DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1980 TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1979 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 10:05 a.m., in room 1224, Everett McKinley Dirksen Office Building, Hon. Quentin N. Burdick presiding. Present: Senators Burdick and Stevens. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TERRITORIAL AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATION OF TERRITORIES STATEMENT OF RUTH G. VAN CLEVE, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF TERRITORIAL AFFAIRS ACCOMPANIED BY: GEORGE R. MILNER, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, PROGRAMS AND POLICY JOHN E. DE YOUNG, SENIOR STAFF ASSISTANT, PACIFIC AFFAIRS WILLIAM BETTENBERG, DIRECTOR OF BUDGET, OFFICE OF THE DARRELL E. FLEMING, COMPTROLLER, VIRGIN ISLANDS BEN T. FUKUTOME, COMPTROLLER FOR GUAM, TRUST TERRITORY, OPENING REMARKS Senator BURDICK. We are here to begin 2 days of hearings on the fiscal 1979 supplemental and regular 1980 budget requests for territorial affairs. Today we will hear witnesses on programs and activities financed under the Administration of Territories account. These include the Office of Territorial Affairs, American Samoa, the Northern Marianas Commonwealth, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Federal Comptrollers, in that order. The total budget request for territorial affairs for fiscal 1980 is $145.8 million, a $33.4 million reduction from appropriations to date for fiscal 1979. There is, however, a fiscal 1979 supplemental appropriation request pending for $1.4 million. Of the total 1980 request, $46.8 million is for administration of territories and $99 million is for the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. There is no new appropriation requested for the Micronesian claim fund, for which $12.6 million was provided in 1979. The justification for the fiscal 1980 budget estimates has been included in the record. At this point, we will print in the record the justifications for the 1979 supplemental request mentioned earlier. [The information follows:] JUSTIFICATION DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ADMINISTRATION OF TERRITORIES (PROPOSED SUPPLEMENTAL, EXISTING LEGISLATION) For an additional amount for "Administration of Territories," $1,419,000 for grants to the Government of the Northern Mariana Islands, to remain available until expended. Grants to the Government of the Northern Mariana Islands $1,419,000. Background: As provided for by law in section 704 (c) of Public Law 94-241 the base amount of $14 million in section 702 is to be adjusted each fiscal year by the actual United States Gross National Product Implicit Price Deflator (GNPIPD) for the period ending September 30 of the fiscal year which is the third quarter of the calendar year. The base amount of $14 million is represented by the index (GNPIPD) for the quarter ending June 30, 1974 which is the beginning of fiscal year 1975 as provided for in section 704 (c). Therefore two adjustments will be required in order to fully provide for the amounts due the Government of the Northern Mariana Islands for each fiscal year. Request: The FY 1979 supplemental request represents the final amount due the Government of the Northern Mariana Islands for fiscal year 1978. The following tables and math computations will show the amount due, in thousands of dollars. 1. To bring base to FY 77 dollars using third calendar quarter index of 1974 2. To bring base to FY 78 dollars using the second calendar |