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GUAM COMMONWEALTH

MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1989

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON INSULAR AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS,

COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS,

Honolulu, HI.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in the State Capitol Auditorium, Honolulu, HI, Hon. Ron de Lugo (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Mr. DE LUGO. Before we begin the formal hearing, I would like to do something not as Chairman of this subcommittee, but rather as the Delegate from the United States Virgin Islands over in the Caribbean, the other side of the world. I want to take this morning on behalf of my people, to thank the Chamorro people of Guam, and particularly to thank Governor Joe Ada, my friend, for responding in our time of need.

We had a hurricane in my home in mid-September such as we have never had before in my lifetime. It was the worst hurricane in a hundred years, and it devastated the Island of St. Croix. It wiped out 90 percent of the homes, almost all of the power. It was terrible. But with all of that, God smiled on us because there was almost no loss of life. That was a miracle.

When I arrived back in my home the day after the hurricane from Washington on a military plane, on the Island of St. Croix, it looked as though-well, it looked like Beirut, Lebanon. It looked like it had been shelled. But you know this because you have typhoons in Guam and you know the devastation that nature can wreak on us.

We had no electric power. Still, half of our island doesn't have power. From halfway across the world, from Guam, linesmen, Chamorro linesmen, who are accustomed to restore power after typhoons or hurricanes, came and the people of St. Croix and the Virgin Islands fell in love with these Guamanians. They are brothers in the territories.

A young Chamorro lost his life, gave his life helping us. He was Pete Cepeda.

I have something here that I would like to present to Governor Ada on behalf of other linesmen in the Virgin Islands. It is a union, Local Union 8545 on St. Croix. There are some checks here to be presented to his family, to his mother Serafina Cepeda. Governor Ada, if you would come forward, please.

Governor Ada, on behalf of the grateful people of the United States Virgin Islands, I thank you and the people of Guam for your assistance.

[Applause.]

Governor ADA. Thank you very much.

Let me say that this is an honor and a pleasure that I accept this check on behalf of the family of Mr. Pete Cepeda. I know that the feelings of the people of the Virgin Islands with respect to this, I know that they have the memory and respect and love for Pete and the people of Guam.

This incident has brought us together, the people of the Virgin Islands and Guam. We are brothers and sisters. We thank you for continuing the memory of Pete Cepeda.

[Applause.]

Mr. DE LUGO. This hearing of the Subcommittee on Insular and International Affairs on H.R. 98, to establish a Commonwealth of Guam, is hereby called to order.

My friends, this is a very historic day for all of us. Before I begin my statement, I want to thank my good friend sitting here to the right-you know, he is supposed to sit on the right-for urging me to hold these hearings, and I am very glad that I was able to comply. I promised Ben that I would do everything possible to hold these hearings before the end of 1989 and we are here today in Hawaii. I am glad that Congress went into recess because we thought we would be in session until Christmas Eve like we usually

are.

I said that if we are in session, we will hold the hearings in the Nation's Capital, but if we are not in session, then the Nation's Capitol becomes a gloomy place because everybody leaves town. That would not be the place to hold these important hearings. It would be like a morgue. I said, let's then hold the hearings in Hawaii and that is what we are doing today.

Before proceeding with our first witness, and without objection, we will have printed at this point in the hearing record, a copy of the bill, H.R. 98.

[The bill, H.R. 98, follows:]

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To establish the Commonwealth of Guam, and for other purposes.

I

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 3, 1989

Mr. BLAZ (for himself, Mr. UDALL, Mr. YoungG of Alaska, Mr. DE LUGO, and Mr. LAGOMARSINO) introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Interior and Insular Affairs and Ways and Means

A BILL

To establish the Commonwealth of Guam, and for other

purposes.

1

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4

5 Act".

This Act may be cited as the "Guam Commonwealth

6 SEC. 2. PREAMBLE.

7

(a) In recognition of the long-cherished aspiration of the 8 people of Guam to direct the course of their own destiny, and 9 with the belief that mutual respect, understanding, and com10 promise among people form a more perfect Union, the people

2

1 of the United States of America, nurtured in the ideals of 2 liberty and democracy, conscious of their obligations under 3 the Treaty of Paris of 1899 and the Charter of the United 4 Nations, do hereby embrace the establishment of the Com5 monwealth of Guam, ever mindful that the right of self-deter6 mination and the heritage of the Chamorro people of Guam 7 shall be protected.

8 (b) This Act reflects the will of the people of Guam to 9 attain a greater measure of self-government in concert with 10 the United States of America, and reaffirms the principle that 11 governments derive their just powers only from the consent 12 of the governed.

13 (c) To this end, the Senate and House of Representa14 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 15 now adopt this Act.

16

17

TITLE I-POLITICAL

RELATIONSHIP

18 SEC. 101. CREATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH AND FULL

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20 (a) The Island of Guam, and its adjacent islands and 21 waters shall upon the enactment of this Act become a self22 governing Commonwealth known as the "Commonwealth of 23 Guam". This Act, the provisions of the United States Consti24 tution, treaties, and laws of the United States applicable to

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