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Senate fiscal panel sees budget bill changes
Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee chair Jovita Taimanao (Ind-Rota) said yesterday her panel will hold a working session Tuesday on the $114 million budget bill that the House passed on Wednesday. Taimanao said there are areas of the bill that would be amended, including funding for health services.
“The Senate will work expeditiously on this budget bill and ensure it will be back in the House with amendments,” Taimanao said in an interview.
The panel’s working session on the fiscal year 2013 budget bill will be on Tuesday at 10am, and Taimanao said the full Senate could take up the legislation days later.
“The committee will also look at the governments’ obligations or debts to vendors as we go over the budget,” she added.
The House spent considerable time discussing lawmakers’ proposed increase in operational funding for fiscal year 2013 that ended up as having the same amount as that of in fiscal year 2012.
Taimanao said she personally supports maintaining a $72,000 operational funding for lawmakers for 2013.
“But it will be a committee decision. We can’t discuss the specific amendments that will be done until we hold the working session next week,” she said. Taimanao was waiting to receive a copy of the budget bill that underwent 10 amendments in the House on Wednesday.
Taimanao said the Senate panel also supports lifting the 16-hour cuts to bring back the work hours to 80 biweekly, along with paid holidays.
Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) also said the budget bill would have Senate amendments.
Manglona echoed acting House speaker Felicidad Ogumoro (Cov-Saipan), saying the Senate will work with the House should there be a deadlock on the budget bill between the House and Senate.
If a budget is not enacted by Oct. 1, the government will be forced to shut down until a budget is signed into law to comply with a constitutional mandate.
By Haidee V. Eugenio
Reporter
