Fitial, Kilili set aside politics to work on naval vessel repair bill

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan (Ind-MP) set aside their political differences yesterday to work on reviving in Congress a recently rejected bill that would allow the overhaul and repair of U.S. naval vessels in the CNMI.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed Friday the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act without Sablan’s H.R. 4338 that would include the CNMI as a site where military vessels may be repaired.

Sablan, in an interview with reporters after his 2:30pm meeting with Fitial on Capital Hill yesterday, said this was his first formal meeting with Fitial since the governor was re-elected in 2009. Sablan said he requested for a meeting, which the governor accepted.

“We’re working together on this one,” Sablan said.

Press secretary Angel Demapan, when asked for comment, said as far as the governor is concerned, “the hardship of the people of the CNMI is at a critical juncture that requires the undivided attention of elected leaders.”

“While the governor and the delegate don’t always agree on certain policy decisions, both of them share common ground that the plight of the people must be addressed. The governor is sincere and willing to work with the delegate and all other elected leaders if the intention is to benefit the people of the Commonwealth,” Demapan said.

Sablan said he has been reaching out to his Democratic colleagues and asked the governor yesterday to also talk to his Republican friends in Congress to support the bill once it’s re-introduced.

“We try to make our own approach in the Senate although the chance is rather slim. But we’re still going to try. And if this doesn’t work this year, next year we’ll have more time together to work on this. I asked him to work on his Republican friends also and hopefully next year-God willing and the people willing that I continue to represent them in Congress-we’ll try again [to introduce the bill],” Sablan said.

Sablan reiterated that they didn’t whip the vote on his bill, which was defeated by a vote of 118-303.

“Considering that we didn’t whip the vote really, that’s a good bill and despite instructions from the chairman of the Armed Services and the ranking member-and the instruction was to vote ‘no,’ we got 118,” he said, adding that “influential” members of the House voted “yes” to his bill, including Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and David Dreier, chairman of the Rules Committee.

Joining Fitial and Sablan in the meeting were Demapan and Mike Tenorio from Sablan’s office.

Demapan said that Fitial strongly supported Sablan’s bill, which has long been the subject of meetings the governor has had with members of Congress over the past year while in the nation’s capitol.

“Governor Fitial was also instrumental in enlisting the support of Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo. Now that the legislation failed to muster the needed votes in the U.S. House, Gov. Fitial and Delegate Kilili will both seek out the possibility of having the bill introduced and originate from the U.S. Senate. Gov. Fitial expressed his intention to get in touch with key Republicans and in turn, asked the delegate to do the same with his Democrat colleagues, in an effort to make another attempt of getting this much needed legislation through the U.S. Congress,” Demapan said.

Demapan also said Fitial recognizes that the economic challenges are a tremendous burden on the people “and so he and the lieutenant governor are working hard to bring much needed relief to the islands.”

“But the administration cannot do it alone, it would require the whole cooperation of the delegate and the members of the CNMI Legislature,” the press secretary added.