Except for Rep. Froilan C. Tenorio, who was not happy about giving the Senate the $138,000 leadership account that was also provided to the House of Representatives, the rest of the House members voted yes to adopt the bicameral conference committee report recommending the passage of House Bill 17-215, which appropriates $102 million for the government in FY 2012.
Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, said nine senators should not receive the same amount of leadership account provided to the House which has 20 members.
The budget bill was transmitted by the House at around 6 p.m. Friday to the Senate whose members passed it unanimously.
While Speaker Eli D. Cabrera, R-Saipan, “has a strong feeling” that Inos will immediately sign the bill, Sen. Jovita M. Taimanao, Ind.-Rota and co-chair of the Senate-House conference committee, is certain the acting governor will approve the measure on Saturday.
Inos earlier met with the conference committee before it finalized the new version of the budget bill.
Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota, said he was hoping the measure would be enacted right away.
He noted that Inos worked with the conferees for the past four days and was “well-versed” with
the latest version of the bill.
Cabrera said the CNMI government needs a new general appropriation measure by Oct. 1 so “I have a strong feeling that he will sign it,” he added, referring to Inos.
The acting governor, he said, conveyed the administration’s concerns during the bicameral committee meetings.
Rep. Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan and co-chairman of the panel, said the important thing is that a government shutdown will be avoided.
House Floor Leader George N. Camacho, Ind.-Saipan, said all he wants to see is the budget signed “as soon as it is transmitted to the administration.”
Rep. Fredrick P. Deleon Guerrero, Ind.-Saipan and one of the budget conferees, said the people can’t wait for the last hour. “As far as I’m concerned, it would be better if the bill is signed as soon as possible.”
Rep. Ralph S. Demapan, Covenant-Saipan, said the sooner the budget bill is signed, the better it is for everyone.
The next thing he and his colleagues must do is to continue to find ways to generate more revenue so they can restore the 80 working hours of government workers, he added.
The people in the galleries of both chambers applauded when the bill’s passage was announced.
Manglona, Cabrera and the rest of the lawmakers from both chambers, for their part, commended thebudget conferees: Basa, Taimanao, Senate Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider, R-Tinian, Sen. Ralph DLG. Torres, R-Saipan, Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, Reps. Sylvestre I. Iguel, Covenant-Saipan, Demapan and Deleon Guerrero.
Last year, an unprecedented partial government shutdown was in effect for eight days because the House and the Senate could not agree on the budget.
