Fitial and first lady Josie Fitial were at the White House to witness President. Bush sign the declaration designating three marine sanctuaries in the Pacific, which include CNMI waters.
Sablan, Ind.-MP, becomes the sixth nonvoting member of the U.S. House which has 435 voting members.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., swore in the members of the 111th Congress which is scheduled to go on session next week.
“Today is a landmark day in commonwealth history,” said Sablan in a statement. “Today our islands become full-fledged members of the American political family. First we were a Trust Territory. Then the Covenant was approved and we were a commonwealth. And now we have a seat in Congress. The Covenant gave us autonomy, but up until now the feds could pass laws affecting the Marianas without us having a say. Now we have a role in making those laws.”
The creation of the CNMI’s delegate seat was mandated by the Consolidated and Natural Resources Act of 2008 or U.S. Public Law 110-229, which will also extend federal immigration law to the islands in June.
Sablan’s wife, Andrea, and their children, Patricia and Jesse, attended the historic moment on Capitol Hill.
Also in attendance were the CNMI’s first and last resident representatives — Edward DLG. Pangelinan and Pete A. Tenorio, who narrowly lost to Sablan in the congressional delegate election last November.
Tenorio donated the commonwealth’s seal to the new CNMI congressional office.
Pangelinan, for his part, said Sablan’s presence in the U.S. Congress fulfills the nation’s commitment to treat the CNMI as a member of its political family.
“The people of the Northern Mariana Islands have waited over 30 years for the full participation of our citizens in Congress. To a large measure this fulfills the Covenant commitment that we will be participating fully as a self-governing commonwealth within the American family,” he said.
Pangelinan and Tenorio were members of the Marianas Political Status Commission, which negotiated the drafting of the Covenant with the U.S.
Sablan’s children were awed by the event.
“It is amazing,” said his daughter Patricia. “This is history.”
His son wished him well: “I’m just really nervous and hoping that he does well.”
