Since EPIC, or the Economic Policy Implementation Council, stopped coming together several years ago and was somewhat replaced with the CEC, or the Chief Executive Council, which lacked representation of the legislative branches from both the state and national level, there has been a need to reconvene a council that has representation from both executive and legislative branches.
The 15th Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia initiated the convening of this much needed meeting when it transmitted Congressional Resolution 15-191 to Mori on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009 requesting the president to convene an immediate national and state leadership conference consisting of designated members of the national executive and legislative branches, the four state governors and the state speakers, and the director or his designee of the U.S. Office of Insular Affairs to consider the issue of the public infrastructure sector grant, and other related matters.
The president called a cabinet meeting to discuss the possible content of such a meeting with his executive cabinet members and the feasibility of holding the event on such short notice.
The cabinet was in agreement that if the state governments could attend, then it was feasible and a short list of agenda items were created.
On Friday, Jan. 30, another meeting was held between the executive branch and certain members of Congress to identify some of the issues that need to be resolved to get the Compact Sector Grant monies for infrastructure to start flowing again and reviewed the agenda items.
The executive committee came up with four additional items for the agenda in addition to the main topic of infrastructure.
Those items are; 1) how to handle projects that require States to put up matching funds, 2) Air & Sea Transportation issues, 3) the progress and importance of the upcoming 5 year Compact Review, and 4) tax reform issues.
Each State will be asked to bring 1-2 new and unique issues to add to the agenda.
The national state leadership conference will take place starting today and will end on Friday.
