IV

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 164

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands should provide for a plebiscite

on the question of compliance with United States immigration and wage

laws or independence from the United States.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 1, 1997

Mrs. MINK of Hawaii submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was

referred to the Committee on Resources

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Government

of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

should provide for a plebiscite on the question of compliance with United States immigration and wage laws or

independence from the United States.

Whereas the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

entered into a political union with the United States pursuant to the covenant ratified by the people of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and approved by the Congress in Public Law 94–241;

Whereas section 503 of the covenant authorized the Congress

to extend to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands certain immigration and wage laws of the United

States;
2

HCON 164 IH

Whereas the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

has used its interim control of immigration and wages to

develop an economy in which over 90 percent of its private-sector workforce consists of temporary, alien workers, who are reportedly, under-paid and ill-treated;

Whereas the exploitation of alien workers is inconsistent with

the covenant and United States labor, civil rights, and

human rights laws;

Whereas inconsistent immigration and wage policies undermine the ability of the United States to achieve a more

fair and equitable society;

Whereas pursuant to section 701 of the covenant, the United

States Government has invested about $500,000,000 to

promote economic development in the Commonwealth of

the Northern Mariana Islands;

Whereas the United States has the right to expect that the

economic development which it underwrites will be undertaken in compliance with United States laws;

Whereas the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

ships products duty-free and without regard to quotas to

the United States even though many such products contain an amount of foreign materials, or were produced

with an amount of foreign labor, which exceeds the

amount permissible under General Note (3)(a)(iv) of the

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States;

Whereas the Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern

Mariana Islands, and other local leaders, have stated

their preference for independence over the extension of

the United States laws as contemplated by section 503

of the covenant; and
3

HCON 164 IH

Whereas the United States Government believes the people of

the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

should have the right to affirm or reject our assertions:

Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved in the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the Gov3 ernment of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

4 Islands should provide for a plebiscite of the people of the

5 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on the

6 question:

7 Shall the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

8 Islands be governed under the United States immi9 gration and wage laws; Or, shall the Commonwealth

10 of the Northern Mariana Islands seek to terminate

11 its current relationship with the United States and

12 seek independence?

Æ