of the Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs Subcommittee, for their support of

Madam Speaker, today, as we struggle with the future of the United States Postal Service, I want to pay tribute to one of the many dedicated individuals who has kept the mail on its way to our homes and businesses in this Nation for almost five decades.

Mr. Leo Borja Tudela was born in the village of Garapan in the Northern Mariana Islands in 1943. His mother, Magdalena Tudela Salas, was the daughter of Jesus Sablan Tudela and Anunciasion Borja Tudela, who raised their grandson.

Leo worked very hard for an education, moving to Guam for high school, returning to college after service in the United States Army, and finally earning a master's degree with honors in California.

Mr. Tudela took his education and crafted a career with the Postal Service, rising to a vice presidency, and today directing operations in the Asia/Pacific-Micronesia region as a member of the Postal Career Executive Service.

Leo Borja Tudela's career exemplifies the power and benefit of education. I congratulate him. And I encourage young people in the Northern Mariana Islands and throughout America to follow that example for their own benefit and for the ultimate benefit of our Nation.

Today, as we struggle with the future of the U.S. Postal Service, I want to take a moment to pay tribute to one of the many dedicated individuals, who has kept the mail on its way to our homes and businesses in this nation for almost five decades.

Mr. Leo Borja Tudela was born in the Northern Mariana Islands in the village of Garapan on the island of Saipan on July 17, 1943. His mother, Magdalena Tudela Salas, was the daughter of Jesus Sablan Tudela and Anunciasion Borja Tudela, who raised their grandson.

Leo was educated at William S. Reyes Elementary School in Chalan Kanoa, graduating with honors. During his elementary years, Leo also served as an altar boy at the Chalan Kanoa Diocese Catholic Church. There he met Pale Arnold, who recognized the young man's intelligence and drive and arranged for him to attend St. Jude Intermediate Catholic School in Sinajana on Guam under the sponsorship of tire Capuchin Fathers in Agana Heights. Leo completed his education on Guam at George Washington High School, serving as editor in chief of the yearbook and graduating in 1962 with honors.

Mr. Borja's education was interrupted by the draft--he served in the U.S. Army for three years, earning a Soldier of the Month Award and Good Conduct Medal before being honorably discharged. But after this military service, Mr. Tudela immediately returned to his education. He first entered the Junior College of San Mateo, California, then moved to California State University at Hayward, California.

This is also when he began to work for the U.S. Postal Service, which would become his life-long career. He took up a part-time position as a postal assistant in South San Francisco, and later moved to full-time, though still in school. Mr. Borja worked the graveyard shift, eight hours each night, then went to his college classes in the morning. Afternoons and evenings were devoted to studies and a little rest. Then at eleven o'clock at night it was back to the post office to move the mail. Mr. Borja maintained this grueling schedule throughout the time it took to earn first his bachelor's degree and then a master's-- graduating with honors in both degrees.

Now Mr. Borja's postal career began in earnest. He was promoted to management and sent as an equal employment office specialist to Salt Lake City, Utah. His next assignment was as MSC Director of Employee and Labor Relations in Boise, Idaho, then District Director of E&LR in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in Boston, Massachusetts, and in Santa Ana, California. Moving up the management ladder, Mr. Borja was appointed to be the Manager Sectional Center, City of Industry, East of Los Angeles, California, Division Manager/Postmaster in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and District Manager for South Florida in Miami.

In 1992, he became the Vice President for the Southeast Area, responsible for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi. He oversaw operations involving more than 92,000 employees, 20,731 post offices, and a budget of three billion dollars.

Throughout his rise in responsibility, Mr. Tudela--and the Postal Service--continued to invest in his education. He attended a number of executive training programs in the Ivy League, at MIT, the University of Virginia, and at Duke.

