Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, this year the Northern Mariana Islands Museum of History and Culture celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Our islands' only, locally-run museum is as much a tribute to the story of the people of the Marianas as it is to the resilience and determination of those who have led the Museum's operation. They have kept the Museum alive despite many years of inadequate funding, understaffing, and a destructive typhoon that could well have shut it down permanently.

The Museum is located in a 92-year-old hospital built during the time the Northern Marianas were under the administration of Japan. The structure itself is an artifact of our history, and before its renovation looked the part. Its concrete, paint-less exterior told the story of war and every typhoon that has passed through our islands in the last century.

Today, within the Museum a visitor can view artifacts from the time of the ancient Chamorro people, and of the Spanish, German, and Japanese occupations that descended upon us.

These artifacts, and the paintings and photographs that are part of the displays, tell the story of how our people survived, adapted, and thrived throughout our history. They--and other objects stored away in the Museum--are lovingly preserved by their local conservators, who exhibit a profound dedication to keeping the memories of our people alive.

The NMI Museum of History and Culture is an independent program of our Governor's Office. Sadly, the facility fell on hard times in the mid-2000s, when massive budget cuts forced the lay-off of most staff. At this low point, the Museum had only one employee, whose availability determined when the museum would open and close. As a result, many a visitor was turned away who could have experienced the history of the Chamorro people.

In 2015, the Marianas were hit by Typhoon Soudelor, the most devastating typhoon in decades. That terrible storm could well have meant the end for our Museum. The typhoon left many artifacts damaged, the roof leaking, mold along the walls, floors flooded, and much of the plumbing a wreck. And the museum was forced to close its doors to visitors--indefinitely.

Into this scene of destruction a new energy arrived in the person of Mr. Danny Aquino. Appointed Executive Director last year, Mr. Aquino was tasked with the grueling repair of the museum.

And more help was on the way. An outpouring of financial and material support from IT&E, Saipan Stevedore, Saipan Shipping, CMS Trucking, Soudelor Corporation, Tropical Gardens, Tan Holdings, Tan Siu Lin Foundation, McDonald's of Saipan, Tasi Tours and other local businesses, a $55,000 appropriation from the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation, and $50,000 from the Marianas Visitors Authority gave Aquino and his team the funds to start repairs.

Help from the staff of the Mayor of Saipan also moved the work along at a faster pace. The Mayor's team assisted museum staff with grounds maintenance, landscaping, and other outdoor work. Somehow, restoration took less than six months to complete; and the Museum reopened last November to its first visitors in a very long time.

I visited the museum in February to see this progress. I had been there shortly after Typhoon Soudelor; and I can report the difference between then and now is night and day. Mr. Aquino's can-do attitude, and the tireless work of his staff--James Cabrera, James Macaranas, Allan Lifoifoi, and Wenny Haruo--drove the repair efforts and the result is a museum that the Marianas can truly be proud of.

Today, visitors to our islands can orient themselves to the three- and-a-half millennia of Marianas history at our Museum. Residents can take pride in who they are and where they come from by strolling through this beautiful facility. And students--many of whom are required to take a course on the history of our islands--can enlarge their vision of the future by learning about our past at the Northern Mariana Islands Museum of History and Culture.

Please join me in congratulating the Northern Mariana Islands Museum of History and Culture on 20 years of serving our islands and our people.

Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons I have worked to increase the number of young people from the Mariana Islands who can attend the U.S. military academies is because I believe the Marianas offer a wealth of talent that can add to the strength of our military.

A case in point is West Point graduate James G. Pangelinan, who just hit 22 years of active duty service on June 1 and who graduated from the Army War College on June 8 with a master of arts in strategic studies and distinguished graduate honors. At the same time Pangelinan was promoted to the rank of colonel. He is the first person from the Marianas to graduate from West Point and, I understand, the first from our islands to graduate from the Army War College.

