Angie Craig: “as our colleagues on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will attest, it takes years of experience to…”

“as our colleagues on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will attest, it takes years of experience to understand some of the nuances of Federal law and policy applicable in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Yet, our current Secretary of State has shown remarkable knowledge of the sometimes complex issues arising from official international activities of local territorial governments. In responding to international issues arising from Federal-territorial relations in the case of Puerto Rico, Secretary Powell has articulated sound principles that are relevant to Federal policy with respect to the other territories as well. Specifically, the record should reflect the success of measures adopted by the Department of State to ensure that local government officials in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico do not take official actions inconsistent with the reservation of foreign relations powers to the federal government under the U.S. Constitution. The Department of State has tried to show flexibility and include territories in international programs and activities when appropriate, as it does in the case of other domestic political subdivisions. However, Department of State oversight and regulation of all official international activities by local territorial governments is necessary to preserve the constitutional allocation of powers within the U.S.…”