Though his career had taken him far from his humble roots in the Northern Mariana Islands, Mr. Tudela never forgot his home; and, eventually, his postal service work returned him to the Pacific. He is presently the Director, Asia/Pacific-Micronesia, PCES--Postal Career Executive Service, overseeing all mail to and from Micronesia. He is involved with managing, and participated in crafting, the compact agreements between the United States and the Freely Associated States of Micronesia, which include the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia. This work requires him to coordinate with the U.S. State Department and its three embassies in these nations, and with the U.S. Department of the Interior, which also has responsibilities in the region. The U.S. Postal Service and the services it provides are an important component of those compact relationships, benefiting both the Freely Associated States governments and businesses in Micronesia.

He has contributed to development on his home island, as well. In 1990, Mr. Tudela was very instrumental in building a new post office in his birth village of Chalan Kanoa. Land was at a premium on the islands at that time and the Northern Marianas government asked for three million dollars for the property needed for the new facility. Mr. Tudela, through his personal perseverance, worked with the local government, even having local legislation enacted, which resulted in the land being leased to the Postal Service for just one dollar per year for 40 years, with an option for another 40 years truly an example of good financial management at the Postal Service. With the land issue overcome, Mr. Tudela then took personal interest in overseeing the design and construction of the new post office in ``C.K.,'' which the community much enjoys to this day.

Certainly another point of pride for Mr. Tudela has been the opportunity to participate in dedication of special issue stamps commemorating his home. In 1993, Mr. Tudela was there to dedicate the Northern Mariana Islands stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service. And just last month, on August 12, he dedicated the Northern Mariana Islands stamp that is part of the Flags of Our Nation series.

Although this well-deserved tribute is for Mr. Leo Borja Tudela, it is my hope that calling attention to his life, which began so humbly but has proceeded to become so noteworthy, will serve as an inspiration for others from the Northern Mariana Islands. The lesson is well known, but not always applied: pursue an education--not just in youth, but throughout life, do your best, persevere, work hard. Your effort will be rewarded, just as it has for Mr. Leo Borja Tudela, and will benefit us all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the many individuals who founded, developed and stewarded the judicial system in the Northern Mariana Islands, where American jurisprudence was rooted in the liberation of our islands in 1944.

The World War II-era naval military government established a three- tiered

organization of Exceptional Military Courts. The later-established Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands judiciary was also a three- tiered court system.

When the Commonwealth was formed in 1978, a Commonwealth Trial Court, later renamed the Commonwealth Superior Court, was established. During the trial court's infancy, the Federal district court for the Northern Mariana Islands retained limited original and appellate jurisdiction over local matters.

In 1989, a Commonwealth Supreme Court with local appellate jurisdiction was created. Finally, in 2004, Ninth Circuit appellate jurisdiction over Commonwealth Supreme Court decisions ended, and those decisions are now appealable only to the United States Supreme Court.

The history of our court system is colorful and is as unique as our islands and our people. Please join me in paying tribute to the many judges and justices who have served our islands with distinction.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the many individuals who founded, developed, and stewarded the judicial system in the Northern Mariana Islands. American jurisprudence in the Northern Marianas is rooted in the American invasion and liberation of the islands in 1944.

The earliest American laws in this World War II period were proclamations from the Naval Military Government, which exercised control over the islands for three years following the initial invasion. A three-tiered organization of Exceptional Military Courts was established by Admiral Chester Nimitz. Under this system, Summary Provost Courts, with one military officer sitting as judge, were established as courts of limited jurisdiction to hear cases for which the punishment was less than one year in prison or a fine of less than two thousand dollars. Superior Provost Courts--comprised of one or more military officers--were convened on an ad hoc basis to consider cases in which the potential punishment ranged to ten years in prison. The Military Commission was the highest court of the land, and could hear cases of any nature. This tribunal was convened by the Military Governor and the three military officers who comprised the Commission could mete out any punishment up to, and including, a death sentence-- although any execution could not be carried out without the confirmation of the Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Military Government did not establish any military courts with jurisdiction over civil matters--during this period, local disputes that were not informally resolved among the native islanders were resolved with the assistance of a military officer acting as a ``higher authority,'' but not sitting as a court. Records indicate that a Village Magistrate Court may have been established in 1947, shortly before the advent of the United Nations' Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in July of that year.

