I want to thank Members and staff for their contributions to this hearing.

The Wildlife Refuge System Conservation Semipostal Stamp uses a proven system of raising private funding for worthy public purposes.

I am also interested to hear more about Congressman Mack's bill, H.R. 2154, and would like to submit a letter from the Florida Wildlife Federation, which has some concerns.

We are going to keep listening and watching as time goes by so we achieve the goal of keeping people working while making sure they earn a decent, fair and dignified wage to support themselves and their families.

It only makes sense that they get a minimum wage at least as high as the rest of our country.

Raising the minimum wage is one way to accomplish that goal.

$6,344 in a year before taxes. Today, because of the minimum wage law that Congress passed, some of those same people earn at least $5.05.

I want the minimum wage in the Marianas to rise to the U.S. level.

Minimum wage policies need to be addressed here in Congress, however.

We have to keep monitoring the situation, adjust if necessary, as we did this year, by skipping the wage increase.

We have just a couple of months ago reduced by 36 percent the benefits to everyone in the program and see an increase of 500 on the wait list now.