Committee markup on Kilili’s 1466 on Oct. 5

The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee has set an Oct. 5 markup on Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan’s (Ind-MP) H.R. 1466, which proposes a “CNMI-only resident status” for four groups of people. This early, some worker groups in the CNMI are hoping that the bill will be voted on the floor by the full U.S. House membership.

Sablan’s HR 1466 is one of 21 bills up for markup on Wednesday at 10am in Washington, D.C. (Thursday, Saipan time).

A markup is the process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation.

Sablan, who went back to the nation’s capital during the weekend, said he hopes that the committee will allow his bill to be voted on the floor by the full membership.

He, however, said the chance of HR 1466 becoming law by Nov. 27 is slim.

Rene Reyes, president of the Marianas Advocates for Humanitarian Affairs, said yesterday HR 1466 will be a big help to U.S. citizen children’s foreign parents, especially those who just lost their jobs because of the economy, for them to be able to lawfully remain in the CNMI after Nov. 27.

He also said if there is a chance to further amend H.R. 1466, he hopes it would be to add a fifth group of individuals that will be covered—legal foreign workers who have worked for at least five years as of May 2008, regardless of whether they have children or none.

“We are not losing sight of what we have been fighting for,” he said.

If this is not possible at this point, Reyes said they are still thankful that Sablan has been trying to help families remain intact.

Bonifacio Sagana, of Dekada Movement, separately said yesterday that he’s “happy” to know that Sablan’s HR 1466 is moving forward.

“It just shows that Kilili is sincere in his efforts to help those who will be affected, like the immediate relatives or parents of U.S. citizen children who are having a hard time finding a job. I am happy about the bill, even though some people would want it to include everyone,” he said.

The four groups covered in HR 1466 are CNMI permanent residents; those born in the CNMI between Jan. 1, 1974, and Jan. 9, 1978; the spouses or children, “as defined in section 101(b)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(b)(1)), of an alien described in subclauses (I) or (II)”; and immediate relatives of U.S. citizens regardless of the age of the U.S. citizen.

Meanwhile, some community members have been calling for a “stop work” rally among foreign workers at 8am today at the American Memorial Park.

Saipan-born California student Kelvin Rodeo, other youths, and some members of the foreign worker community on Saipan, said the goal of the morning rally is to let the CNMI feel what it would be like if there were no foreign workers in the CNMI.

Others said they would have wanted to join the morning rally but are worried that they might lose their job if they don’t show up for work on a Monday morning.