I would like to review COL Pangelinan's distinguished career to date. Upon graduation from West Point with a bachelor of science degree in English literature and philosophy, he received his commission and began service. According to information from the U.S. Army, Pangelinan first was assigned as a rifle platoon leader and company executive officer in the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington from 1997-99. He next served as an assistant operations officer with the Ranger Training Brigade at Fort Benning, Georgia from 2000-02. While assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii from 2002-06, he served as a brigade and battalion assistant operations officer, commanded a rifle company in the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

From 2006-08, Pangelinan was an Opposition Forces commander with the Battle Command Training Program at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He deployed to Afghanistan, serving as a strategist in the NATO Training Mission Afghanistan in Kabul. From 2011-13, he served as the battalion executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. From 2013-14, Pangelinan served as the Brigade Rear Detachment commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. He commanded the 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry Regiment at Fort Benning from 2014-16. Following battalion command, COL Pangelinan served on the Army Staff in the G-3/5/7 where he was responsible for the publication and execution of the Army Campaign Plan 2017.

Throughout this time Pangelinan continued his academic pursuits, earning a master of military art and science from the School of Advanced Military Studies and a Master of Arts in Security Studies from Kansas State University both in 2010.

Pangelinan's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge, and Expert Infantryman Badge. He is the son of Dulce Pangelinan and Edward D.L.G. Pangelinan, who was the lead negotiator of the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America and who was the first person elected to represent the Marianas here in Washington.

COL Pangelinan begins a two-year stint in the Republic of Korea on the staff of U.S. Forces Korea in July to continue a career his family and the Mariana Islands can all be proud of.

I salute COL James G. Pangelinan for his many achievements and thank him for his service.

Mr. Speaker, 27 years ago Dolores Pangelinan Kiyoshi decided to devote her life to serving her country. She left her home on Tinian, one of the Mariana Islands, and enlisted in the United States Army.

Recently, that journey has led her to promotion to the rank of Command Sergeant Major. She is the first woman from the Marianas to achieve that rank.

CSM Kiyoshi was introduced to military life and values--as so many are--through the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps. In JROTC during high school on Guam, Ms. Kiyoshi achieved the rank of Battalion Commander; and she earned a four-year ROTC scholarship at the University of Guam. She was eager to serve her country, however, and to honor her parents' wishes that she become a soldier. So, she left officer training and in November 1990, joined the Army.

Upon completion of basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey the new recruit identified medicine as the area in which she would specialize throughout her Army career.

She took advanced individual training as a combat medic at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Subsequently, according to information provided by the U.S. Army, she has served in most Medical Command Leadership positions, including Patient Hold Non-Commissioned Officer In-Charge, Infection Control NCOIC, Birthing Center NCOIC, Intensive Care Unit Wardmaster, Chief Wardmaster, Department of Medicine NCOIC, Operations NCOIC, and Clinical Operations SGM.

Her stateside assignments include the 21st Combat Support Hospital at Fort Hood, TX,

Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C., Darnall Army Community Hospital at Fort Hood, TX, 549th Area Support Medical Company at Fort Hood, TX, 28th CSH at Fort Benning, GA, 115th CSH at Fort Polk, LA, United States Army Sergeant Major Academy at Fort Bliss, TX, and the 44th Medical Brigade at Fort Bragg, NC.

Kiyoshi's overseas assignments include 560th Ground Ambulance Medical Company in Korea, 549th Area Support Medical Company in Croatia, Wurzburg MEDDAC in Germany, Benincaso Pavilion in Italy, and Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii.

She has deployed to Cuba, Croatia, Iraq, and Afghanistan for combat and peacekeeping missions.

Her education includes the Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic and Advanced NCO Course, First Sergeant Course, Sergeants Major Academy, Master Resilience Trainer, Deployable Medical Equipment Course, Equal Opportunity Leader Course, Unit Antiterrorism Advisor Level One Course, Deployable Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, Airborne School, and the Military License Practical Nurse School.

