THE House of Representatives on Monday adopted House Resolution 22-20 urging Gov. Ralph DLG Torres to issue ARPA-funded $1,000 vouchers to help qualified households pay their utility bills.
All 18 members present voted to pass the resolution authored by Rep. Corina Magofna and co-sponsored by the rest of the House members.
Reps. Donald Manglona and Sheila Babauta were excused from the session.
H.R. 22-20 states that fuel cost “has significantly increased on all three [main] islands with the cost of fuel being above $6 per gallon on Saipan and well above $7 per gallon on the islands of Tinian and Rota and will continue to rise due to global issues beyond our control.”
Prior to the voice-vote, Rep. Joel Camacho thanked Magofna for authoring the resolution saying he supported it. He said one of his constituents had called his office three times, informing him their power had been disconnected for their failure to pay their bills which were “too high.”
Camacho said it was “really heart-breaking.” He said he wishes there was more the Legislature can do but H.R. 22-20 is one way to address the people’s problem.
Rep. John Paul Sablan also thanked Magofna, saying he supports the resolution, and asked her if the resolution could be adopted by the rest of the House as a committee of the whole.
Vice Speaker Blas Jonathan Attao echoed Sablan’s request.
Magofna, in her remarks, noted that the ARPA-funded $500 stimulus card the administration will issue can be used by qualified households to purchase basic commodities. But the $1,000 utility voucher, she said, “will definitely assist people in regard to their [utility] bills.”
