Eni Faleomavaega: “I just wanted to add, as a matter of history here, it was during the 1970s, then-chairman of the House Subcommittee on…”

“I just wanted to add, as a matter of history here, it was during the 1970s, then-chairman of the House Subcommittee on Territories, the late Congressman Phillip Burton from San Francisco, who initiated the move in terms of finding out how the East-West Center was doing as far as the Pacific Islands were concerned. And as a result of the assistance also from then former Congresswoman Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, who served as a member of the Appropriations Committee, there was greater attention given to the needs of the Pacific Island nations. And I want to commend certainly the former Governor of the State of Hawaii, Governor George Ariyoshi, and the late Prime Minister of Fiji, Sir Ratu Kamisese Mara, for the outstanding leadership that they displayed and demonstrated in establishing this special program now allotting to the needs of our Pacific Island nations. Certainly Governor John Waihee and also Governor Linda Lingle were also very supportive of this effort. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank again my colleague from Texas for his compliments and the remarks concerning this resolution. And, again, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.”