She also has an associate degree in General Studies.

Her awards and decorations include Bronze Star Medal (2nd award), Meritorious Service Medal (5th award), Army Commendation Medal (12th award), Army Achievement Medal (10th award), Army Superior Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Citation (2nd award), Army Good Conduct Medal (9th award), National Defense Service Medal (Bronze Star), Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, NCOPD Ribbon (Numeral 5), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (Numeral 7), NATO Service Medal (2nd award), Parachutist Badge, EFMB Badge and the Drivers Mechanic Badge. She is also a Sergeant Audie Murphy recipient.

She is the daughter of Ignacio and Teresa P. Kiyoshi and the eldest of eight siblings. She has two daughters, Teresa and Marilyn Hernandez.

Upon retirement, CSM Kiyoshi plans to return to Tinian and serve her Familia, the Northern Marianas community.

All of us in the Marianas congratulate CSM Dolores Pangelinan Kiyoshi on her success. We thank her for her service. And we look forward to the day we welcome her home to stay.

Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons I have worked to increase the number of young people from the Mariana Islands who can attend the U.S. military academies is because I believe the Marianas offers a wealth of talent that can add to the strength of our military.

A case in point is West Point graduate James G. Pangelinan, who just hit 22 years of active duty service on June 1 and who graduated from the Army War College on June 8 with a master of arts in strategic studies and distinguished graduate honors. At the same time Pangelinan was promoted to the rank of colonel, the first person from the Marianas to achieve that rank in the U.S. Army. In fact, he is also the first person from the Marianas to graduate from West Point and, I understand, the first from our islands to graduate from the Army War College.

I would like to review COL Pangelinan's distinguished career to date. Upon graduation from West Point with a bachelor of science degree in English literature and philosophy, he received his commission and began service. According to information from the U.S. Army, Pangelinan first was assigned as a rifle platoon leader and company executive officer in the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington from 1997 to 99. He next served as an assistant operations officer with the Ranger Training Brigade at Fort Benning, Georgia from 2000 to 02. While assigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii from 2002 to 06, he served as a brigade and battalion assistant operations officer, commanded a rifle company in the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

From 2006 to 08, Pangelinan was an Opposition Forces commander with the Battle Command Training Program at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He deployed to Afghanistan, serving as a strategist in the NATO Training Mission Afghanistan in Kabul. From 2011 to 13, he served as the battalion executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

From 2013 to 14, Pangelinan served as the Brigade Rear Detachment commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. He commanded the 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry Regiment at Fort Benning from 2014 to 16. Following battalion command, COL Pangelinan served on the Army Staff in the G-3/5/7 where he was responsible for the publication and execution of the Army Campaign Plan 2017.

Throughout this tim Pangelinan continued his academic pursuits, earning a master of military art and science from the School of Advanced Military Studies and a Master of Arts in Security Studies from Kansas State University both in 2010.

Pangelinan's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge, and Expert Infantryman Badge.

He is the son of Dulce Pangelinan and Edward D.L.G. Pangelinan, who was the lead negotiator of the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America and who was the first person elected to represent the Marianas here in Washington.

COL Pangelinan begins a two-year stint in the Republic of Korea on the staff of US Forces Korea in July to continue a career his family and the Mariana Islands can all be proud of.

I salute COL James G. Pangelinan for his many achievements and thank him for his service.

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

Mr. Speaker, Chairman Bishop has just provided an accurate statement of the economic rationale for the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act, H.R. 5956.

The Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act will allow the Marianas economy to continue growing so there is ample opportunity for new business investments and for jobs. I want to use my time simply to emphasize that this bill is about jobs--jobs for U.S. workers in my district.

The bill contains new requirements to ensure that no U.S. worker is ever passed over for a job and that wages and working conditions for U.S. workers are always maintained and protected.

