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Torres says if House cares for retirees, they should act on resolution for $500 bonuses
Pointing out that what the Senate passed was not an appropriation bill but just a resolution, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said Tuesday he could not understand why the House of Representatives did not act on the resolution that was supposed to pave way for the payment of $500 bonuses to government retirees during the holiday season.
In response to a question during a radio press briefing, Torres said the House’s inaction on Senate Joint Resolution 22-05 is “very unfortunate” and that he feels sorry for the retirees.
“Now I’m going to say this: If you really care for the retirees, why don’t you act on it? There’s a resolution there; they’ve done this in the past,” he said.
SJR 22-05, authored by Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider (R-Tinian), seeks to approve Torres’ request to the Legislature to reprogram $1.3 million from the general fund for the payment of the retirees’ $500 bonuses. The Senate unanimously adopted the resolution last week.
At the House session Monday, House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) directed further review for the resolution after vice speaker Blas Jonathan T. Attao (R-Saipan) raised the need for clarification from the Department of Finance and the administration. Chiefly, his argument was that any distribution of funds should begin in the House as the constitutionally mandated holder of the government’s purse strings.
At the press briefing Tuesday, Torres said they have the $1.3 million and yet the House didn’t act on the resolution that would have allowed the release of the funds.
“You know, honestly for all the retirees, I am sorry that you’re not getting your bonuses. I gave you my word. The funds are there. They removed my…100% reprogramming authority,” the governor said.
Torres said the Senate already passed the resolution and if the House would just act on it, the retirees will get their $500 bonuses.
He assured the retirees, however, that the $500 is still there for them and that he is hoping that the House can act on it, whether they do their own resolution or just pass it.
