GUAM COMMONWEALTH TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1989 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON INSULAR AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS, Honolulu, HI. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 9:40 a.m., in State Capitol Auditorium, Honolulu, HI, Hon. Ron de Lugo (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. DE LUGO. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. The Subcommittee on Insular and International Affairs hearing on H.R. 98, a bill to establish a Commonwealth of Guam, will now continue with our second day of hearings. I want to welcome all of you back that were here yesterday and anyone who is coming for the first time today, welcome. We had a splendid hearing yesterday. I want to thank all of the leaders of Guam, the people of Guam, for their testimony before the subcommittee. You helped the subcommittee tremendously. Again, I have to commend Governor Joe Ada. What a stirring and powerful presentation he made. We will begin our hearing in just one moment, but I wanted to share with you an AP bulletin that just came off the wires: President Bush signs legislation approving self-government plan for Palau. President Bush today signed legislation approving a self-government plan for the Western Pacific island of Palau. Palau, the world's last remaining trust territory, will hold a plebiscite on February 6 on the plan called the Compact of Free Association between the United States and the Islands. "I believe that it is time to change the relationship that is no longer appropriate for either Palau or the United States to one that provides a sound foundation for the future of Palau", Bush said in a statement. He urged Palau citizens to vote in the upcoming plebiscite and exercise their democratic right to set their own course for the future. The legislation Bush signed creates an anti-drug program for Palau and establishes controls for the spending of U.S. aid money. Bush said that he will interpret that provision as advisory in nature. He said the intent of the plan is in keeping with his national anti-drug strategy. Palau is the last of four parts of the trust territory of the Pacific Islands created following World War II to define the political status. The Compact of Free Association provides self-development in all areas, except defense, which is reserved for the United States. The United States also retains a 50-year right to establish a military base on Palau should it need an alternative to its current bases in the Philippines. I want to say that I know the impact that you must feel when you hear of Palau moving forward. It strengthens your case here today. It certainly does. I want to say that this subcommittee worked long and hard to bring about this legislation for Palau. It was a long struggle and we got 98 percent, I would say, of what this committee felt was abso lutely necessary to strengthen and make sure that democracy would last in Palau, that we would just not be going through the motions in setting up the people for real problems years down the line. I think that this bill that was signed by the President strengthens democracy, it deals also with many of the unmet obligations of the trusteeship that this committee felt very strongly about and those matters are addressed in the legislation. At this time, let me recognize the gentleman from Guam. Mr. BLAZ. Mr. Chairman, I believe it is very important for the record to show that if there is one individual that is identified with that cause in the last year, two years, it has been you. This could have taken place last year, but the chairman was not pleased with some of the issues, and he fought long and hard to make sure that they were met before we took it to the floor. I am saying this because there were some indications yesterday as to maybe this committee and a group of islanders like you and what impact would it have. That is the one tangible impact which is so directly associated with your own cause. It might as well be called the de Lugo legislation, and it is called that because that is how powerful it was and how good it was. I would be remiss in my obligations as a Member in Congress representing Guamanians not to call it to the audience's attention because it is the same cause which we are embarked on more or less here. I needed to say that, Mr. Chairman, because your leadership and the tenacity of your arguments in taking on the Administration were so instrumental. We received a lot of flak last year because we didn't go through with it, but here we are this year. It is nice and sealed, and the President signed it and I salute you, sir. Mr. DE LUGO. Thank you very much, Congressman Blaz. Let me say to the people of Guam that I will work just as hard for your cause, just as hard, just as hard so that we can bring about commonwealth for Guam. [Applause.] Mr. DE LUGO. Let me also tell you a fact of life. A chairman is only as good as the members of his subcommittee. If the members of the subcommittee don't back him up, the chairman can't do anything. I have got a super-duper subcommittee here and they backed Mr. DE LUGO. But they are also a little long-winded-only kidding. Mr. FUSTER. I will be very brief. I want to congratulate you because I feel the same as Ben does, it is a personal victory for you. I only hope that next year the press will be announcing the Commonwealth of Guam and the Plebiscite in Puerto Rico, both bills approved next year by this time. Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Chairman, I, too, would like to state what has been said by Mr. Blaz and Mr. Fuster, certainly your outstanding leadership as the chairman of this subcommittee has been very effective. What has to be recognized by the flag territories of the United States, and it is very unique, you know, years back as a non-voting delegate, they could not even vote in committees. They could not hold committee chairmanships. They could not even introduce bills. They couldn't even argue on the floor of the House on any issue affecting not only their respective constituencies but also the Pacific or Caribbean regions. So we have come a long way and I will say, Mr. Chairman, despite the fact that there is the absence of some of our fellow members of the committee, the fact is this is where it all begins. I want to say that I could not say more than what has been said by Mr. Blaz and Mr. Fuster, we do look forward to seeing that the people of Guam get their commonwealth status. The people of Palau got their republic status and I hope the process will continue and this is certainly a tribute to your leadership, Mr. Chairman, and I want to add that for the record. Thank you. Mr. DE LUGO. Thank you very much. You have all been very gracious and kind. I appreciate your remarks very much. That is the truth, too. I remember when we had the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico. As a young senator from my district, I used to go to Washington to lobby before we had a seat in Congress. Fernos Isern was the resident commissioner for Puerto Rico for years and years and every time I went to the Interior Committee to attend a hearing, he was sitting in the same chair. You know what that means? It meant that he sat in the last chair, the lowest chair in the committee, and he never moved up. He had no seniority. That is not the way it is today. The delegates from the islands can chair subcommittees, they have a great deal of power, and they can get a few things done. We will start our hearing now and I have had a request. The Hawaii State Capitol authorities have asked us to ask the audience not to eat or drink in the room. They have been very gracious in letting us have their facilities and I want to ask everyone's cooperation, so if you feel a little hungry or anything like that, step outside and you will be able to talk and enjoy. We want to leave the place nice and clean to show our appreciation. Now, we are about to begin the very important second day of hearings and we have the panel of leaders of Guam, men and women who have held very important positions of leadership in the past. We have former Governor Paul Calvo, former Lieutenant Governor Rudy Sablan, former Lieutenant Governor Kurt Moylan, former Speaker Joaquin Arriola, and the former Speaker, Larry Ramirez, and former Speaker, Carlos Taitano, and we have the present Senator representing the former governor of the Island of Guam, Senator Madeleine Bordallo, representing her husband, former Governor Ricardo Bordallo. Now, who will lead off? PANEL CONSISTING OF SENATOR MADELEINE BORDALLO PRESENTING FOR FORMER GOV. RICARDO J. BORDALLO; FORMER GOV. PAUL CALVO; FORMER LT. GOV. RUDY SABLAN; FORMER LT. GOV. KURT MOYLAN; FORMER SPEAKER JOAQUIN ARRIOLA; FORMER SPEAKER LARRY RAMIREZ; AND FORMER SPEAKER CARLOS TAITANO Ms. BORDALLO. I will lead off, Mr. Chairman. Mr. DE LUGO. Let me recognize Senator Madeleine Bordallo to present the statement of her husband. Please proceed. Ms. BORDALLO. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I am here this morning to testify on behalf of my husband who had originally planned to be here so I will read his testimony. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, ladies and gentlemen, I am Ricardo J. Bordallo, a citizen and servant of Guam. I have had the pleasure of serving my people as a seven-term Guam legislator and as Governor in two terms. I am testifying in favor of the Guam Commonwealth Bill at the encouragement and behest of the people of Guam. If I cannot present this testimony in person, it is because this moment is not mine to control. But I am patient. I will have other moments, and I will be free to testify without constraint. I have always been a soldier-a political soldier, who wages ideological battles against suppression and injustice. I continue my mission even now, but I am too disillusioned to pander to your favor with glowing rhetoric. Mr. Chairman, the people of Guam have waited too long for your favor. We have waited in vain and have suffered needlessly in the process. Our patience grows thin. Gentlemen, I caution you, there are growing numbers, particularly among our young, who no longer want to wait. They are looking at alternatives and without commonwealth, other options become attractive. As Chairman of the Commission on Self Determination from 1983 to 1987, I presided over the drafting of the Guam Commonwealth Bill. This measure was inspired by the most noble principles of American democracy and written with the same confidence and sense of purpose as the Declaration of Independence. More important, it was sanctioned by the people of Guam in the deepest belief in American justice and fair play. It is our consent to be governed. We needed no one's permission to practice democracy in this manner. We knew what we were sacrificing in making the choice to join the American family. We know that you don't want us as a State. If you reject our commonwealth proposal, that leaves us with two alternatives. Will you be true to your oath to defend and protect the Constitution by denying the decision we have made in a free and open election? Ironically, as the Berlin Wall crumbles under the momentum of liberty and justice and as the governments of Soviet bloc nations succumb to their peoples' cries for freedom and democracy, our nation, the bulwark of democracy, discounts the cries of her own. For nearly a century, we have been nothing more than expendable pawns in Washington's political chess games. Even now, in con |