It ensures the fees employers pay are put to effective use, providing better training and apprenticeship opportunities for U.S. workers. The bill encourages the continuing conversion of the Marianas economy to one in which, numerically, U.S. workers are predominant. That is why the legislation is titled the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act. That is a statement of our purpose and our goal.

I say ``our purpose'' because this legislation is the product of a bipartisan and bicameral working group. It included Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva, their committee leader counterparts in the other body, the Judiciary Committee representatives, and myself.

We began in late 2016 working first on the legislation that became Public Law 115-53. It was not easy finding common ground among such a diversity of views. But by listening to each other and because we share a common concern to better the lives of Americans--even Americans in the faraway Marianas--we succeeded in agreeing on this second bill, the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act, a very good bill with very good policy.

As a Delegate, Mr. Speaker, I cannot vote for this bill. I can, however, give my vote of thanks to Chairman Bishop because even a good bill with good policy has to navigate the twists and turns of the legislative process. And without the chairman's leadership, we might not be here on the floor today considering the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act.

I thank the gentleman and leadership on both sides of the aisle, whose attention and cooperation helped me bring this bill to the floor, and thank all of the working group members who helped the people of the Northern Marianas by working with me to draft this legislation.

Lastly, I thank my constituents. Over the last 10 years, they have shared their own experiences with me and given me their ideas on what Federal policy would best fit our islands. I listened to them and spoke for them, and we have incorporated their experiences and their ideas into the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act. I believe my constituents' needs are well represented because this legislation has the full support of the Marianas Governor, the legislature, the business community, and the men and women who meet and talked with me in everyday life.

In closing, I ask my colleagues for their support of the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act.

Seeing no other speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Nolan).

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the distinguished gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for support of this legislation. I just want to say if it is really 4,600 miles, then that is the equivalent of a round trip between San Francisco and Honolulu, a distance which I frequently fly and don't actually enjoy sitting down.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I have no further speakers. I ask for support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill to establish the Susquehanna National Heritage Area in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Seen as ``a new kind of national park'' that leverages public-private partnerships with a focus on regional economic development, the first national heritage area was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. Since then, Congress has authorized many successful heritage areas throughout the country, and this model makes a lot of sense for certain regions. However, it has been a while since the House passed a standalone bill to establish a new national heritage area, so this is an encouraging sign.

We appreciate the renewed interest in national heritage areas, particularly since some of my fellow Democratic colleagues have introduced heritage area proposals. We are eager to bring those proposals forward as well.

That said, this is a good bill, and I encourage my colleagues to support its adoption. The communities of Lancaster and York Counties have clearly demonstrated that their region deserves recognition as a national heritage area. I would like to congratulate Representative Smucker for his leadership on this proposal and Chairman Bishop for guiding this bill to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, again, I encourage support for this bill, and having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lawson).

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

Mr. Speaker, Representative Lawson's bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability of establishing the birthplace of James Weldon Johnson, located in Jacksonville, Florida, as a unit of the National Park System.

James Weldon Johnson was born in Jacksonville to immigrant parents from the Bahamas. He went on to become a respected lawyer, educator, and writer.

President Theodore Roosevelt appointed James Weldon Johnson as U.S. Consult to Venezuela and Nicaragua during the early 1900's.

I applaud my colleague Representative Lawson for introducing legislation to honor the first African American executive secretary of the NAACP.

I support passage of H.R. 5005.

Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman has no further speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5655 designates the Camp Nelson Heritage National Monument in Kentucky to preserve the historic resources of Camp Nelson and its role in the American Civil War.

Camp Nelson was founded and constructed by Major General Ambrose Burnside. The camp served as a supply depot for the Union Army during the Civil War and supported frontline efforts against the Confederacy. Camp Nelson was different from other military outposts because it was one of the largest recruitment and training centers for African American soldiers during the Civil War. In fact, thousands of slaves who fled to the camp with their families later enlisted to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.

