Budget talks are delayed

The joint House-Senate discussion aimed at hammering out a budget pact has gone into recess and is set to resume next week after the Christmas holiday.

Some members of the bicameral conference committee had asked for the postponement to attend to personal matters, according to House Floor Leader Oscar M. Babauta.

Six lawmakers have been designated by each respective house to sit down to try to reach an agreement on the FY 2001 budget amid differences on how to appropriate the $221.66 million projected revenues of the government.

They began their meeting last week in which they hoped to conduct “marathon meetings” in an effort to come up with a deal before the end of the year.

But the conferees are now looking into a possible agreement by early next year, said Sen. Joaquin G. Adriano.

“We’re still optimistic though that we will be able to iron out our differences,” he told in an interview.

Mr. Babauta and Mr. Adriano, along with House Ways and Means Committee chair Rep. Antonio M. Camacho and Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee chair Sen. Edward U. Maratita as well as Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes and Rep. Malua T. Peter, are part of the group.

They are tasked to map out a budget package acceptable to both houses before the Legislature hands over the measure to Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio for his approval.

Last Thursday, the bicameral conferees raised the possibility of piecemeal budget for key departments and agencies, as well as for the Legislature and the judiciary, since both houses already agreed on the appropriation level.

They had hoped to approve the budget set aside for the Public School System, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Public Health, the Washington Representatives Office and several individual programs.

Although they are still deadlocked on several administrative provisions of the fiscal budget, they have expressed optimism of setting aside their differences and reach a consensus.

Both Rota and Tinian are pressing at least $1 million for two separate offices of the Marianas Visitors Authority in each of the island municipalities.

Mr. Maratita is also firm in his proposal to earmark $2 million to settle portion of the so-called retroactive salary owed by the government to its 2,000 employees since 1991.

On the other hand, House members have said they would lobby reinstatement of $700,000 taken away by their counterpart to finance lobbying campaign in Washington D.C.

They are also considering an increase in the share of other vital programs, such as public health and public safety, as well as appropriation to increase pay of those employees considered under “frozen steps.”

The bicameral conference followed House’s rejection of the amendments made by the Senate to the budget that showed substantial changes to the proposal it crafted last August.

Estimated spending level for the current fiscal year has reached to $221.66 million, but the upper house cut $10 million from the Executive Branch to fund programs and projects endorsed by the senators.