US House panel holds hearing on submerged lands issue
[B]WASHINGTON, D.C.[/B]—The House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife will be holding a hearing today on the bill introduced by CNMI Delegate Gregorio C. Sablan relating to the submerged lands issue.
The committee, chaired by Del. Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU), will also hold a hearing on a bill that Bordallo herself introduced relating to the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000.
The hearing is scheduled for Feb. 25, 2008, at 2pm in Washington (5am today here in the Commonwealth).
The legislative hearing will tackle the following bills:
– H.R. 860 (Bordallo): To reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, and for other purposes. “Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization and Enhancement Amendments of 2009”
– H.R. 934 (Sablan): To convey certain submerged lands to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in order to give that territory the same benefits in its submerged lands as Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa have in their submerged lands.
Witnesses for Sablan’s bill are CNMI Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, Guam Gov. Felix P. Camacho, and American Samoa Gov. Togiola T.A. Tulafono. [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]
