Date: 1982-10-01
Speaker: PHILLIP BURTON (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise at the request of the distinguished chairman of the Subcomittee on Insular Affairs. Representative TONY WON PAT. Representative WON PAT has masterfully guided this omnibus insular areas assistance bill to this point. But since he had to return to his home island of Guam a few days ago. our colleague has asked me to substitute for him. H.R. 5139. as It is before us. is a wise and fair compromise with the administration. It was produced by Delegate WON PATs subcommittee after extensive hearings and other work. These efforts included consultation with the insular areas themselves. the Executive and our counterparts on the other side of the Capitol. who are responsible for the amendments I suggest we concur in today. In addition to Chairman WON PAT. several other Members of this House are responsible for this measure. They should be recognized. H.8357 Delegate DE LUoO was a principal contributor of much of this bill. Delegate SUNIA of American Samoa provided us with sensitive policy counsel. Resident Commissioner CORRADA conducted the complex negotiations which resulted In the critical amendment before us relating to Puerto Rico. The distinguished ranking minority member of the subcommittee. Mr. LAGOMARSINO. was extraordinarily dedicated to the many matters addressed by this bill over the many months that we have worked on It. And our esteemed colleague from California. Mr. CLAUSEN. as well as our capable colleague from Nebraska. Mr. BEREUTER. also played a pivotal role in the development of this legislation. Approval of the amendments suggested by the Senate would culminate legislative action on this measure. the basis of which initially passed this House last December 11. The Senate passed our bills original provisions May 10. with the exception of one that was no longer needed. It also added other worthwhile provisions. September 9. this House then incorporated all aspects of the Senate amendmentsave oneinto a substitute. It added as well the product of other work by the subcommittee. I am greatly disappointed that the strenuous objections of the administration compelled us to delete that one provision. It would have properly reimbursed Guam and the Virgin Islands for some of the unintentional. but devastating. losses in local revenues they are suffering due to the administrations Income tax rate reductions. enacted last year. However. we reluctantly agreed to drop this reasonable compensation in the spirit of cooperation with the administration. Our sincere determination to craft Insular areas assistance legislation acceptable to the administration is also the motivation for the principal Senate amendments to our substitute. The amendment to section 101 corrects a typographical error in the original Senate amendment. The amendments to sections 203. 204 and 309 were requested by the Justice and Interior Departments. They are technical in nature. Section 305 was dropped at the request of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works. It would have permitted the exemption of rum refining in the Virgin Islands from Water Pollution Control Act effluent discharge requirements in specified circumstances. The provision is needed to continue operations by the territorys big rum producer which (directly and through rebated rum excise taxes) Is a major contributor to its treasury. The amendment to section 501 was requested by the Environmental Protection Agency. It is a substitute with a similar intent to that of our original provision. The amendment permits the loan of any unexpended fiscal year 1981 grants to Puerto Rico for wastewater treatment plant construction. for use in subsequent fiscal years. This is needed to prevent a loss of these grants and continue the construction program now. when budgetary shortfalls are making it impossible for Puerto Rico to contribute its matching share of the project cost. If these amendments are adopted. H.R. 5139 would contain provisions as follows: