Teno to meet with U.S. lawmakers

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio is not likely to let go of the rare chance to be able to point out reform measures carried out by the Commonwealth when he meets with federal and U.S. Congress officials during his 10-day trip to Washington D.C.

Mr. Tenorio said he will meet with U.S. House Resources Committee Chair Don Young in what he described to be just a “courtesy call.”

However, he did not discount the possibility of raising the Commonwealth’s concerns on the action taken by the U.S. Senate in passing the legislation that would extend federal control on CNMI’s immigration and minimum wage.

The upper house of the U.S. Congress earlier this month passed Senate Bill 1052 which seeks to extend federal immigration laws to the Northern Marianas despite lobbying against the proposal by CNMI officials. The move will alter the self-governing status provided to the Commonwealth under the Covenant agreement, which guarantees local control over immigration and minimum wage standards.

The U.S. House of Representatives has yet to act on the proposal.

Mr. Tenorio said his administration would continue labor and immigration reforms in the islands while trying to appeal for “understanding” from Washington.

The governor said he would not waste the opportunity to meet with officials of the U.S. Congress even when the original purpose of his trip is to attend the National Governors Association convention, which will also coincide with the economic discussion among top ranking officials of American outlying areas prepared by the White House. (See related story on Page 5)

Although he is not directly touching on the issues surrounding legislative proposals to extend federal immigration laws into the Northern Marianas during his proposed meeting with US legislators, Mr. Tenorio said he will talk about how the local economy has been badly hit by the financial turmoil in Asia.

“We will discuss some of the issues that we have over here. Our economy is not getting better and we largely depend on major economies in Asia. I think, and I hope, they will understand our situation,” he told reporters yesterday.

Tenorio has been vocal about how recent observations and studies have noted the potential adverse impacts the extension of federal minimum wage and immigration laws into the islands would have in the local economy.

Business activities in the Northern Marianas remain stagnant while visitor arrival figures continue to dwindle with the Marianas Visitors Authority reporting flat growth during the previous month.

The CNMI chief executive stressed that the federal takeover proposal would be disastrous in the Commonwealth’s crumbling economy, as he renewed calls for the US Congress and the Clinton Administration to reconsider plans to increase local minimum wage to mainland U.S. levels and to enforce the Immigration and Naturalization Act in the islands.