Bordallo: Funding Mechanisms Already In Place For Guam Buildup
News Analysis
Written by Jeff Marchesseault
Wednesday, 12 August 2009 21:29
By Jeff Marchesseault
GUAM - "‘The buildup is going to happen. We just have to do it right,'" Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo told Guam News Factor after a speech by the House Armed Services Chairman at the University of Guam this morning.
Bordallo, who chairs the Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee under Natural Resources Chairman Nick Rahall in the U.S. House of Representatives, was actually quoting Rahall's familiar refrain about the massive military expansion already in its planning and contracting phases on Guam. When asked whether her subcommittee would recommend the omnibus funding legislation now being called for by Guam Senator Judi Guthertz to help ensure adequate funding for a long list of projects related to the civilian-side of the buildup, Bordallo said she preferred piecemeal legislation. And she expressed confidence that all necessary funding would be identified and committed in due course.
Guam Shouldn't Have To Compete
Yesterday, Guthertz, who chairs the local Committee on the Guam Buildup, "told the CODEL that piecemeal legislation will not answer the needs that will appear immediately during the course of the buildup." That, according to a news release she sent after attending a welcome luncheon for the visiting Members of Congress.
In fact, yesterday Guthertz also provided the media with a laundry list of unaddressed issues related to the buildup, including infrastructure and utility upgrades and expansion, capital improvements, transportation funding, economic development, and regular meetings to track buildup progress and ensure fair and equitable treatment of the civilian community. She calls it the "Agenda of Priority Concerns for the Guam Military Buildup".
Referring to her comprehensive outline, Guthertz reasoned, "It is also not just or sufficient to require Guam to compete with the 50 states and the other territories for grants and loans for the above listed projects as if they are not absolutely necessary for a successful buildup."
In fact, in her Agenda, Guthertz goes as far as to suggest, "An OMNIBUS APPROPRIATION BILL MAY BE APPROPRIATE for the civilian community of Guam's needs."
Omnibus Appropriation ‘Unrealistic'
But a CODEL news conference at the Hyatt today told a different story. Several members of the Congressional Delegation said that it would be unrealistic for the Government of Guam to expect one broad piece of legislation to cover realignment needs on Guam - inside or outside the fence.
Referring to the many bodies that will be involved in determining Guam's buildup needs, Bordallo told reporters, "There are so many different committees involved with this buildup...to expect one all-encompassing piece of legislation is not realistic in my opinion."
House Delegate Donna Christensen said, "What the people of Guam and the Legislature can be assured of is that we understand the challenges, given (prevailing) economic conditions." But she added that "given our budgetary constraints, it would be very difficult" to pass omnibus legislation for Guam's buildup needs alone.
"We've had omnibus legislation before but when you're talking about a $16 billion buildup, you're talking about seven different committees," said House Delegate Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa.
Offering perspective on the complexities and resourcefulness of the perennial Congressional money-hunt, Rahall told those gathered at the news conference that some funding "might not be from appropriation, but money that already exists."
That 'Bordallo Swagger'
As a longtime politician who grew up on Guam in the first few years after World War II; who cut her teeth in the current-affairs world of broadcasting; who spent many years in local politics filling roles as First Lady, Senator and gubernatorial contender; and who now represents her island in Congress, Bordallo seems to have the veteran stateswoman's sixth sense and calm resolve that all necessary funding, forms and functions of the military buildup will fall into place as needs arise. And that while it may be the job of some to press for comprehensive lists of necessary changes, it is her fiduciary duty to navigate the competitive realities of the Hill, to negotiate and compromise with the powers that be to help ensure that Guam gets what it needs, when it needs it, without hurting the needs of constituents in the countless jurisdictions outside of Guam.
An example of ‘other needs' was represented right there at the news conference today. Congressman Henry Brown said, "I'm from Charleston, South Carolina where 30,000 people lost their jobs (when a naval facility shut down there after a Base Realignment And Closure assessment)."
New Hope From Hawaii
All neediness aside, Bordallo and the Members of Congress traveling with her are encouraged by a change of command at the White House that has brought renewed focus on Guam and the Pacific. It is evidenced in everything from Hawaii-born Senator Barack Obama opening a presidential-election campaign office on Guam and committing himself to Guam causes such as the fight for war reparations -- to President Obama writing a letter of commendation to patriotic Guam for proudly celebrating its 65th Anniversary Liberation Day and appointing Agat native Tony Babauta as his choice for Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Affairs.
Furthermore, as President, Obama has insisted that Congress must re-include its $211 million 'reduction' in Navy construction on Guam if lawmakers still want his signature on the 2010 Defense Authorization Act. Tossing the construction funding back into the hat will show Japan that the U.S. is serious about honoring its agreement to reduce forces in Okinawa and that America appreciates the $336 million that Japan has already spent on realigning forces to Guam. To do less, in Obama's mind, would be to further jeopardize the $6.09 billion in financing that Japan has previously agreed to in writing.
"In the last few months there's been a real change. Now that you see the new administration, you see a lot more commitment (to Guam and the region going) in a better direction," said Bordallo at today's news conference.
