Saipan Republican Reps. Eliceo D. Cabrera and Joseph M. Palacios, who are both close to Tenorio, attended the meeting but declined to comment.
Ways and Means Committee Chairman Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan, said he wants Tenorio to remain as speaker because the former governor “is doing a great job.”
Basa said Tenorio should remain speaker because there is still a lot of work to be done and they want to continue working with the administration to “turn this ailing economy around.”
Tenorio, Basa added, is a “doer.”
“He doesn’t just talk but he also wants to make things happen. That is what we need right now,” Basa said.
Changing the House leadership at this juncture, he added, is not “very sensible.”
He said the House leadership can address Tenorio’s problem with funding, which he described
as “purely internal.”
He said if the Legislative Bureau is not using the resources equally between the two houses then it should be addressed.
Rep. Edmund S. Villagomez, Covenant-Saipan, said he also wants Tenorio to remain as speaker,
Villagomez said he likes Tenorio’s style of leadership.
Tenorio, in a separate interview, said Fitial, the founder and titular head of the Covenant Party, did not like the idea of him stepping down.
He said his colleagues in the House leadership assured Fitial that as long as Tenorio remains the speaker they will remain the majority.
The governor does not want, at this time, to deal with a new leadership in the 20-member House, Tenorio said.
According to Tenorio, who earlier said he was willing to step down as speaker, his leadership team has 11 members.