Mr. Speaker, I support passage of this legislation. Having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, Robert H. Jones, his wife Margaret A. Jones, and their family are known in the Marianas and throughout the Western Pacific for their successes in business. They are also known for the vision and heart with which they have used their personal successes for the benefit of the communities where they live and do business.

Born in North Carolina, Robert (``Bob'') Jones moved to Guam in 1957 to work for the company his brother Kenneth had started--Jones & Guerrero, Incorporated. Bob would work alongside Ken for the next 24 years, rising to be Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the company.

In 1984, though, he struck out on his own and established Triple J Enterprises on Guam, a reference to the Jones' three children--Julie, Jeff and Jay. Starting with a Subaru distributorship he bought from Ken the company did well, later venturing up two years later to Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands.

From the inception, it was a family business: Margaret did the buying, handled advertising and public relations, and was the company treasurer. Sister Georgia J. Stafford also lent

a hand when needed; and the children helped out cleaning cars and working in the parts and service departments.

At first, Triple J distributed Subaru automobiles, Hino heavy trucks and buses, and Bluebird school buses. As business grew they added the Ford, Mazda, Lincoln, Hyundai, Isuzu, Suzuki, Volvo, Honda, Acura, Kia and Mitsubishi brands to the company's automobile business portfolio. And when the children returned from college the business began expanding beyond automobiles and beyond Guam and the Northern Marianas.

In 1987, in alignment with Bob's visionary persona, Triple J began working in wholesale foods and retail grocery with a business on Ebeye in the Marshall Islands. Further expansion years later added nearby Majuro, where the company today continues to operate similar businesses. In 1998, the wholesale business would expand west to Palau along with a bakery, convenience store, and Shell service station.

Triple J would further diversify into the restaurant business beginning in the mid-1990s with the purchase of an Outback Steakhouse franchise on Guam and, later, Tony Roma's, Capricciosa, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, and Great Harvest Bakery franchises on Saipan. Scheduled to open in 2019, a Red Lobster franchise restaurant now under development on Guam will be a new addition to the restaurant group.

In 1994, Triple J had a hand in negotiating the arrival of K-Mart on Guam. That store, bucking a national trend of closures, remains to this day one of the most successful K-Marts anywhere.

Into the new millennium, by 2005 Triple J had grown to be the fourth largest business in Micronesia, as ranked by the Guam Business Magazine. The Guam Chamber of Commerce named the company Business Laureate of the Year and inducted Triple J into the Guam Business Hall of Fame--the youngest corporation to receive the honor.

And they just kept growing. Triple J acquired Hertz Rent-a-Car rights and became exclusive distributor in all of Micronesia for Solahart--an Australian solar water heater company.

Capitalizing on another opportunity, Triple J developed a first-of- its-kind affordable housing development on Saipan, subsidized by the U.S. Treasury's Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program. Sandy Beach Homes--a $27 million, 60-unit project--was completed in late 2011; and a second, affordable housing project--Saipan Comfort Homes--quickly followed with another 40 units.

Sharing in the value of philanthropy, the Jones family and Triple J make efforts to enhance the quality of life of those in need. On Guam, Triple J partners with the American Cancer Society Guam Chapter annually to support their signature funding event, Relay for Life, raising as much as $40,000 in one year alone. In the Northern Marianas, the company regularly contributes to the Red Cross Walk-a-Thon, the Marianas March Against Cancer, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and numerous other charitable programs raising money for relief efforts and cancer research. They have also been the official car sponsor of the Miss Marianas Pageant and the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association.

This larger concern for the welfare of the whole community came into further relief when the Marianas was hit by Typhoon Soudelor in 2015. The worst typhoon in decades, Soudelor carried sustained winds exceeding 100 miles per hour. In the wake of the devastation, which left most people on Saipan without power for a month, Bob Jones donated thousands of dollars in food to help the Salvation Army set up a hot meals program in Kagman, one of the hardest-hit villages. For his selflessness and support, when the community was in dire need, the Rotary Club of Saipan awarded Bob Jones its Citizen of the Year award in 2016.

