Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to honor the life and legacy of the late Peter Richard Sgro, who sadly left this world on January 9. Peter was iconic on so many levels that his outside-the-box vision and drive to effectuate change will be deeply missed.

As an attorney, Peter always believed in seeking justice for his clients. He never walked away from a fight if he knew that virtue needed to prevail, and in his case, virtue certainly always prevailed.

As the chairman of the board of the Guam Chamber of Commerce, Peter evidenced that he was an advocate for small businesses, particularly the little guy. He stood with them to challenge policies that would raise the cost of doing business, and his relentlessness ensured that he wouldn't sit down until compromises were made.

As a businessman, Peter was a visionary, and this was clear when he worked aggressively to bring a private hospital to open its doors in Guam. Peter understood the necessities to improve and expand healthcare for families, and whenever we drive by the Guam Regional Medical City in the northern part of Guam, we can evidently see Peter's legacy on display.

For all the roles Peter embraced to help Guam prosper over the decades, there was none that he enjoyed more than being a father to Christopher, Matthew, Katarina, and Maria, and a grandfather to Ricardo, Natalia, and Mila. They were his foundation, his purpose, and his pride. My heart and my deepest condolences go out to them in this trying time.

In 2022, as a Guam senator, I had the honor of recognizing Peter and his legacy as his company, International Group, Inc., was celebrating an anniversary. I am saddened that in such a short period of less than 2 years, I am recognizing him under a different set of circumstances.

Mr. Speaker, of behalf of a thankful Nation and an appreciative island of Guam, I honor the life and legacy of Peter Richard Sgro and thank him for his many contributions to our island community. He will be dearly missed. Adios to my friend, until we meet again.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Speaker Emeritus McCarthy for his dedication and service in Congress and for leading the Republican Party courageously.

We saw this year how he prioritized doing the right thing and maintaining his integrity above all else, regardless of the consequences. His unwavering support for my district, the island of Guam, and his tireless efforts in fighting for the island's interests will never be forgotten.

His legacy will continue to inspire future leaders and his impact will be felt for years to come in my district and in the Halls of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, as Speaker McCarthy embarks on new endeavors, I know that he will be greatly missed. May God bless and guide him in all his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate and recognize a very important day in Guam's history, December 10, 1898. On this day, the United States and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris, officially handing over Guam to the United States and ending the Spanish-American War. This year, we celebrate the 125th year Guam has been part of our great Nation.

Following the United States' acquisition of Guam, it established America as a global superpower and ensured our position in the Indo- Pacific region. Now, 125 years later, the U.S. remains a global superpower and the strongest force in the Pacific and the world, and Guam is a developed and thriving community.

Since 1898, Guam has proven to be an essential piece of America that is filled with patriotism and faith. From being a vital military center in the region during World War II to being the tip of the spear against China today, Guam is a hub of American success.

Guam is a beacon of hope and American values in the middle of the Pacific. Our American flag is a symbol of liberty and freedom in the region. It is also a warning to all people who seek to provoke violence. The United States and Guam are forces that are not to be reckoned with.

Let us take this day to reaffirm the United States' commitment to protecting freedom, peace, and democracy across the Indo-Pacific while maintaining the strong ties that connect Guam and our amazing country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and reflect on one of the darkest days in Guam's history.

Mr. Speaker, 82 years ago, on December 8, 1941, the Imperial Japanese military launched a surprise attack on Guam just hours after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This day in our history is a dark one, and we will always remember how life changed for all Americans 82 years ago.

Today, let us also remember and thank the Greatest Generation, our ``manamko,'' ``seniors,'' for their sacrifice and contributions they made for our island. I always enjoy listening to the countless stories they share. Their stories are ones of bravery, patriotism, and resilience. When faced with danger and threats, they never backed down and are a great inspiration for our island and community.

While many in Guam associate this day with despair, this day is also a day of celebration and faith in our community. To the large Catholic community in Guam, December 8 is a very important day. It is the feast of Guam's patron saint, Santa Marian Kamalen. On this day in 1941, it began as any normal Sunday, with people going to church. However, life changed with bombs dropping and planes flying overhead. It drowned out the otherwise quiet island.

Despite the surprise attack on Guam, Santa Marian Kamalen survived and is a representation of the people of Guam. No matter what happens, our people are strong, and there is no event that can break our communities.

This is true for every major setback Guam faces. Most recently, in May of this year, the strongest typhoon to strike Guam in 20 years breached our shores. When homes and businesses were destroyed and when people felt down and despaired, it was the community, our friends, and family who helped us get back on our feet. This is the ``hafa adai'' spirit that lives in everyone who calls Guam home and is a value that keeps our island moving and on our feet.

