In Their Own Words-Part 2

I want to thank the editors of Saipan Tribune and Marianas Variety as well as Mr. Ambrose Bennett for providing this opportunity to the candidates for Congressional Delegate. This is an historic and serious election. Not only are we electing a representative to Congress for the first time, but there are many important issues facing the CNMI that will challenge our first Delegate. It is my hope that our voters examine each candidate carefully and make their decision on who to vote based on the candidate’s experience, record of leadership and accomplishments and ability to effectively pursue issues in Congress.

Each candidate has been asked to answer two questions ‘What are we going to do and how are we going to get it done?’ I wish to start with ‘How are you going to get it done?’

As your Resident Representative, I have been committed to work closely with our elected leaders, listening to all of my constituents and representing them as best I can. My motto will always be “working for and with you.” If elected I will continue to maintain direct and open communication with the Governor, Legislature and our people, and will visit the CNMI as often as the congressional schedule will permit, so that I may listen first hand and update myself on the needs of the people. We are living through very difficult times and I will continue to strive for a balanced and fair approach consistent with our Covenant.

My seven years in Washington have taught me many things and more importantly have enabled me to build strong personal and professional relationships and to establish lines of communication with many Republican and Democratic members of Congress. These relationships, together with a strong bi-partisan spirit are mandatory for Congress to address CNMI’s problems.

Delegates Bordallo, Christensen, Faleomavaega, and Fortuño are close personal friends and together we have succeeded in including the territories in economic stimulus packages, have increased compact impact and Medicaid funding and the child tax credit, and have also increased access to federal grant programs. I have worked with many other members of Congress from both parties including, to name a few: Jeff Flake (AZ), Nick Rahall (WV), Elton Gallegly (CA), John Boehner (OH), Tom Cole (OK), Dennis Rehberg (MT), Dennis Cardoza (CA), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Jeff Bingaman (NM), Daniel Akaka, Daniel Inouye, and Neil Abercrombie (HI). I have worked with congressional leaders from both parties and Secretaries of many federal agencies and feel confident that as your Delegate I can bring any CNMI issue to the highest levels of power in the nation.

Introducing legislation is easy, but making sure that the bill gets a hearing, a committee vote and floor action takes a lot of work, cooperation and relationships. As the Republican candidate with strong national party ties, I am confident that, even as a freshman, my party will nominate me to two standing committees. The committees are where the work gets done, where decisions are made on which piece of legislation is worthy of consideration and which will be acted on. To pass a law requires both the support of your party to get the bill to the House or Senate floor and bi-partisan support to get enough votes for passage.

With regards to the question “What are you going to do? With great confidence I feel that in my first term I can accomplish many of the following as well as establish a solid foundation to address the remainder:

-Restore annual CIP funding to the $27.7 million level. This funding will provide reliable and affordable power; modernize health centers and schools; improve our water, and wastewater; provide for recreational areas and tourist attractions.

-Enact CNMI’s submerged land grant commensurate with other territories and coastal states and provide economic benefits from minerals and other resources within the EEZ.

-Amend existing Endangered Species laws that are currently preventing economic development on Rota and Saipan.

– Increase social services funding for Medicaid, food stamps, and programs for persons with disabilities and the man’amko.

-Pursue additional funding for power generation and ensure that the CNMI is included in all programs that fund alternative energy sources.

– Secure a permanent military presence that yields economic benefits for the CNMI in the Guam military buildup that will ensure sustained economic activity, provide funding for harbor repair and infrastructure development on Tinian, and promote the CNMI especially Rota as approved R&R destination.

– Increase benefits to eligible veterans in the CNMI including a VA clinic on Saipan, expanding GI educational benefits, and continuing and expanding the Troops to Teachers Program.

-Fund the development of measurement tools to accurately assess and describe economic conditions in the CNMI.

-Ensure that federal immigration is implemented responsibly, positively, and fairly, supporting the needs of the business community, respecting the Chamorro and Carolinian peoples, and recognizing the role of the nonresidents.

-Secure the future for our youth through local hire preferences, federally funded vocational training programs, and job development programs.

-Expand tourism markets by demanding greater consideration in US bilateral talks with foreign countries regarding air service and supporting MVA and the visitor industry in exploring new tourist markets and expanding current ones.

-Collaborate with all relative federal agencies to develop immediate and long range plans on the diversification of the CNMI economy.

-Expand access to federal grant funding for the Public School System and Northern Marianas College by eliminating barriers to eligibility, increasing existing grant programs, and establishing new grant programs with an emphasis on insular areas.

-Expand access to needed funding for port and harbor projects in Transportation and Infrastructure reauthorizations and eliminating matching funds barriers.

-Bring health care into the 21st Century by removing barriers to the recruitment and retention of health care professionals, increasing funding for prevention and wellness programs, and seeking funding for adequate volcano monitoring to protect the public’s health.

-Expand benefits and support for the expansion and marketing of fishing and farming products.