The judiciary established in the Trust Territory, as in Naval Military Government days, was a three-tiered system of community courts, district courts, and a High Court. Community court judges, appointed by the district administrator, could hear civil matters in which the amount in dispute did not exceed one hundred dollars and criminal matters in which the punishment did not exceed six months in jail, a one hundred dollar fine, or both. District courts had jurisdiction over civil matters in which the amount in dispute did not exceed one thousand dollars and criminal matters in which the punishment did not exceed two years in jail, a two thousand dollar fine, or both. District courts were staffed by a presiding judge and one or more associate judges, appointed by the High Commissioner, and also had appellate jurisdiction over community court actions. The High Court, which consisted of a chief justice and a number of associate justices and temporary judges, had appellate review over district court decisions and also had general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases in the Trust Territory.

Upon the formation of the Commonwealth in 1978, a Commonwealth Trial Court was established by our local legislature pursuant to the Commonwealth Constitution. The first judge of the court was confirmed in February 1979, and was joined by additional judges over the following few years. During the trial court's infancy, the federal district court for the Northern Marianas retained jurisdiction over civil cases involving amounts in controversy over five thousand dollars, criminal cases in which the potential penalty exceeded five years' imprisonment, and all jury trials. The district court also maintained appellate jurisdiction over Commonwealth Trial Court decisions.

In 1989, a public law renamed the Commonwealth Trial Court as the Commonwealth Superior Court, and established a Commonwealth Supreme Court with local appellate jurisdiction.

Perhaps the most significant event in the history of the Commonwealth judiciary occurred in 1997, when voters in the Commonwealth approved a House Legislative Initiative which established the Commonwealth Supreme and Superior Courts as constitutional entities under a unified judiciary system.

In May 2004, the Commonwealth court system achieved status akin to that of all other state judiciaries, when Ninth Circuit appellate jurisdiction over Commonwealth Supreme Court decisions ended. Now, Commonwealth Supreme Court decisions are final unless the United States Supreme Court grants certiorari review.

Recently, our community celebrated the culmination of a multiyear project with the publication of The Northern Mariana Islands Judiciary: A Historical Overview, authored by past and present members of our judiciary, law clerks, and others, and which provides a comprehensive view of the evolution of law and legal systems in the Commonwealth from 1521 to the present. The book was published by the Northern Marianas Judiciary Historical Society, and was funded by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant administered by the NMI Council for the Humanities.

The Commonwealth judiciary has evolved from its original roots in military necessity to a full-fledged branch of government, coequal with the local executive and legislative branches. Today, there are three Supreme Court justices and five Superior Court judges, the majority of whom were born and raised in our community. And, in addition, there is a United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to which the President has nominated and the U.S. Senate has confirmed a native of the Northern Mariana Islands. The history of our court system is colorful and as unique as our islands and our people.

I ask you to join me in paying tribute to the many judges and justices who have served our islands with distinction over the course of nearly 70 years since the Battle of Saipan.

Current Commonwealth Supreme Court justices: Miguel S. Demapan, Chief Justice; Alexandro C. Castro, Associate Justice; and John A. Manglona, Associate Justice.

Current Commonwealth Superior Court judges: Robert C. Naraja, Presiding Judge; David A. Wiseman, Associate Judge; Ramona V. Manglona, Associate Judge; Kenneth L. Govendo, Associate Judge; and Perry B. Inos, Associate Judge.

Former Commonwealth Supreme Court justices: Jose S. Dela Cruz, Chief Justice; Marty W.K. Taylor, Chief Justice; Pedro M. Atalig, Associate Justice; Jesus C. Borja, Associate Justice; and Ramon G. Villagomez, Associate Justice.

