Kilili thanks lawmakers for supporting CW bill

Delegate Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Ind-MP) thanked the Legislature yesterday for moving quickly to support the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act.

Sablan introduced the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 19.  Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AIC), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over the insular areas, introduced an identical legislation in the Senate on the same day.

Shortly after, Sablan wrote to House Speaker Rafael Demapan (R-Saipan) and Senate President Arnold Palacios (R-Saipan) asking for the Legislature’s backing.

 “Chairman Murkowski and I plan to move the bill as quickly as we can through the legislative process and on to the President’s desk for signature,” Sablan said. “The Commonwealth Legislature could help us by quickly adopting a joint resolution supporting the continuation of the [Commonwealth-Only Transitional Worker] CW program, as proposed in the Sablan/Murkowski bill.”

 At their session on Wednesday this week, Marianas House lawmakers approved a resolution that follows Sablan’s recommendation—supporting passage of the U.S. Workforce Act. Marianas senators are expected to pass a similar resolution at their session today.

“These expressions of support by the Legislature come at a good time, with a hearing on the bill scheduled before [Murkowski’s] committee on Feb. 6,” Sablan said. “I look forward to welcoming Gov. [Ralph DLG] Torres, legislators, business people, and all those who are coming to Washington, [D.C.] next week to show support for our bill.”

 On the House side, a hearing before the Natural Resources Committee, of which Sablan is a member, is expected to follow at the end of the month.

The U.S. Workforce Act continues the CW program, as the Legislature asked in a resolution last December.

In addition, the Sablan/Murkowski legislation resets the CW cap to 13,000 for 2019. The Trump administration has said it intends to cut the cap to 4,999.

“Our bill also emphasizes the importance of hiring U.S. workers in the Marianas,” Sablan said. “It increases the training fee employers pay and requires a plan for using those funds in a way that actually puts our local workers into jobs.”

The Sablan/Murkowski bill also addresses wage and hour and workplace safety violations that threaten both U.S. and foreign workers. And the legislation will make it more difficult for human traffickers and other bad actors to obtain CW permits.

Local businesses with long-term foreign workers benefit, too. The bill that Sablan and Murkowski wrote provides those workers a three-year permit that can be renewed across the extension period. “This gives our local businesses and their legacy employees more certainty about their future,” Sablan said.

To develop the legislation, a bipartisan, bicameral congressional working group began discussions last year on how to provide for the labor needs of the Marianas after 2019. Sablan, a member of the group, was responsible for drafting legislative language based on agreements reached in those discussions.

Members of the public who wish to support the U.S. Workforce Act may deliver their letters to any of the district offices on Saipan, Tinian, or Rota or email kilili@mail.house.gov. Letters should be copied to Sablan and addressed to:

Chairman Lisa Murkowski and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
304 Dirksen Senate Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Chairman Rob Bishop and Ranking Member Raul Grijalva
House Committee on Natural Resources
1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Constituents are also encouraged to submit letters to the editor for local newspapers, and to post them on social media, #KililiWorkforceAct. For more information, contact Sablan’s office at 323-2647 or email kilili@mail.house.gov. (PR)