Pangelinan, D-Saipan, will be off-island from July 21 to 28 to attend the 2008 National Conference of State Legislatures Legislative Summit in New Orleans.
She informed the office of acting Senate President Felix T. Mendiola, Covenant-Rota, last week about her trip to the mainland, delegating her duties as committee chairwoman to Sen. Joseph M. Mendiola, Covenant-Tinian, until she returns.
Pangelinan also passed on her duties as Senate secretary to the acting Senate president.
In the House of Representatives, Rep. Victor B. Hocog, Ind.-Rota, has been designated as acting chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Its chairman, Rep. Ray N. Yumul, R-Saipan, is an Army Reservist who has been re-deployed to the Middle East for a year.
In an interview on Friday, Speaker Arnold I. Palacios, R-Saipan, said despite the leadership changes in these committees, lawmakers will exert “extra effort” in tackling the budget proposal for fiscal year 2009.
He said Hocog will convene the House committee this week to start the budget process.
FY 2009 begins on Oct. 1.
“We’re going to have a working group together with the Senate to expedite the process,” the speaker said. “This is the next challenge that we have to meet.”
He told the Variety that Pangelinan agreed that both houses work together on the budget bill.
Pangelinan recently came out with a report on the budget proposal and the government’s hiring process.
