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Burton on island, Cohen to follow
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Posted on Oct 24 2004
U.S. congressman Dan Burton is currently on island partly to meet with local officials to discuss health issues, particularly funding for CNMI’s hemodialysis center.
Burton, chairman of the Subcommittee on Wellness and Human Rights, arrived yesterday on Saipan and is set to leave tomorrow.
The congressman recently spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of raising the funding ceiling on all Medicaid funding to the CNMI and other U.S. Territories.
Burton visited the CNMI and Guam in December 2003 to assess the health care concerns in both insular areas.
Last February, Burton convened a hearing on the state of health care in U.S. Territories and Freely Associated nations, which was attended by Gov. Juan Babauta and Health Secretary Dr. James Hofschneider, among others.
In his visit this week, Burton is also expected to discuss issues relating to the “stateless individuals” in the CNMI.
Burton has expressed his willingness to support the move to grant these individuals U.S. citizenship.
This developed amid a Ninth Circuit ruling which recognizes that those born between 1978 and 1986—the year when the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution came into effect in the CNMI and the granting of U.S. citizenship to all NMI-born people—are considered U.S. citizens.
In view of this, the CNMI government has called on the “stateless children” to apply now for their U.S. passports.
Meanwhile, U.S. Department of the Interior deputy assistant for insular affairs David Cohen is set to arrive on Saipan tomorrow to follow up on the DOI-sponsored Los Angeles business conference for the territories.
Cohen will also meet with the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and Northern Marianas College officials.