Former Commonwealth Superior Court judges: Edward Manibusan, Presiding Judge; Timothy H. Bellas, Associate Judge; Virginia S. Sablan-Onerheim, Associate Judge; and Juan T. Lizama, Associate Judge.

Former Commonwealth Trial Court judges: Robert E. Moore, Associate Judge; Robert A. Hefner, Presiding Judge; and Herbert D. Soll, Associate Judge.

Current and former pro tem justices: Arthur R. Barcinas, Associate Judge, Guam Superior Court; Timothy H. Bellas, former Associate Judge, CNMI Superior Court; Richard H. Benson, former Associate Justice, Federated States of Micronesia Supreme Court; Michael J. Bordallo, Associate Judge, Guam Superior Court; Jesus C. Borja, former Associate Justice, CNMI Supreme Court; F. Philip Carbullido, Chief Justice, Guam Supreme Court; Benjamin J.F. Cruz, former Chief Justice, Guam Supreme Court; Alberto C. Lamorena III, Presiding Judge, Guam Superior Court; Edward Manibusan, former Presiding Judge, CNMI Superior Court; Joaquin V.E. Manibusan, Jr., former Associate Judge, Guam Superior Court; Katherine A. Maraman, Associate Justice, Guam Supreme Court; Virginia S. Sablan-Onerheim, former Associate Judge, CNMI Superior Court; Vernon P. Perez, Associate Judge, Guam Superior Court; Kathleen M. Salii, Associate Justice, Republic of Palau Supreme Court; Peter C. Siguenza, Jr., former Chief Justice, Guam Supreme Court; Herbert D. Soil, former Associate Judge, CNMI Trial Court; Anita A. Sukola, Associate Judge, Guam Superior Court; Robert J. Torres, Jr., Associate Justice, Guam Supreme Court; Frances M. Tydingco-Gatewood, former Associate Justice, Guam Supreme Court; and Steven S. Unpingco, Associate Judge, Guam Superior Court.

Former special judges: Pedro M. Atalig, Timothy H. Bellas, Benjamin J.F. Cruz, Larry L. Hillblom, Edward C. King, Rexford C. Kosack, Alberto C. Lamorena III, Juan T. Lizama, Jane E. Mack, Vicente T. Salas, Michael A. White, and David A. Wiseman.

Former Mariana Islands District Court and Community Courts justices and judges: in Saipan, Juan M. Ada, Ignacio V. Benavente, Olympio T. Borja, Francisco R. Cruz, Vicente E.D. Deleon Guerrero, Elias P. Sablan, Felipe A. Salas, and Jose A. Sonoda; in Rota, Andres C. Atalig, Jose A. Calvo, Fortunato T. Manglona, Santiago M. Manglona, Thomas C.

Mendiola, and Melchor S. Mendiola; and in Tinian, Joaquin C. Aldan, Freddy V. Hofschneider, Sr., and Henry V. Hofschneider.

Former Trust Territory High Court judges and justices: Edward P. Furber, Chief Justice and Temporary Judge; Robert K. Shoecraft, Chief Justice; Harold W. Burnett, Chief Justice and Associate Judge; Alex R. Munson, Chief Justice; James R. Nichols, Associate Judge; Pleaz William Mobley, Associate Judge; Philip R. Toomin, Associate Judge; Arthur J. McCormick, Associate Judge; Paul F. Kinnare, Associate Judge; Joseph W. Goss, Associate Judge and Temporary Judge; D. Kelley Turner, Associate Judge; Arvin H. Brown, Jr., Associate Judge; Robert A. Hefner, Associate Judge; Donald C. Williams, Associate Judge; Mamoru Nakamura, Associate Judge; Ernest F. Gianotti, Associate Judge; and Richard I. Miyamoto, Associate Judge.

