Speech #1060031420

SigalloPac. also engaged in sweater manufacture with 275 workers. all of whom. however. were U.S. citizens. Attempts by territories to develop textile or apparel industries have traditionally met resistence from Stateside industries. The use of alien labor in the CNMI intensified that concern. and efforts began in 1984 to sharply cut back or eliminate the availability of duty free treatment for the territories. The concerns also complicated Senate consideration of the Compacts of Free Association in 1985 and led to a delay of several months in floor consideration when some Members sought to attach textile legislation to the Compact legislation. By 1986. conditions led the Assistant Secretary. Territorial and International Affairs of the Department of the Interior to write the Governor on the situation and that -[w]ithout timely and effective action to reverse the current situation. I must consider proposing Congressional enactment of U.S. Immigration and Naturalization requirements for the NMI-. By 1990. the population of the CNMI was estimated at 43.345 of whom only 16.752 had been born in the CNMI. Of the 26.593 born elsewhere. 2.491 had entered from 19801984. 2.591 had entered in 1985 or 1986. 6.438 had entered in 1987 or 1988. and 12.955 had entered in 1989 or 1990. Of the population in 1990. 21.332 were classified as Asian. The labor force (all persons 16+ years including temporary alien labor) grew from 9.599 in 1980 to 32.522 in 1990. Manufacturing grew from 1.9% of the workforce in 1980 to 21.9% in 1990. only slightly behind construction which grew from 16.8% to 22.2% in the same time frame. The construction numbers track a major increase in hotel construction. At the same time. increases in the minimum wage were halted although wages paid to U.S. citizens (mainly public sector and management) exceeded federal levels. In 1993. in response to Congressional concerns. the CNMI stated that it proposed to enact legislation to raise the wage rates from $2.15 to federal levels by stages and that legislation would be enacted to prevent any abuse of workers. Repeated allegations of violations of applicable federal laws relating to worker health and safety. concerns with respect to immigration problems. including the admission of undesirable aliens. and reports of worker abuse. especially in the domestic and garment worker sectors. led to the inclusion of a $7 million set aside in appropriations in 1994 to support federal agency presence in the CNMI. The Administration was not prepared to commit agency resources to the CNMI absent the funding. but with an agreement for reimbursement. the Department of the Interior reported to the Committee on April 24. 1995 that: 1) $3 million would be used by the CNMI for a computerized immigration identification and tracking system and for local projects: 2) $2.2 million would be used by the Department of Justice to strengthen law enforcement. including the hiring of an additional FBI agent and Assistant US Attorney: 3) $1.6 million would be used by Labor for two senior investigators as well as for training: and 4) $200.000 would be used by Treasury for assistance in investigating violations of federal law with respect to firearms. organized crime. and counterfeiting. In addition. the report recommended that federal law be enacted to phase in the current CNMI minimum wage rates to the federal minimum wage level in 30 cent increments (as then provided by CNMI legislation). end mandatory assistance to the CNMI when the current agreement was fulfilled. continue annual support of federal agencies at a $3 million/year level (which would include funding for a detention facility that meets federal standards). and possible extension of federal immigration laws. During the 104th Congress. the Senate passed S. 638. legislation supported by the Administration. that in part would have enacted the phase in of the ONMI minimum wage rate to US levels in 30 cent increments. No action was taken by the House. and. in the interim. the CNMI delayed the scheduled increases and then instituted a limited increase of 30 cents/hour except for the garment and construction industries where the increase was limited to 15 cents/hour. The legislation also required the Commonwealth "to cooperate in the identification and. if necessary. exclusion or deportation from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands of persons who represent security or law enforcement risks to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or the United States." (Section 4 of S. 638) At the same time that Congress began to consider legislation on minimum wage and immigration issues. concern over the commitment of federal agencies to administer and enforce those federal laws already applicable to the CNMI led the Committee to include a provision in S. 638 that the annual report on the law enforcement initiative also include: "(6) the reasons why Federal agencies are unable or unwilling to fully and effectively enforce Federal laws applicable within the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands unless such activities are funded by the Secretary of the Interior." (Section 3 of S. 638) In February. 1996. I led a Committee trip to the CNMI. We met with local and federal officials as well as inspecting a garment factory and meeting with Bangladesh security guards who had not been paid and who were living in substandard conditions.