{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/seven-house-chairmen-visit-northern-marianas", "Seven House Chairmen visit the Northern Marianas", "2014-08-22", "2014", "2014-08", "Independent", "Senate", "MP", "Gregorio Sablan", "S001177", "sablan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "One of the most high-powered groups ever to visit our islands arrived by military jet on Sunday. Seven House Chairmen, under the leadership of Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings of Washington, left DC on August 9 for the Western Pacific. I traveled with the delegation and at my invitation Chairman Hastings included the Northern Marianas as the third stop on the itinerary. In New Zealand and Australia we met with those countries\u2019 leaders concerning the status of negotiations on the free-trade Trans-Pacific Partnership. We also looked at energy resources \u2013 the Maori-owned geothermal power station and the Atiamuri hydroelectric plant on New Zealand\u2019s North Island, and in Australia, Conoco Philips\u2019 LNG terminal outside of Darwin and BHP\u2019s largely-automated coal port in Newcastle. At all our stops we discussed security issues, not only the realignment of U.S. forces to Australia and the Marianas, but also how to ensure supplies of food, energy, and strategically important minerals for the U.S. and our regional allies.\nIn addition to Chairman Hastings, the delegation included:\n\u2022 Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK), House Agriculture Committee;  \n\t\u2022 Chairman Jack Kingston (R-GA), Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies;  \n\t\u2022 Chairman John Fleming (R-LA), Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs;  \n\t\u2022 Chairman Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources;  \n\t\u2022 Chairman Richard Hudson (R-NC), Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security; and  \n\t\u2022 Chairman Rob Woodall (R-GA), Rules Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process. Mr. Woodall was also recently selected as Chairman of the highly influential Republican Study Committee.\nI was and remain very grateful that these gentlemen accepted my invitation and took the time to include the Northern Marianas in CODEL Hastings.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/seven-house-chairmen-visit-northern-marianas"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.90940878726542, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}