While these moments in Guam's history are merely a single thread in the fabric of our people and island, they make our island what we know it as today. These stories live on, and it is important to reflect on them always.

I could not be prouder to represent and advocate for such a diverse and strong district. Because of our people, Guam is strong.

While we reflect on the history and sacrifices made 82 years ago, let us fill our hearts with gratitude, reverence, peace, and faith.

Mr. Speaker, God bless Guam, God bless our ``manamko,'' ``seniors,'' and God bless America.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to welcome the establishment of U.S. Coast Guard Base Guam, the Coast Guard's new, dedicated base of operations in my district, focused on logistics and operational support throughout the Western Pacific.

Under the command of Commander Dana Hiatt, the opening of this new base signifies a milestone in the relationship between our Nation and regional allies in the Pacific.

As illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, also known as IUU, continues to plague the region, it is essential that the U.S. Coast Guard expand its presence accordingly to counter IUU fishing in U.S. territorial waters and those of our allies in the Freely Associated States. The Coast Guard's role in search and rescue operations is also invaluable.

Just last month, in a joint Navy-Coast Guard operation, a Navy helicopter saved three divers 29 miles off the coast of Guam. It took just 2 hours from the report of the missing divers for them to be pulled out of the water. I applaud the tireless efforts of our Coast Guard and sailors for saving these divers and the dozens of others they save off Guam every year.

Guam's location in the Indo-Pacific is vital to keeping a free and open Pacific and supports our military in its mission to protect the interests of the United States in the region. This new base reasserts a core idea that keeps our island and Nation safe: What is good for Guam is good for America.

Madam Speaker, I could not be prouder to welcome these new coastguardsmen and their families to our beautiful island, and I look forward to continuing to support and grow the partnership between the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and the people of Guam.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Taniguchi Ruth Makio Architects, also known as TRMA, on their 50th anniversary of designing and building creativity on the island of Guam.

Established by Kinya Taniguchi in 1973, TRMA has a celebrated history of designing, planning, constructing, and managing hundreds of projects in Guam, the CNMI, and throughout Micronesia.

Through training, investment, and education, TRMA strides to always utilize the latest technology, planning and design code, and materials to bring Guam to the cutting edge of architectural innovation.

Today, TRMA has designed and managed a wide array of projects in the private and public sectors throughout the region. For the past 50 years, TRMA has never ceased to be a reliable and stable firm that is able to meet the needs of Guam.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate, once again, Taniguchi Ruth Makio Architects on their 50th anniversary. With new opportunities on the horizon, I send them my prayers and wish them the best of luck for the next 50 years.

Congratulations to TakeCare Insurance on their 50th Anniversary

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate TakeCare Insurance on their 50th anniversary of providing the people of Guam and the Marianas with quality health insurance.

When TakeCare Insurance was first established, it was the largest in the Mariana Islands and introduced the region's first group practice, prepayment, and medical program as a staff-model health maintenance organization.

Since then, TakeCare has been a pillar in Guam's insurance and healthcare community and has built a reputation of providing quality insurance to our island.

Today, TakeCare covers more than 30,000 people in Guam, the CNMI, American Samoa, and Palau. They provide the people of Guam access to the largest health insurance network in Micronesia, and they only continue to grow.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate, once again, TakeCare Insurance on their 50th anniversary. With new opportunities on the horizon, I send them my prayers and wish them the best of luck for the next 50 years.

Mr. Speaker, in honor of Veterans Day on Friday, I rise to recognize the brave men and women who have protected and served our country courageously.

This is an especially significant day for my district, the island of Guam, as it is home to over 15,000 military veterans. We are also proud to hold the highest per capita statistics of enlistment numbers in the Nation.

I pledge to continue pushing for legislation that provides better benefits and services for all our veterans. I will continue honoring their legacy by supporting those who have served and to ensure Guam's defense is strong and resilient as tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific region.

Today and every day we honor veterans and their families for the sacrifices that have made our freedom possible. Their courage, patriotism, and dedication are an inspiration for us all.

May God bless our veterans, and may God bless America.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and celebrate a remarkable milestone, the 35th anniversary of the Micronesia Mall. This celebration is a testament to the vision, dedication, and hard work that have shaped the mall, their businesses, and the island of Guam into what it is today.

Since 1988, the mall, under the leadership of the Goodwind Development Corporation, has been a beacon of economic success in the region, providing goods and services to locals and tourists alike as the largest shopping center in Micronesia. As I speak here today, I look back at an incredible 35 years, while also looking forward to seeing what the mall will establish in the future with new opportunities, challenges, and accomplishments on the horizon.