Faleomavaega couldn't have agreed more. "This administration has given a much better structure in dealing with the buildup," he said.
Been There, Done That
Bordallo's parting comments to reporters offered further perspective and steely resolve that could only knowingly come from one as familiar with Guam politics as she. Someone who grew up in post-war Guam with an intermingled sense of a borderless Guam that was then, through military settlement, every bit as American as it was Chamorro.
Referring to a population that is expected to swell to nearly a quarter of a million by the time the buildup is completed over the course of the next decade, to the rapid construction of installations, to the 21st century 'boat loads' of dollars that will be spent on the whole affair, and to the countless hours devoted to planning the best possible outcome for all stakeholders, Bordallo put it to us straight.
"I've been involved in this buildup for a long time. Guam has had numbers like these before. This buildup will occur throughout the island ... and I will be your eyes and ears in Washington to make sure we get what we need."
Showing posts with label Christensen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christensen. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
More on "Federalization
CNMI borders a 'security risk'
Lawmaker introduces proposal to apply U.S. immigration laws
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
Pacific Daily News
gdumat-ol@guampdn.com
The latest proposal in Congress to apply U.S. immigration law to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is being pushed forward as a security issue especially in light of the U.S. military buildup on Guam.
The proposal also includes giving the CNMI a non-voting congressional seat similar to what Guam has.
Democratic Rep. Donna Christensen of the U.S. Virgin Islands on Wednesday introduced legislation that would give the CNMI a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives and at the same time extend federal immigration laws in the CNMI. Christensen's H.R. 3079, "The Northern Mariana Islands Immigration, Security, and Labor Act," was drafted with input from the U.S. Interior, Justice, Labor and Homeland Security departments.
Proposals to take away local control over the entry of foreign tourists, workers and investors in the CNMI date back to at least the 1990s.
But unlike previous unsuccessful attempts, the new effort toward federal control of the CNMI's borders takes the argument beyond foreign workers' human rights.
It frames the proposal primarily as a security issue.
"The CNMI needs stability and the Marianas region needs security. This bill makes a leap in that direction," according to a statement from Christensen.
Military buildup
A federal report had mentioned that the lack of U.S. control over the immigration authority in the CNMI could have security-risk implications, for example, to the U.S. military bases on Guam.
Christensen's bill also makes reference to the military buildup "in the Marianas region."
The military is investing about $15 billion on Guam, including the proposed:
Base for 8,000 U.S. Marines and 9,000 of their relatives who will be relocated from Okinawa.
Waterfront facilities to construct a nuclear carrier-capable berth at the Navy base.
U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Defense Task Force, consisting of approximately 630 service members and 950 family members.
"The U.S. military's reinvestment in the Marianas region should make everyone want to make these islands secure," according to Christensen.
Christensen introduced the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives on the eve of a hearing on similar legislation in the U.S. Senate.
Hawaii Democratic Sen. Daniel Akaka sponsored the Senate bill that also proposes to apply U.S. immigration law in the CNMI.
CNMI Gov. Benigno Fitial and leaders of the CNMI business community were scheduled to testify at the Senate subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Akaka's bill.
The hearing was scheduled to take place last night Guam time.
CNMI government: Survival at stake
The CNMI governor's Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. said the local government welcomes the proposal for a CNMI delegate seat.
But giving the CNMI a delegate seat is not a fair tradeoff to taking local immigration control away from the commonwealth government, Reyes said.
"What good would it do if we have a delegate ... if our economy is in a shambles?" Reyes asked.
In the governor's testimony to the Senate subcommittee hearing, he's expected to say that the Northern Marianas economy is at its weakest point in decades, and applying U.S. immigration laws at this point would further devastate the local economy.
CNMI tourist arrivals are down 40 percent, and its garment industry is declining because of competition from lower-cost factories overseas.
The Northern Marianas tourism and garment industries rely on imported labor, primarily from the Philippines and China.
The CNMI business sector already is reeling from declining sales and increasing cost of doing business as a result of the recent federally required minimum wage increases and power rate increases, Reyes said.
In Fitial's testimony, he's expected to say it's not true that the CNMI has "weak" border controls, as mentioned in the Senate bill's summary.
"More stringent than ... Guam"
"In many respects the entrance requirements for the commonwealth are more stringent than those in place for Guam, or other U.S. destinations," according to Fitial's testimony.
"The CNMI and federal immigration authorities have cooperated effectively in many substantial trafficking and other immigration violations in recent years," according to the governor's prepared testimony.
"We share the desire ... to protect the borders of the United States, including the commonwealth," according to Fitial.
Instead of a federal takeover, Fitial proposes giving local authorities more training and other forms of assistance.
"We are prepared to invite oversight by the Department of Homeland Security. We are ready and eager to have the additional safeguards that would come from utilization of federal databases to ensure that no alien entering the commonwealth presents a security risk to the United States," according to Fitial.
Worker exodus feared
The CNMI government also opposes Akaka's proposal to basically allow foreign workers who have been in the CNMI for at least five years to gain residency status.
