SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES, WILDLIFE, OCEANS AND INSULAR AFFAIRS
1334 Longworth House Office Building
Friday, September 23, 2011
9:00 a.m.

• Official hearing transcript

OVERSIGHT HEARING:

• "To Review the Impact of Minimum Wage Increases in American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands"

OPENING STATEMENT:

The Honorable John Fleming
Chairman

WITNESSES AND TESTIMONY:

Panel I

The Honorable Anthony Babauta
Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Affairs
U.S. Department of the Interior

The Honorable Togiola Tulafono
Governor of American Samoa

David Gootnick
Director
International Affairs and Trade
U.S. Government Accountability Office

James Arenovski
President
Delta Management Corporation – Saipan
Appearing via Video Conference
(Truth in Testimony Form)

STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD:

The Honorable Eni Faleomavaega
Committee Member

In-Soo Cho
President and CEO
StarKist Co.

BACKGROUND:

The hearing will review the effects of the annual 50 cent per hour increase in minimum wage levels to meet the federal minimum wage on the economies and workforce in American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The economies of American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands are dependent on one or two industries and funding from the federal government. Opportunities to expand and grow their economies have been limited. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reported on the effects of the recent increases in minimum wage in the two territories.