“I am very grateful to Chairman David Obey, who heads up the Labor, Health, and Education Subcommittee for including all of my education requests in his fiscal year 2010 appropriations bill,” said Sablan.
$250,000 is earmarked for the Public School System’s Chamorro and Refaluwasch language programs.
“Nothing identifies a culture more than its language. So we must continue to be sure that all of our children are fluent in either the Chamorro or Refaluwasch languages,” Kilili said. “And I know it has not always been easy for PSS to find the funds needed to keep these programs going.”
The NMI Congressman also requested and received a special appropriation of $100,000 to be used to buy books for PSS libraries.
“Just as it is important to maintain the spoken language, as I am trying to do with the money for the Chamorro and Refaluwasch programs, it is also important to preserve and expand access to language in writing.
“Libraries can never have enough books. And certainly our school libraries and our students need many more books than the currently have. So this $100,000 will help to fill that need.”
One of the unique benefits of having a Member of Congress is that person’s ability to direct federal grants at specific needs – even outside of the government. That is the case with another $200,000 earmark in the Labor, HHS appropriation.
“I asked for $200,000 to help the Northern Marianas Trade Institute with its vocational and technical training programs,” Sablan explained.
“We really don’t have anything else quite like the Institute, which is giving some highly motivated people in our community the opportunity to learn skills that will lead to good jobs. I want to support that.
“Particularly with the boom in construction jobs that is happening now on Guam and could happen in the Northern Marianas as the military build-up continues, people who have training in welding and carpentry and plumbing and all the trades will find those skills much in demand – and well paid.”
All of the earmarks Kilili requested are part of his overarching goal to raise educational standards and opportunities at all levels to people in the Northern Mariana Islands.
“Looking down the road 30 to 50 years, it’s education that will make the difference in our society and in the quality of people’s lives. That’s what I’m working for,” the Congressman said.