I am confident in the mall's dedication to the island, and I wish the mall a sincere congratulations and may the legacy of the mall continue to shine in our hearts and in our community.

Mr. Chair, I rise to speak up for the people of Guam, who are facing immediate danger from the Chinese and North Korean missiles. China's DF-26 missiles has been dubbed the Guam Killer.

Also, North Korea repeatedly threatens my island, and our American defense systems cannot simultaneously track or shoot down missiles from two directions at once.

Let's also be mindful of the fact that servicemembers from across the Nation serve on Guam and face similar peril.

I urge my colleagues to support my amendment with the safety of your constituents in mind. Please vote to protect the people of Guam and vote in favor of my amendment to truly fund Guam missile defense.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to share the introduction of my bill, the CHILD Act of 2023.

This bill seeks to amend chapter 77, section 1591 of title 18, United States Code, by raising the mandatory minimum years of imprisonment for engaging in the trafficking of any person under the age of 18.

The current law states that if convicted of trafficking a victim under the age of 14, there is a minimum of 15 years imprisonment. If convicted of trafficking a victim between the ages of 14 and 17, the minimum sentence is 10 years imprisonment.

Child sex trafficking remains a pressing issue in the United States. In 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received over 17,200 reports of child sex trafficking in all 50 U.S. States, affecting every type of community, including cities, rural areas, and Tribal land.

According to an NCMEC report from 2021, out of the 25,000 missing runaway children, 1 out of 6 are likely to be victims of sex trafficking.

Offenders often target vulnerable children who are of lower income, live in dangerous circumstances, and seek out better lives for themselves. Victims come from all backgrounds and become trapped in a never-ending cycle

of threats, abuse, false promises, isolation, shame, and debt.

These victims are deprived of something every child deserves--a future.

If enacted, this legislation would make the sentence for traffickers exploiting victims under the age of 18 the same regardless of their age. A child is still a minor, and there should be no differentiation at all.

It would also increase the minimum sentence to 25 years for those who are convicted of child trafficking. This will convey the serious nature of their crime and ensure that traffickers know that they will be punished if they continue to exploit minors.

By enacting more stringent penalties, this bill aims to bring justice for the victims and families affected by child trafficking and issues a strong statement to traffickers, who leave a lifetime of scars on innocent children.

My message is clear: Sex trafficking is a heinous crime that will not be tolerated.

Current laws are too soft on these criminals, and I am committed to ensuring stricter laws and harsher punishments to anyone who harms innocent children.

Lastly, I urge my colleagues in Congress to support this crucial piece of legislation to protect all children.

I also thank my co-leads--Congressman Don Davis, Congressman Buddy Carter, Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger, Congressman Don Bacon, and Congresswoman Amata Radewagen--for cosponsoring the CHILD Act of 2023.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my colleagues who have called for an increase in funding for our border security and to remind the Nation that the U.S. border in Guam ought to be defended, too.

As we continue to discuss and debate solutions to our southern border crisis, I ask that we not forget to secure all our border cities, from Brownsville to Hagatna.

Mr. Speaker, Chinese nationals are arriving on the shores of Guam in droves, often coming in small boats from neighboring islands. Among the many honest people looking to flee tyranny and find sanctuary on American soil, it is a known fact that spies have exploited this insecure border. Security forces at Andersen Air Force Base have told me on numerous occasions that they have apprehended such intruders.

Citing our low terror threat, the Department of Homeland Security currently designates less than 1 percent of Homeland Security grant funding to Guam. The Department of Homeland Security's assessment of the situation ignores reality and its red flags for national security.

Guam has an extremely permeable border and is facing vigorous efforts by the CCP to exploit our vulnerabilities. With resources on a scale of a municipality, Guam must contend with a border crisis caused by the Chinese state.

Guam needs more funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a more robust Coast Guard presence, and a Federal law enforcement presence proportional to the scope of the immigration issues, transnational crime, and military intelligence vulnerabilities on my island.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot let this moment pass without asking my colleagues to help me fund the defense of my community. I ask my colleagues to help me secure the border by securing all of America's borders.

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend the Guam National Youth Football Federation held its championship on Saturday. After an exciting season, three teams won their respective division championship games and are officially known as the 2023 GNYFF champions.

Under this historic dome of democracy, I congratulate the following youth football championship teams: the Guam Eagles for winning the Manha Division championship, the Hal's Angels for winning the Metgot Division championship, and the Guam Eagles for winning the Matua Division championship.

