Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes said it is good to hear that some House members are also willing to accept paycuts.
He said it is good that House members are also willing to share the “pain” of other government employees affected by the austerity measures.
But Reyes, R-Saipan, said he will still offer the amendments that will “zero” the individual allotments and leadership accounts of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
For his part, Sen. Juan M. Ayuyu, Ind.-Rota, said they are doing their best to make sure that the Senate amendments to the budget measure, or House Bill 17-215, will be acceptable to the House and the government agencies concerned.
He is confident that a budget will be passed by both houses on or before Sept. 30. Fiscal year 2012 starts on Oct. 1.
Vice Speaker Felicidad T. Ogumoro, Covenant-Saipan said she knows that both the House and the Senate do not want another shutdown.
Everybody, she said, learned a painful lesson last year and that is why “we are working closely to resolve differences, whatever they are.”
She said they want to address the Public School System’s concerns and will meet with Northern Marianas College officials to discuss the funding NMC needs to meet the federal maintenance of effort requirement.
“I’m very confident the House and Senate will work expeditiously to avoid a shutdown,” she said.
For his part, Press Secretary Angel A. Demapan said the administration is reminding lawmakers that time is running out.
He noted that Gov. Benigno R. Fitial submitted the budget proposal to the Legislature last April.
“It’s unfortunate they waited [to act on it] only now,” he added.
But the administration, he added, still believes that both houses are doing all their best to avoid a shutdown of nonessential government agencies if there is no new budget by Oct. 1.
