Federal takeover hearing postponed

It was the extra expense in traveling to Washington which the business sector wanted to avoid but it happened just the same when the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee postponed at the last minute the scheduled Aug. 3 CNMI oversight hearing.

Instead, the Senate hearing will be held in the same week that the House Resources Committee, chaired by Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), will conduct its investigation scheduled for Sept. 16, sources from the administration said yesterday.

The office of Juan N. Babauta, CNMI’s resident representative to Washington, called up the Office of the Governor Friday morning to inform the local chief executive of the postponement. Unfortunately, the call came a day late since Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio left for Washington Thursday morning.

Other CNMI officials who left for Washington were Labor and Immigration Sec. Mark Zachares, Special Assistant for Policy and Research Mike Malone, Special Advisor on Finance and Budget Mike Sablan and Julia Sandvold, legal counsel of Lt. Gov. Jesus R. Sablan.

It was a much smaller delegation compared to the last congressional hearing held in March 1998 which was specifically made to save the government’s dwindling resources.

The governor had earlier expressed hope that the U.S. Congress hearing would be the last appearance under his administration, noting the huge travel expenses it entails for the cash-strapped government.

Since he assumed office in January last year, Tenorio said he has set aside limited funds for official travel expenses to boost savings of the administration.

Chamber president Kerry M. Deets did not get the message on time since she left Thursday evening via Tokyo. Ron Sablan, president of the Hotel Association of Northern Mariana Islands, who was in Las Vegas, and Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association executive director Richard Pierce, who was in Washington State, were both spared since they learned about the change in schedule before they could fly to Washington D.C.

The three business groups wrote to Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) asking if the hearing could be pushed back and held on the same month that the House Resources investigation would be conducted in September.

Among the legislative leaders, only Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez flew to Washington D.C. after attending a conference in Indiana.

Senate President Paul A. Manglona, House Speaker Diego T. Benavente and Majority Floor leader Ana S. Teregeyo immediately canceled their trip after learning that the hearing has been postponed.

The scheduled Sept. 16 hearing by the House Resources Committee will tackle enforcement of U.S. labor laws, equal employment opportunity and occupational safety laws in the Northern Marianas.

Both the government and the private sector have opposed the application of federal labor and immigration laws to the CNMI in fear this would adversely affect the island’s economy especially at this time.

The battle for control over immigration and labor has been a wedge in the CNMI-US ties since the Clinton administration sponsored legislation that would take away Saipan’s control over these Commonwealth functions.