Speech #1050037680

After World War H there was also the acquisition of the United States Virgin Islands as purchased from Denmark as a consequence of World War I. but the Northern Marianas was acquired in 1976 as part of the breakup of the trust territory. and the CNMI then signed a covenant with the United States establishing the fact that the people became United States citizens. But there were four elements of the compact and laws related to the compact which gave authority to the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. One was the right to control immigration into the Northern Marianas. the right to be exempted from the Federal minimum wage. the right to participate in the Headnote 3A Program which allows an area like the Northern Marianas. which is outside the customs zone of the United States. to manufacture goods and bring them into the U.S. customs zone as if they were made in the United States. In fact. they are a U.S. area. but because of the anomaly of the customs zone. they are outside the customs zone but they are part of the United States. But they are allowed to bring in products under the Headnote 3A. Fourth. is a land alienation provision which is very unique and there is only the Northern Marianas and American Samoa. where the only people who can own land are natives of the islands of American Samoa and the Northern Marianas. The purpose of granting the CNMI authority over immigration and authority over exemption over the Federal minimum wage and participation in the Headnote 3A Program is to understand that it was meant to facilitate the economic growth of the people of the Northern Marianas Islands while not overwhelming the local population. That was the original intent. the original purpose. In 1976. when the commonwealth first became part of the United States. the average wage of anybody who was working in the CNMI was probably around 75 cents an hour.