Speaker to Congress: No ‘harsh’ policy please

A CNMI government leader hopes that the Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress would not impose any “harsh” policies on the CNMI, such as an arbitrary implementation of federal wage and immigration control.

“I would continue to urge the new 110th Congress not to institute any harsh policies that would…worsen our economic problems,” said House Speaker Oscar M. Babauta in an interview yesterday.

He expressed hope that the new leadership in Congress “would continue to assist the citizens of the Commonwealth.”

The U.S. House of Representatives is now led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who earlier this year had criticized the CNMI over wage and labor issues.

Pelosi co-authored with longtime CNMI critic George Miller a bill that aimed to gradually implement the federal minimum wage and immigration requirements in the CNMI.

She was quoted as describing as “criminal what they are doing…” in the CNMI, regarding the garment industry and the islands’ “sub-minimum wage.”

Babauta said that imposing the federal minimum wage and immigration control in the CNMI would be detrimental to the local economy.

“Immigration control and the minimum wage are vital issues for economic recovery. We can’t entice investors to come knowing that we have the U.S. minimum wage. They might consider other places such as China,” said the House leader.

Following Pelosis’ reported criticism of the CNMI, the Saipan Chamber of Commerce last June invited Pelosi to visit the Northern Marianas “to better understand the local minimum wage situation.”

Chamber officials said they would tour Pelosi to garment factories and tourism sites “that make up the two main engines of our economic opportunity on the islands.”

“The Saipan Chamber of Commerce extends an invitation to you to visit where America’s day truly begins. We would like the opportunity to have you visit and experience the Hafa Adai spirit,” said Chamber officials led by president Charles V. Cepeda.

Chamber officials had expressed disappointment over Pelosi’s statements.

“We were disheartened by your comments regarding our islands and Resident Rep. Pete A. Tenorio as being criminals because of our wage scale and working conditions,” the Chamber said in a June 28, 2006, letter to the U.S. lawmaker.

The group said it received no response from the congresswoman.

“We hope you take us up on our invitation and truly become educated about our islands’ economic predicament as well as the many U.S. insular territories that are struggling to make ends meet. We are not saying we are perfect but we assure you we are doing everything we can to improve our system,” the Chamber had said.

Miller’s bill, the U.S.-Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Human Dignity Act, seeks to gradually impose the U.S. minimum wage and apply U.S. immigration law “as if the CNMI were a state.”

The bill also stipulates that no products could leave the Northern Marianas with a “Made in the U.S.A.” label, and no goods could be shipped to the U.S. duty-free, “unless the minimum wage was paid to the workers, all labor laws were obeyed and no indentured servitude was allowed.”

That bill remains pending in Congress.