CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H 2756 and enforce the territorial income tax and customs operations in Guamand the Virgin Islands, respectively. The government of Guam is hard pressed to mect its financial oblizations. A Federal loan was granted to Guam in 1963 to offset typhoon damaze. Section 302 eliminates interest payments on the loan and credit; interest payments previously paid toward the principal. This section, too, received approval of the House in the last Congress. Upon guarantee of tne Secretary of the Interior, the Federal Financing Bank, under previcus lecisiation, is authorized under secticn 393 to lend the Guam Power Authcrity up to $36 million to cover obligations. Payments due will be Geducted from Guam Organic Actsection 30 funds if GPAfails to pay. Section 401 extends the Federal guarantee of bonds issued by the Virgin Islands from 1979 to 1989. Section 403 conveys title to several small parcels of land from the U.S. Goyernment to the Virgin Islands government. : Section 404 requires that the master lease on Water Island in the Virgin Is- lands cannot be extended, renewed or renegotiated before 1992 without the ex- press consent of the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. -Section 405 amends Public Law 95-348 to alleviate a deficiency, involving customs colections in the Virgin Islands, Section 601 mandates that all programs administered by the Department of Interior will be apportioned out in block grants, as previously authorized in public law. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3756 ameliorates many of the difficulties confronted by Americans living in the offshore areas; accordingly, I urge its unanimous passage. : - Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the fentlemnan from the Virgin Islands (Mr. EVANS). (Mr. EVANS of the Virgin Islands asked and was given perrnission to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. EVANS of the Virgin Islands. Mr. Speaker, I rise ln support of H.R. 3756. First of all, I wish to associate myself with the reniarks made by bath the genleman from Cnlifornia (Mr. Piturre Burron) and the gentieman from California CMir, Lacomarsino). This bill represents a great deal of co- Operation and hard work by both the minority and majority members of the committee, including hard work done on the field trip. I beHeve the bill serves the interest the United States and the insular areas, and I certainly ask for its adoption. While this bill deals with most of the territories, my remarks will be confined mostly to the matters pertaining to the Virgin Istands. Authorization granted to the government of the Virzin Islands to issue bonds in anticipation of revenue receipts and to authorize the guarantee of such bonds by the United States will expire this year. This bill extends such Buarantee fora period of 10 years, a most necessury condition. Provision for the . a ¢ Be collection of revenues In the Virgin Islands by the Treasury Denartment for remittance to the Virgin Islands should result in improved collections. If adegilate steps are tuken to insure that there is not undue dispiicement of personnel, this should 1ebotind to the benefit of the Virgin Islands. Several other minor provisions are included, making this bill altogether one that should be beneficial both to the United States as a whole and to the Virgin Islands and territories in particular. Mr. LAGOMARSINO. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield? Mr. EVANS of the Virgin Islands. I yield ta the gentleman froin California, Mr. LAGOMARSINO. Mr. Sreaker, I would just like to make one fivther remark. X wish also to commend the delezate from the Virgin Isiands (Mr. Evans) for his worthwhile efforts in behalf of this legislation. The gentleman has made an Imiu:casurable contribution to the legislation. ® Mr. CLAUSEN. Mr. Speaker, I support of FHLR. 3756. the terrivori nibus bill. This legislation 5 Altthorizition for continuance of the frust Tervitovy vovermmant beyond 1950, payment ef 50 percent of the outstanding Micronesian war claims and the estab. lishinent of an adcquate health care system In the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Tslands. Moreover, it mandates 0 comprehensive medical pro‘g§ram to care for those in the Marshall Islands subjected to huzardous radiation asa result of U.S. nuclear tosting in the Pacilic. Other provisious of the pill 1equire the U.S. Treasury Department to administer and enforce the collection of the territorial income tax and custom May 7, 1979 provisions of the bill which are of par- ticular interest and which deserve wide support. Mr. Speaker, section 102 of the bill au- thorizes the United States to pay its share of the outstandins claims under title I of the Micronesian Claims Act of 1971. Tie 1971 act, which was initiated by the Foreign Affairs Committcg, provided for payment of claims Ly Micronesians who suffered loss of Hfe. physical injury, and extensive property dainiuze as a result of World War il and its aftermath. The authorizations which were Provided for tithe J—war-related claims—and title: U---postwar related clairns—however, proved to ba substantially smaller than the claims awarded by the Micronesian Claims Cammission set up by the act to adjudicate claims. All title IT claims have been authorized, appronriated, and paid. : On the other hand, only about 25 percent cf tilie I claims have been paid. More than 30 years have passed since the actions preducing the claizms took place, and manyclaimants have died. Our Micronesian iriends are understandably bitter about this delay. Even tne most consarvative traditional chiefs, who are extremely reluctant to voice any criticism of the United States, express their unharniness over this situation. Section 162 of the bill is an irnportant step in remedying this unfortunate state of affairs. The other provision I consider par- ticularly important is section 104, which provides that Federal programs operat- ing in Micronesia cannot be cut off, Over the past few months. I have worked closely with our subcommittee chairman and other members of the either before or after the termination of the trusteeship, without the express approval of Congress. This measure is necessary because of recent executive branchactions. On the premise that the trusteeship will end in 1981, the Interior Eepartment has announced that Federal prozrams now provided to the trust territory will be phased out starting this Governors and legislators in formulating this balanced iegislation. In light of the offshore needs, this is 2 prudent bill and one which I urre my colleazues to support unanimously. ingly clear that the conclusion of the political status negotiations to terminate the trusteeship, and the necessary congressional and U.N. approval of the re- duties in the offshore areas. . committee as well as with the territorial 9 Mr. ZABLOCKI. Mr. Speaker, title I of this bill contains authorizations for the Trust Territory of the Pacific Is- lands, a trusteeship which the United States received from the United Nations after World WarIi. Because of this mandate, and the important foreign policy considerations involved in the termination of the trustceship, the Foreign Affairs Committee has a strong interest in Micronesian legisiation. In order to facilitate action on this important legisiation, however, the committee did not request referral of this measure, with the understanding that 16 would not prejudice the jurisdiction of the Committee on Forctign Aifairs. A letter to this etfect was sent to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, and I thank the gentleman for including it in the committee report on LLR. 3756. The committee has examined the relevant provisions of H.R. 3756, however, and wishes to commend the distinguished chairman of the Interior Cornmittee. the Ilanorable Mo Unat., and his committee for their outstanding work on the bl. There are two year, and Le cut to extremely lowlevels by 1981. Unfortunataly, it seems increas- sults, will not be achieved by this target . date. There is thus the strong possibility that vital programs in health and educaiton, among cthers, will be virtually eliminated bLefore the issue of political statuts even begins to be resolved. I have no doubt that sume of the programs now operating in the trust territory could be eliminated. Furthermore, it would be prudent to inake some cuts in an orderly way before the termination of the trusteeship, to ayoid the chaos which would result from a sudden cessation of funds upon termination of the trustesship agreement. However, I cannot believe that the approach being taken is correct or wise at this point. The question of continuation of Federal programs after termination of the trusteeship is under negotiation, and should not be prejudiced by bureaucratic decisionmaking. These are congressionally authorized programs and should be terminated by the Congress and not some bureaucrat. Mr. Speaker, this Is a serious matter for the Micronesians. The Foreign Affairs Committee has already reecived