The CNMI government argues that, by giving foreign workers a path to green-card residency status, the workers will leave the CNMI "for the greater range of jobs and wages in Guam or the (U.S. mainland)."
If the foreign workers leave after having worked in the CNMI for five years, Fitial stated, "it will be unlikely that these positions can be filled with suitable replacements from the local resident workforce in the near term."
Christensen said her bill provides for a "real opportunity ... to address past abuses and unpredictable immigration policies that did not result in a healthy and productive CNMI economy."
Lawmaker introduces proposal to apply U.S. immigration laws
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
Pacific Daily News
gdumat-ol@guampdn.com
The latest proposal in Congress to apply U.S. immigration law to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is being pushed forward as a security issue especially in light of the U.S. military buildup on Guam.
The proposal also includes giving the CNMI a non-voting congressional seat similar to what Guam has.
Democratic Rep. Donna Christensen of the U.S. Virgin Islands on Wednesday introduced legislation that would give the CNMI a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives and at the same time extend federal immigration laws in the CNMI. Christensen's H.R. 3079, "The Northern Mariana Islands Immigration, Security, and Labor Act," was drafted with input from the U.S. Interior, Justice, Labor and Homeland Security departments.
Proposals to take away local control over the entry of foreign tourists, workers and investors in the CNMI date back to at least the 1990s.
But unlike previous unsuccessful attempts, the new effort toward federal control of the CNMI's borders takes the argument beyond foreign workers' human rights.
It frames the proposal primarily as a security issue.
"The CNMI needs stability and the Marianas region needs security. This bill makes a leap in that direction," according to a statement from Christensen.
Military buildup
A federal report had mentioned that the lack of U.S. control over the immigration authority in the CNMI could have security-risk implications, for example, to the U.S. military bases on Guam.
Christensen's bill also makes reference to the military buildup "in the Marianas region."
The military is investing about $15 billion on Guam, including the proposed:
Base for 8,000 U.S. Marines and 9,000 of their relatives who will be relocated from Okinawa.
Waterfront facilities to construct a nuclear carrier-capable berth at the Navy base.
U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Defense Task Force, consisting of approximately 630 service members and 950 family members.
"The U.S. military's reinvestment in the Marianas region should make everyone want to make these islands secure," according to Christensen.
Christensen introduced the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives on the eve of a hearing on similar legislation in the U.S. Senate.
Hawaii Democratic Sen. Daniel Akaka sponsored the Senate bill that also proposes to apply U.S. immigration law in the CNMI.
CNMI Gov. Benigno Fitial and leaders of the CNMI business community were scheduled to testify at the Senate subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Akaka's bill.
The hearing was scheduled to take place last night Guam time.
CNMI government: Survival at stake
The CNMI governor's Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. said the local government welcomes the proposal for a CNMI delegate seat.
But giving the CNMI a delegate seat is not a fair tradeoff to taking local immigration control away from the commonwealth government, Reyes said.
"What good would it do if we have a delegate ... if our economy is in a shambles?" Reyes asked.
In the governor's testimony to the Senate subcommittee hearing, he's expected to say that the Northern Marianas economy is at its weakest point in decades, and applying U.S. immigration laws at this point would further devastate the local economy.
CNMI tourist arrivals are down 40 percent, and its garment industry is declining because of competition from lower-cost factories overseas.
The Northern Marianas tourism and garment industries rely on imported labor, primarily from the Philippines and China.
The CNMI business sector already is reeling from declining sales and increasing cost of doing business as a result of the recent federally required minimum wage increases and power rate increases, Reyes said.
In Fitial's testimony, he's expected to say it's not true that the CNMI has "weak" border controls, as mentioned in the Senate bill's summary.
"More stringent than ... Guam"
"In many respects the entrance requirements for the commonwealth are more stringent than those in place for Guam, or other U.S. destinations," according to Fitial's testimony.
"The CNMI and federal immigration authorities have cooperated effectively in many substantial trafficking and other immigration violations in recent years," according to the governor's prepared testimony.
"We share the desire ... to protect the borders of the United States, including the commonwealth," according to Fitial.
Instead of a federal takeover, Fitial proposes giving local authorities more training and other forms of assistance.
"We are prepared to invite oversight by the Department of Homeland Security. We are ready and eager to have the additional safeguards that would come from utilization of federal databases to ensure that no alien entering the commonwealth presents a security risk to the United States," according to Fitial.
Worker exodus feared
The CNMI government also opposes Akaka's proposal to basically allow foreign workers who have been in the CNMI for at least five years to gain residency status.
The CNMI government argues that, by giving foreign workers a path to green-card residency status, the workers will leave the CNMI "for the greater range of jobs and wages in Guam or the (U.S. mainland)."
If the foreign workers leave after having worked in the CNMI for five years, Fitial stated, "it will be unlikely that these positions can be filled with suitable replacements from the local resident workforce in the near term."
Christensen said her bill provides for a "real opportunity ... to address past abuses and unpredictable immigration policies that did not result in a healthy and productive CNMI economy."
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