Gov. Benigno F. Fitial testified in the U.S. Congress against H.R. 1466, and his administration continues to doubt the measure will pass the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Although it has received the nod of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, the governor remains hopeful that the full body will reject the legislation in consideration of the concerns of the local government and the indigenous community,” Demapan said.
Asked what will the administration do if the U.S. House passes the bill, Demapan said: “That will be something that will be dealt with if we get to that point.”
U.S. Interior Assistant Secretary on Insular Affairs Tony Babauta, for his part, reiterated the department’s support for Sablan’s measure.
The U.S. House Rule compliance report said the director of the Congressional Budget Office “estimates that implementing H.R. 1466 would have no significant net cost to the federal government.”
“Enacting the bill would affect direct spending, but CBO estimates that the net costs would not be significant. Because the legislation would affect direct spending, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues,” the report added.