``Customers first'' is Triple J's simple mission statement and yet, it holds a more complex meaning displayed in the actions behind their successes. That people-centric view serves as a model to other businesses in the communities they serve.

Through all these years of dynamic growth, the importance of family remains central to the successes of Bob and Margaret. Son Jeffery is the president and chief operating officer of the company. Son Jay is senior vice president with a focus on automotive operations. And, while daughter Julie spends much of her time in a professional counseling practice, her husband, Dan Murrell, serves as senior vice president in charge of real estate, food, and restaurant operations. Mother Margaret remains company treasurer. Bob is chairman and CEO. Growing into the third generation, five of their eleven grandchildren have begun working for the family business. Today, the Triple J group employs over 900 employees across the Micronesia region, many of whom have been with the business for twenty plus years.

Please join me in thanking and congratulating true citizens of the Marianas, Bob and Margaret Jones and all their family for over 60 years of service and success in the Marianas and throughout Micronesia.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Paul Powell for his years of hard work with the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and for his service to the people of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Paul passed away Friday, April 20.

Most of my constituents have never heard of Paul Powell. Yet, behind the scenes, as the Department implemented the law that brought the Marianas within the U.S. immigration borders, Paul was our friend.

Of course, his official responsibility was to the agency he worked for. But I think Paul always appreciated that a smooth transition could only occur if both parties understood the constraints and realities each faced. Paul made it his personal responsibility to make sure that understanding could exist.

I know I will never know fully how important Paul's work as an intermediary was to the people I represent. I do know that his cordiality, his respectfulness, his willingness to listen, his ability to convey my concerns, and, yes, his helpful suggestions on how I could best express those concerns to his agency are qualities that I held dear.

I feel blessed to have known Paul and will miss him deeply.

On behalf of the people of the Northern Marianas, I extend our deepest sympathies to Paul Powell's colleagues at the Department of Homeland Security, and to his family: sister Laurie Lee Jones, brother John, daughter Sara, and son-in-law Lt. Commander Bryan Conlan, his grandchildren Hunter and August, and, especially, to Paul's wife, Cathy.

Madam Speaker, Republicans have relentlessly tried to undermine the pillars of Americans' retirement security.

The Trump budget alone calls for $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, almost $1.5 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, and $72 billion in cuts to Social Security disability. Democrats will keep our promise to our seniors and protect the health, well-being, and financial security of American families by strengthening Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

Moreover, the Trump budget calls for cuts to vital childcare development block grants that help ensure working parents have access to quality, affordable child care. Democrats are calling for expanded childcare assistance and universal access to high-quality preschool programs so every child can have a strong start.

Mr. Speaker, this year the Northern Mariana Islands Museum of History and Culture celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Our islands' only, locally-run museum is as much a tribute to the story of the people of the Marianas as it is to the resilience and determination of those who have led the Museum's operation. They have kept the Museum alive despite many years of inadequate funding, understaffing, and a destructive typhoon that could well have shut it down permanently.

The Museum is located in a 92-year-old hospital built during the time the Northern Marianas were under the administration of Japan. The structure itself is an artifact of our history, and before its renovation looked the part. Its concrete, paint-less exterior told the story of war and every typhoon that has passed through our islands in the last century.

Today, within the Museum a visitor can view artifacts from the time of the ancient Chamorro people, and of the Spanish, German, and Japanese occupations that descended upon us. These artifacts, and the paintings and photographs that are part of the displays, tell the story of how our people survived, adapted, and thrived throughout our history. They--and other objects stored away in the Museum--are lovingly preserved by their local conservators, who exhibit a profound dedication to keeping the memories of our people alive.

The NMI Museum of History and Culture is an independent program of our Governor's Office. Sadly, the facility fell on hard times in the mid-2000s, when massive budget cuts forced the lay-off of most staff. At this low point, the Museum had only one employee, whose availability determined when the museum would open and close. As a result, many a visitor was turned away who could have experienced the history of the Chamorro people.

