BREAKING NEWS: House rejects Senate version of budget revision bill
The House of Representatives rejected this afternoon, Friday, the Senate’s proposed changes in the House’s bill that would revise the budget law for the CNMI government’s operations in fiscal year 2023.
With 17 voting “yes” and two “no” to floor leader Rep. Edwin K. Propst’s (D-Saipan) motion to reject House Bill 23-31, a bicameral conference committee will be tasked with hammering out a mutually acceptable legislation to revise the budget law.
Reps. Julie A. Ogo (Ind-Rota) and Patrick H. San Nicolas (R-Tinian) were the ones who voted “no” to Propst’s motion to reject and move into a conference committee.
Rep. Malcom Jason Omar (Ind-Saipan) was absent as he is currently in Washington, D.C. attending a policy academy pertaining to suicide prevention.
Before the voting, Rep. Blas Jonathan T. Attao (Ind-Saipan) cited the changes to the bill in the Senate’s version. Attao noted that among the changes is that the Senate added $225,000 to both Rota and Tinian. Attao said the position of the House would be to reject this Senate’s version because they want also to understand why they need these additional funds on top of what has already been given to both municipalities.
More details to follow.