Ways & Means handles legislation relating to taxes and revenues, proposed expenditures, government contracts, government bonds, federal grants, the financial administration of the CNMI and wages.
Basa, Covenant-Saipan, said he has no objections to Maratita joining the committee.
“I welcome Representative Maratita to Ways & Means, but there needs to be an amendment to the House rules,” he told Variety.
House rules state that Ways & Means “shall consist of not more than 11 members.” According to Basa, the committee has 12 members already.
“If [she] is eager to join Ways & Means, we need to write a memo to the speaker about adding another member. Plus, we need the help in order to work hard on resurrecting the economy. That should be our number one priority” he said.
Maratita, R-Saipan, said she wants to play a role in fixing the economy.
“The Legislature needs to work on fixing our ailing economy, and that requires not only Ways & Means, but everyone in both the House and Senate,” she said.
Maratita was the vice chairwoman of Ways & Means, Health & Welfare, and Education committees and was the chair of Natural Resources in the 14th Legislature.
Maratita was with the Covenant Party at that time but unsuccessfully sought re-election on the GOP ticket. In 2007, she ran as an Independent but lost. Two years later, she joined the GOP slate and was again unsuccessful, placing seventh in Precinct 1 which has six House seats. She then backed the Covenant Party in the gubernatorial runoff and was appointed as a program manager of the Department of Public Health after the election.
Maratita said she has officially taken retired Rep. Diego T. Benavente’s spot on the House Natural Resources Committee.
