President-elect Barack Obama, who will be sworn in as the nation’s 44th chief executive on Jan. 20, will attend the ceremony.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and CNMI first lady Josie Fitial along with other commonwealth officials will also witness Sablan’s swearing-in.
The governor earlier said the CNMI’s first delegate to the U.S. Congress is crucial to the islands’ future, particularly its economy.
Sablan, a two-term House Democratic lawmaker, was the executive director of the Commonwealth Election Commission when he decided to run for congressional delegate last year.
He ran as an Independent but will caucus with the ruling U.S. House Democrats.
He vowed to work on legislation that will promote economic development on the islands.
His wife Andrea and their children will also attend the swearing-in ceremony in the Rayburn Room on the main floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Sablan, like other U.S. House members, will serve a two-year term, and his office will receive a $1 million annual budget from the federal government.
As a member of the U.S. House, Sablan’s salary is $169,300 a year.
He can introduce bills, offer amendments, and vote in House committees, but he will not be able to vote on the floor.
