While House Floor Leader George N. Camacho believes the budget panel’s work is still “subject to the approval” of the entire House, Minority Leader Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero would rather accept “minor” deficiencies to avoid another government shutdown.
Neither Camacho nor Deleon Guerrero wanted to comment on the possible outcome of the conference committees’ meeting but said the panel’s report on fiscal year 2012 budget will not automatically get the nod of everybody.
While the budget panel headed by House Ways and Means Committee chairman Rep. Ramon S. Basa and Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee chair Sen. Jovita M. Taimanao continued their closed-door meeting yesterday, the leaderships of both Houses were not leaving the Legislature building as they closely monitored every development of the talks.
Camacho, Ind.-Saipan said they, in the House have to remain “skeptic” of the result of the conference committee meeting.
“Whatever the product of the conference committee is still subject to approval by the rest of the House members, and of course the governor,” Camacho said.
“I have faith in the conference committee,” the floor leader said. But as Legislative procedure, there will be 16 other House members and five other senators who will have to vote on the conference committee report no matter how acceptable it is to the conferees of both houses.
Also, Camacho added, all legislators should have the opportunity to raise concerns once the conference committee report on the budget bill is presented on the floor in respective houses’ session.
Camacho admitted that the House should have something to compromise but he vowed to push for the FY2012 budget that is fair to everybody. If there is a need to cut appropriations, he said “cut everybody across.”
For his part, Deleon Guerrero, R-Saipan said that because of the “looming threat” of government shutdown which none of the lawmakers wants to happen again, any minor deficiencies in the product of the conference committee “maybe accepted.”
He agrees that members still have to look at the budget bill, of course. But he believes unless there is still “a big problem” in the draft budget bill most members may agree to pass it.
“All members fully understand the ramification of shutdown,” Deleon Guerrero said.
Rep. Ray N. Yumul, R-Saipan said the conference committee should “hash out” only the difference between the Senate and House versions of the budget bill. There is no time for the conferees to discuss the issues that both houses have similar stance, the judicial budget for example.
Yumul said he expects that once the committee report is presented in the session which is likely tomorrow or Friday, there will still members who will continue to raise concerns.