Former Trust Territory High Court temporary judges: Richard H. Benson, Robert Clifton, E. Avery Crary, P. Drucker, Christobal C. Duenas, Eugene R. Gilmartin, Anthony M. Kennedy, Alex Kozinski, Alfred Laureta, Jose C. Manibusan, Carl A. Muecke, Joaquin C. Perez, Paul D. Shriver, J.M. Spivey, and Dickran M. Tevrizian.

Current and former U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands judges: Ramona Villagomez Manglona, Chief Judge; Alex R. Munson, former Chief Judge; Alfred Laureta, former Chief Judge.

I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to express deep concern over the allocations in H.R. 2584, the Interior and Environment appropriations bill for 2012.

To begin, the bill cuts $1.7 million for technical assistance and maintenance assistance in the United States territories. These small amounts of money pay big dividends in the islands. The Northern Marianas was just awarded $1.2 million in technical assistance funding to develop geothermal resources to generate electricity. We pay up to 40 cents per kilowatt-hour now because we have to buy expensive foreign oil to power our generators. Technical assistance funds are helping to develop our own domestic energy resources; and cutting these funds sends us in the wrong direction, back into the arms of foreign oil interests.

I do appreciate the small increases in the bill to fund water and sewer projects in the Northern Mariana Islands and the other territories. I am disappointed, however, that the bill targets the Environmental Protection Agency for overall cuts in the funding that provides Federal assistance to ensure clean air and water for all Americans.

As the ranking member of the Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I am also troubled over the allocations in this bill which would be devastating for the environment and for the preservation of America's natural heritage. H.R. 2584 provides inadequate funding for the Fish and Wildlife Service at levels 21 percent below fiscal year 2011 and 30 percent below the President's fiscal year 2012 request.

The bill cuts provide a meager $22 million in funding for the State and tribal wildlife grants program, 64 percent below fiscal year 2011, and 77 percent below the fiscal year 2012 President's request. This is a program that makes small investments now to avoid large expenses later. It provides money to States and tribes to take voluntary conservation actions to stabilize declining fish and wildlife populations now, and this helps avoid endangered species listings later. In my district, these grants help implement our wildlife action plan, conserving wildlife and, I might add, creating jobs.

The bill also cuts the Fish and Wildlife Service's cooperative landscape conservation and adaptive science program 35 percent below the fiscal year 2011 levels and 47 percent below the fiscal year 2012 President's budget. This program supports the work of Federal, State, tribal, and local partners to develop strategies to address climate impacts on wildlife on local and regional scales.

The Northern Mariana Islands and other insular areas are on the front line of climate change. We face the impacts of sea level rise, ocean acidification, and increasing typhoon intensity. We need this program to develop science-based tools and solutions to conserve natural resources and help us adapt to the many negative effects coming at us as the Earth grows hotter. H.R. 2584 also cuts funding for the

National Wildlife Refuge System to 7 percent below fiscal year 2011 and 9 percent below the 2012 request.

The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's finest network of protected lands and waters. We have refuges in every State and in nearly every territory, including the Northern Mariana Islands. These refuges conserve our fish and wildlife resources, but they also have a huge economic benefit. Millions of people visit refuges each year to hunt, fish, and observe wildlife. The refuge system generates $1.7 billion in sales for local communities and creates nearly 27,000 jobs annually. Every dollar spent in the refuge system by the Federal Government returns about $4 to local communities, and we can assume that every dollar we cut means $4 less for our local communities.

I have introduced legislation, H.R. 2236, that would generate funds for the refuges separate from the appropriations through the sale of semipostal stamps to address operations and maintenance backlog, but this is no substitute for money being cut in H.R. 2584.

Also cut is the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is used to acquire lands and conservation easements from willing sellers and landowners to provide operational efficiencies and connectivity within the refuges.

At a Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs Subcommittee hearing this year, we heard from stakeholders as diverse as Defenders of Wildlife and the National Rifle Association who recognize the importance of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which, I might add, is generated by offshore oil and gas drilling revenues. H.R. 2584 provides only $15 million to this program, 73 percent below fiscal year 2011 levels and 89 percent below the fiscal year 2012 President's request.