In 2015, the Marianas were hit by Typhoon Soudelor, the most devastating typhoon in decades. That terrible storm could well have meant the end for our Museum. The typhoon left many artifacts damaged, the roof leaking, mold along the walls, floors flooded, and much of the plumbing a wreck. And the museum was forced to close its doors to visitors--indefinitely.

Into this scene of destruction a new energy arrived in the person of Mr. Danny Aquino. Appointed Executive Director last year, Mr. Aquino was tasked with the grueling repair of the museum.

And more help was on the way. An outpouring of financial and material support from IT&E, Saipan Stevedore, Saipan Shipping, CMS Trucking, Soudelor Corporation, Tropical Gardens, and other local businesses, a $55,000 appropriation from the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation, and $50,000 from the Marianas Visitors Authority gave Aquino and his team the funds to start repairs.

Help from the staff of the Mayor of Saipan also moved the work along at a faster pace. The Mayor's team assisted museum staff with grounds maintenance, landscaping, and other outdoor work. Somehow, restoration took less than six months to complete; and the Museum reopened last November to its first visitors in a very long time.

I visited the museum in February to see this progress. I had been there shortly after Typhoon Soudelor; and I can report the difference between then and now is night and day. Mr. Aquino's can-do attitude, and the tireless work of his staff--James Cabrera, James Macaranas, Allan Lifoifoi, and Wenny Haruo--drove the repair efforts and the result is a museum that the Marianas can truly be proud of.

Today, visitors to our islands can orient themselves to the three- and-a-half millennia of Marianas history at our Museum. Residents can take pride in who they are and where they come from by strolling through this beautiful facility. And students--many of whom are required to take a course on the history of our islands--can enlarge their vision of the future by learning about our past at the Northern Mariana Islands Museum of History and Culture.

Please join me in congratulating the Northern Mariana Islands Museum of History and Culture on 20 years of serving our islands and our people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to S. 140 because it includes H.R. 986, the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2017.

The effect of this legislation would be to strip employees who work at businesses owned and operated by an Indian Tribe and located on Indian lands of the protections afforded by the National Labor Relations Act.

I am a Chamorro, one of the native people of the Northern Marianas, and I fully appreciate the importance of Tribal sovereignty for Native Americans. However, this legislation does not properly reconcile the competing interests between sovereign rights and the rights of workers.

At least 75 percent of employees at Tribal casinos are not Tribal members. In some cases, as few as 1 percent of the employees are members of the Tribes operating the casino. These workers have no say in the decisionmaking of Tribal governments.

Workers have the right to organize, to collectively bargain, and to protect their right to fight for a safe workplace, fair pay to provide a living for themselves and their families, and good benefits. They should not be stripped of these rights simply due to the geography of the workplace.

Federal law and Tribal sovereignty should be able to coexist at Tribal casinos without stripping workers of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3441.

The right of workers to collectively bargain under the National Labor Relations Act is essential for them to secure fair wages and working conditions. For workers to be able to bargain effectively they have to have someone across the table to bargain with, the party or parties that control their hours, wages, benefits and work environment. Negotiation with themselves would be a futile exercise.

H.R. 3441 would eviscerate the definition of an employer to the point that not only might the true employer not have to come to the table but it might be possible that no employer would have to come to the table.

Current joint employer standards take into account modern hiring trends, where about three million people work for temporary staffing agencies, working for companies that do not directly pay them, and ensure employee protections.

The recent NLRB General Counsel determination in Freshii--where a restaurant franchisor with over 100 stores was not held to be a joint employer because its control over its franchisees was generally limited to brand standards and food quality and did not exercise control of the terms and conditions of employment of its franchisee's employees-- illustrates the pathway available to franchisors. I am concerned that this legislation actually harms franchisees by making them responsible for decisions dictated by their franchisors.

I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 3441.