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Wednesday, June 7, 2006
For more than ten years, I have sought to change the laws that govern the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. I have sought these changes in an effort to stop the well documented and widespread abuse of poor women in the garment and tourism industry there, and to better secure America’s borders.
But for more than ten years, my efforts, and the efforts of so many others, have been thwarted. Our efforts have been thwarted by the corrupt partnership of two of Washington’s most powerful players – Rep. Tom DeLay and lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and by their allies in Congress.
Their partnership was so corrupt it even resulted in the suppression of a stinging report prepared by the Justice Department in 2001 that warned about threats to American security from lax immigration laws in the Marianas. That report was never delivered to Congress. I am releasing that report today.
But now, a window of opportunity is opening. Rep. DeLay is resigning from Congress this Friday, and Jack Abramoff will be in prison beginning on June 29th. I believe that finally there just might be an opening for Congress to properly consider this issue that has been callously pushed aside for so long.
Today, my colleagues and I are re-introducing legislation to apply U.S. immigration and labor laws in the Mariana Islands. Immediately following this press conference I will be delivering letters to Speaker Hastert, Majority Leader Boehner, and Resources Committee Chairman Pombo asking for quick consideration of this issue right away.
Our legislation raises critical issues about immigration. Congress’ plan to reform immigration law will not be complete without consideration of this bill.
For years, DeLay and Abramoff and their allies used their power and influence and corrupt practices to defend the indefensible. They arranged for appropriations, organized campaign contributions, led tour groups of members of Congress and their staff to the Marianas, and directed money to questionable charities to solidify their power in Washington.
At their direction, the House of Representatives refused to stop well-documented threats to American security, criminal activity, violations of labor law, forced abortions, denial of religious freedom, an illicit sex trade, and human trafficking. Evidence of these threats and abuses was documented by the federal government, Congress, the news media and other sources.
Abramoff even used his cozy relationship with then Attorney General Ashcroft and his staff to find out the Justice Department report I mentioned earlier, and quash it, despite the fact that the Department’s report warned that the lack of U.S. immigration controls (quote) “produces critical security obstacles” (unquote) to U.S. interests and that (quote) “aggressive and immediate steps” (unquote) are required to address these vulnerabilities.
DeLay used his office to block Congress from considering bipartisan reforms in the past, and he told key committee chairman not to hold hearings on these abuses.
The case of the Mariana Islands is front and center in the unfolding congressional lobbying scandal of Abramoff and DeLay and DeLay’s former staff and demonstrates one of the very real impacts of the culture of corruption in Washington. Some of the most exploited workers in the world – and the American legislative process – have paid the price for this corruption.
DeLay and Abramoff and their allies were running a protection racket – they protected the foreign-owned Marianas garment industry from congressional scrutiny and were rewarded handsomely for it with lucrative lobbying contracts, free trips, and campaign cash. But they are leaving or going to jail and we believe it is time now to come back to this important issue. The bill we are introducing is a test of whether that protection racket will continue in their absence.
Along with my colleagues -- including Hilda Solis and John Spratt -- I am introducing “The United States-Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Human Dignity Act.”
Not only are the reforms in our bill still needed to protect workers in the Marianas, but they are needed so that Congress’ overall changes to federal immigration law do not overlook this gaping opening that the Justice Department tells us can and will be exploited by organized crime and terrorists.
This bill, which I first introduced in 1997 and which has been modified for its reintroduction, gradually raises the Marianas’ minimum wage to the federal minimum, and it brings the territory under U.S. immigration law. It would end the “Made in the USA” label scam by requiring that products made in the Marianas meet American labor standards to be considered “Made in America.” And to ease the transition from a sweatshop economy, we have included a job creation and job training program. An economy based on under-paid, imported guest workers is not sustainable and it is not defensible.
We hope that our call for hearings on this matter will finally, after ten years, be honored.
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