The Senate has already overridden the veto, and to enact the budget bill, at least 14 House members must support the override.
But House Minority Leader Oscar M. Babauta, Covenant-Saipan, said the override is not going to help the islands’ dismal economic situation.
He said what is needed are austerity measures which will ensure that the CNMI government lives within its available resources.
Rep. Tina Sablan, Ind.-Saipan, disagrees.
“The governor’s rationale for this latest budget veto was even weaker than the last, but still there are members in the House who are apparently reluctant to support the override,” she said in a statement.
“Nothing has changed except that the fiscal crisis has worsened, favors have been traded, threats have been made, and the political consequences of passing a budget versus passing the buck are now being recalculated. Also, we are closer to election time than we were before.”
According to Sablan, “Overriding the veto will mean stricter controls on government spending — and especially, on hiring, which continues virtually unchecked, even as the governor urges for paycuts, shorter work weeks, and ever-decreasing employer contributions to the Retirement Fund. It will mean cuts in both personnel and operational expenses across all branches of government. It will mean more stringent reporting and accountability requirements for the administration.”
An override, however, will require great political courage, Sablan said.
“The Senate demonstrated that courage last [week] when [senators] voted 7-2 to override the governor’s veto of the budget. Now the responsibility falls upon the members of the House to follow suit, and whether there is enough will among us to do what is right by our constituents, even if it is difficult, remains to be seen.”
Sablan is encouraging “all concerned citizens to take a few minutes of their time to contact their elected representatives in the House to share their sentiments one way or another on how we should act on the budget. Public pressure one way or the other can make a tremendous difference in the decision we make in the House.”
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, who left yesterday morning for Washington, D.C., wants lawmakers to re-impose the austerity holidays wherein government offices will be shut down every other Friday.
He is also asking the Legislature to pass a measure that will mandate the nonpayment of five legal holidays this FY 2009 which officially began on Oct. 1, 2008.