I strongly oppose H.R. 2584, which rolls back necessary funding to support hunters, fishermen, recreationists, and local communities who depend on the environment for their livelihoods and which undermines ongoing conservation, public health, and environmental protection for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, President Kennedy observed that ``the life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is very close to the center of a nation's purpose--and is a test of the quality of a nation's civilization.''

I ask you to join me today in recognizing Barry Wonenberg, an artist in the Northern Mariana Islands, who very much embodies the ideal of which the President spoke, and who, through his avocations as both artist and educator, has, for more than 20 years, broadened our community's appreciation of art, creativity, and culture--and encouraged others to explore, and achieve in, artistic endeavors as well.

Today, Barry is representing the United States at the 12th International Sculpture Symposium in Changchun, China. Artists from 96 different countries are creating sculptures there which will be added to some 500 sculptures already exhibited in that city from previous symposia. We all watch the progress on the massive clay sculpture Barry is creating, wish him well, and thank him for representing the Northern Marianas and America with such distinction.

Fifty years ago, President Kennedy observed that ``the life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is very close to the center of a nation's purpose--and is a test of the quality of a nation's civilization.'' I ask you to join me today in recognizing Barry Wonenberg, an artist in the Northern Mariana Islands who very much embodies the ideal of which the president spoke, and who, through his avocations as both artist and educator has, for more than 20 years, broadened our community's appreciation of art, creativity, and culture--and encouraged others to explore, and achieve in, artistic endeavors as well.

Barry came to the Commonwealth in 1989 under an artist-in-residence contract and he initially aided in the design of lesson plans and textbooks for the local public school system, including the first-ever Northern Marianas History textbook. Not long thereafter, Barry accepted a teaching position at Northern Marianas College, where he developed a ceramics program and has assisted in the development of other arts- related curricula.

Barry's true passion as an artist, and the area in which he has inspired most students, though, remains sculpture and pottery--which he has been crafting for 35 years. As in most cultures around the world, these arts represent a tangible link to our local historical past. The mediums also inspire exploration, consideration, and interpretation of the natural beauty that abounds in our contemporary island environment.

Barry's passion for pottery has led to local and international distinction. In 2003, Barry was a recipient of the Governor's Humanities Award in the CNMI. He was celebrated for bringing local cultural elements of design into the vision of the contemporary artist, which has aided the preservation of a primary indigenous cultural art.

In 2008, Barry was one of 31 sculptors worldwide invited to participate in the International Sculpture Symposium in Changchun, China. His ten-foot-high bronze and stainless steel sculpture has a permanent place in the Changchun World Sculpture Park, which is home to hundreds of sculptures from artists around the world. In 2010 he was again chosen to represent the Northern Mariana Islands at the Symposium. Out of 1,060 submissions from around the world, 29 artists were selected to attend the Symposium. Of those 29 artists, four were chosen to create two works of art each. Barry was one of those four.

Barry's artistic talents have also benefitted our island community in some very real and significant ways. For example, he joined with others to transform a underutilized area of our local hospital into a calming therapeutic garden for psychiatric patients. He also served as an advisor to a group that worked to apply for, and receive, funding through NOAA's Prescott Grant Program to engage in a regional study

of marine mammal stranding, which will include the development of an interpretive display of the skeletons of marine mammals recovered from the waters around our islands. In aid of local charitable fundraising efforts, Barry also regularly contributes his work for auction or raffle by social service organizations in the Commonwealth.

Today, as a nation, we face challenges to the arts--for both financial and ideological reasons. I hope that we all consider the nexus between the arts and our civilization, globally and locally, as we debate the issues. And I also hope that you will join me in paying tribute to Barry Wonenberg--who has spent much of his life, to the benefit of the Northern Mariana Islands, practicing what President Kennedy preached.

Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago, one of the most significant and enduring community groups in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands was formed, the Northern Mariana Islands Council for the Humanities. Since its founding, the council has become a well- respected, community-based organization committed to fostering awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the humanities in the Northern Mariana Islands through its support of educational programs that relate the humanities to the indigenous cultures and the intellectual needs and interests of the people of the Commonwealth. The Northern Mariana Islands Council for the Humanities has enhanced the lives of our residents as individuals and enhanced our community as a whole.

The council's board of directors is and has always been extraordinarily passionate and successful in setting and achieving goals that benefit our diverse and remote community. The council's achievements belie our modest population and resources.

Please join me congratulating the Northern Mariana Islands Council for the Humanities on its 20th anniversary of serving the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands community.

Twenty years ago this past April, one of the most significant and enduring community groups in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands was formed: the Northern Mariana Islands Council for the Humanities.

My island community is a melting pot of cultures, an amalgam of languages, the possessor of a 3,500-year-long and colorful history, and the newest participant in this great experiment called democracy in America. The National Endowment for the Humanities founding principle is that knowledge of the humanities--the ideas, people, and events that make up the record of human thought and experience--is both personally rewarding to Americans as individuals and critical to our common civic life as a nation. I suspect that nowhere is this sentiment as relevant as it is in the Northern Mariana Islands.

In the two decades since its founding, the NMI Council for the Humanities has become a well-respected community-based organization committed to fostering awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the humanities in the Northern Mariana Islands through its support of educational programs that relate the humanities to the indigenous cultures and the intellectual needs and interests of the people of the Commonwealth. The Council also sponsors programs that explore, document, and recognize the many contributions to our community made by the non-indigenous residents of the Northern Marianas. In furtherance of these programs, collaborative relationships have been established with a variety of local, regional, national, and international organizations and individuals.

The Council accomplishes its mission through financial support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, with which it is affiliated, as well as from the local government, businesses, and individuals throughout our islands. The Council has also been designated an ``educational institution'' in the Commonwealth, enabling financial donors to take advantage of a local educational tax credit program.

The Council's 13-member board of directors is, and always has been, extraordinarily passionate and successful in setting and achieving goals that benefit our diverse and remote community. Its achievements over the past 20 years belie our modest population and resources. In fact, one former board member is a recipient of the National Humanities Medal--which is awarded to no more than 12 recipients each year whose work has deepened the Nation's understanding of the humanities, broadened our citizens' engagement with the humanities, or helped preserve and expand Americans' access to important resources in the humanities.

Some current programs undertaken by the Council include: the nationally-acclaimed Motheread/Fatheread program that encourages literacy skills among parents and children; a teachers institute that provides primary-school instructors with a thorough overview of local history; a weekly radio show that provides wide-ranging humanities- based programming; a Micronesian authors initiative that publishes the work of local authors; a community lecture series on humanities topics of interest; a multiyear project to revise the Chamorro-English dictionary; an initiative to promote geotourism in the CNMI; a digital database of primary source documents and images to facilitate the study of local history; and diversified classroom programs that introduce students to the humanities at an early age, including a poetry competition, a junior high school mock trial competition, an annual Covenant Day debate, and curricula that explore multiculturalism in the Commonwealth.

Support of grassroots humanities projects in our community is also a primary focus of the Council. During the past 20 years, over 150 individual grants totaling approximately $900,000 have been awarded to community groups through the Council's community grants program.

At a time in our nation's history when we encounter oftentimes fierce polemics and uncivil discourse, humanities councils serve an

important role. The Northern Mariana Islands Council for the Humanities has, for the past 20 years, enhanced the lives of our residents as individuals and enhanced our community as a whole. I have faith it will continue to do so far beyond the next 20 years. It promotes teaching and learning of the humanities in our schools, facilitates research and original scholarship, provides opportunities for lifelong learning, preserves and provides access to cultural and educational resources, and strengthens the institutional base of the humanities in the Northern Marianas.

Please join me in congratulating the past and present directors, staff, and supporters of the Northern Mariana Islands Council for the Humanities on its twentieth anniversary of serving the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands community.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the amendment, submitted by my good friends and colleagues, Mr. Tonko and Mr. Bass, that would amend the Energy and Water Appropriations for fiscal year 2012. This important amendment restores funds to the fiscal year 2011 levels for the Weatherization Assistance Program and the State Energy Program.

The Weatherization Assistance Program funds are intended to assist low-income residents across America and in the Northern Marianas to improve energy efficiency, and reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions in their homes. The State Energy Program funds are used to upgrade the efficiency of government facilities, promote consumer products that carry the Energy Star label, or invest in alternative fuel infrastructure. Both of these funds create an immediate benefit to those being helped and a long-term benefit to all of us by investing in our future and making America more energy efficient and independent.

Where I live in the Northern Mariana Islands, electricity rates are unusually high and energy efficiency is especially important due to the fact that the Northern Mariana Islands is warmer in climate. As of January 2011, the current base electric rate is 28 cents per kilowatt hour. While electricity rates are one of the highest in the nation, our minimum wage is only $5.05 an hour. Therefore, we rely on Weatherization Assistance Program to give funds to those who need the assistance the most and to alleviate the financial burden that energy use places on these low-income households.

The Northern Mariana Islands also benefit from the funds under the State Energy Program by creating programs like the Green Energy Project, which provided for solar panels and wind turbines at eleven of our public schools on Saipan, Tinian and Rota.

In addition, both programs have the potential and a record of creating local jobs in the construction and energy sectors for all of our economies. I ask that my colleagues support the Tonko-Bass amendment. It is an amendment that helps those that need it most and invests in our future. Taking money away from these very important programs hurts our progress in energy efficiency and job creation.

Mr. Speaker, last week I introduced H.R. 2236, the Wildlife Refuge System Conservation Semipostal Stamp Act of 2011. This bill would let Americans donate to the upkeep of the National Wildlife Refuge System by purchasing semipostal stamps. There are 553 refuge sites in or nearby almost every congressional district in this country; and those refuges need financial help.

Last month, Chairman Fleming of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs held an oversight hearing on the National Wildlife Refuge System's finances. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the System, testified that it has $3.3 billion in unmet operational needs and deferred maintenance projects.

A semipostal stamp could help--at least in some small way--to pull the Refuge System out of that deep hole. Semipostals are postage stamps sold at a premium, with the difference going to fund a cause of national interest. The stamps have proven successful. The Breast Cancer Research Stamp has raised over $71 million since it was authorized in 1998.

Now, in times of budget constraint, Americans are looking for ways to revitalize the wildlife refuges in their backyards without increasing the demand on taxpayers. The semipostal stamp authorized in H.R. 2236 would provide Americans a way to support their 553 refuge sites without increasing taxes or taking funds from other important government services.

The National Wildlife Refuge System was created by President Theodore Roosevelt and today it is the world's premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve fish, wildlife and plants. In my district, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Volcanic Unit and the Mariana Trench Unit of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument are parts of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Volcanic Unit is an arc of undersea mud volcanoes and thermal vents where exotic animals thrive in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. This is an area of cutting-edge scientific scrutiny, and awakens dreams of deep-sea exploration and discovery in us all.

In almost every state and territory wildlife refuges are similarly important. They provide recreational opportunities. By exposing our young people to the natural world, refuges inspire the next generation of scientists and researchers. And the wildlife refuges are economic assets. Every year, the Refuge System attracts 44 million tourists, generating $1.7 billion in sales and sustaining 27,000 jobs.

Despite the value of the National Wildlife Refuge System, it remains drastically underfunded--unable to keep up with basic operations and maintenance costs. My bill would help alleviate that problem. H.R. 2236 brings a fresh source of income to the National Wildlife Refuge System without drawing on taxpayers or increasing the national debt. The bill gives Americans the choice to contribute to a program deeply important to our Nation and I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 2236.