I also congratulate the coaches, trainers, sponsors, and families of all the teams for their many efforts and sacrifices and for instilling in the kids the values of sportsmanship, character, and teamwork.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a sports organization in Guam. Actually, it is more than an organization. It is a sports legacy and icon of our beautiful island. This year, Guam's Hal's Angels Football Association is celebrating their 40th anniversary of promoting youth football on the island.

Four decades ago, the late and great Hal Shiroma envisioned a way to keep Guam's youth off the streets and out of trouble by promoting the values of participation in youth football. His belief was to provide our kids with a wholesome environment which would promote the mystique of competition, the joy of victory, the reality of defeat, the importance of commitment, and the spirit of community, while gaining a strong sense of teamwork.

Over the years, he combed the streets, and whenever he saw troubled kids, he would reach out to their families to encourage participation in his football organization. His coaching was not easy, but it proved to be effective. Today, we see parents and grandparents, who once wore the Hal's Angels football jersey over the decades, encourage their children and grandchildren to play for the organization whose values they continue to uphold.

Over four decades, Hal's Angels have held the most championship titles in each age division of the Guam National Youth Football Federation, and their legacy continued this past weekend where the Hal's Angels Metgot team repeated as champions in their division.

While Coach Hal sadly passed away in 2002, his legacy and his vision continued through the hard work, sacrifices, and efforts of his sons Ivan, Buzz, Blu, and Ty Shiroma.

On behalf of a thankful island and nation, and under this historic dome of democracy, I congratulate Guam's Hal's Angels Football Association for celebrating 40 years of promoting youth football in Guam and for instilling character and healthy competition in the hearts and minds of thousands of our youth for four decades.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair Roger Williams and Ranking Member Nydia Velazquez of the Committee on Small Business for allowing me to sit in on their hearing yesterday focused on the challenges that face rural small businesses.

I thank Representative Shri Thanedar for allowing me to be the Republican lead on his bill, H.R. 4661, also known as the One Stop Shop for Small Business Licensing Act of 2023.

Small businesses are vital to Guam's economy and are the embodiment of the American Dream and entrepreneurial spirit.

Guam's economy thrives thanks to the hard work of committed, dedicated, and resourceful small business owners. It is not easy owning and running a small business, and these enterprises face issues that are not concerning to large corporations.

A common issue that I have heard about from small business owners from the Guam Chamber of Commerce and the witness panel in yesterday's hearing is the limited access to capital. This continues to be increasingly difficult with high interest rates and inflation continuing to be a burden on how business is conducted.

Consequently, small businesses are forced to invest less in their company and find it difficult to expand, offer more goods and services, and provide more jobs.

While Guam is not exempt from the macroeconomic issues that plague our economy, we have our own set of challenges that make doing business in Guam more difficult.

Every business across the Nation is currently feeling the effects of inflation, labor shortages, and supply chain issues. In Guam, these challenges are magnified because of the island's geographic location. Shipping costs greatly increase the cost of goods, and Guam's labor shortage is worsened because of this isolation, requiring the use of H- 2B visa workers.

As a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, nearly every business in my district qualifies as a rural small business.

The issues small businesses face are my issues, and I will continue to do everything in my power to support them and, by extension, the people of Guam.

Congratulating the Guam Association of Realtors

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to congratulate the Guam Association of Realtors, or GAR, for the launch of their assistance program for both homeowners and renters and for receiving a grant of $500,000 to fund their program.

It was several months ago when my island community was struck by Typhoon Mawar, leaving it in devastation. Many were left stranded, homeless, and without the means to rebuild their lives. It is through programs like this that we can rebuild our community and provide a much-needed lifeline for our people.

GAR's legacy dates back several decades and is part of one of the largest and most influential trade industries in the Nation, the National Association of Realtors. Their primary objectives include promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct, providing a unified medium for real estate owners, and creating an atmosphere of unity.

I applaud the executive director, Peggy Llagas, the hardworking staff and management of GAR, and the board of directors for their contributions on Guam and for giving our community hope.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Irene Perez Ploke Sgambelluri. A proud mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and a World War II survivor are just some of the words used to describe Ms. Irene Perez Ploke Sgambelluri, or as many call her, Aunty Irene.

Aunty Irene has been a fighter for World War II survivors, a champion for Guam's Greatest Generation, and one who has worked tirelessly over the decades to ensure that those who endured the atrocities of the occupation are recognized by the Federal Government.

Aunty Irene advocated for the payments of World War II reparations for decades, and the fruits of her labor were rewarded when former President Donald Trump enacted legislation to ensure these reparations were fulfilled.

During the month our community celebrates Guam's liberation, I honor her for her years of advocacy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Aunty Irene, and may God continue to bless her and her family.