H.B. 16-245, however, will allow these lawmakers to receive the current CNMI government per diem rate of $85 a day for official travel within the commonwealth.
Attached to the bill is a photo copy of a Jan. 12, 2009 report from All Headline News titled: “Newly Elected Utah Congressman Sleeping in Office to Save Cash.”
House Bill 16-245 states that due to the CNMI’s continued economic downturn, “it is necessary to find additional ways to lessen government expenditures.”
Each of the six Rota and Tinian senators gets, on top of annual salaries and office budgets, a monthly allowance of $5,000 for food, lodging, transportation and other expenses when attending to legislative business on Saipan.
Each of the two Rota and Tinian House members gets a monthly $1,500 housing allowance and a subsistence allowance of $4,000.
The grand total of these allowances is $41,000 a month or $492,000 a year.
A lawmaker gets an annual salary of $39,000 and $99,000 for his office and miscellaneous expenses.
Citing the Office of the Public Auditor’s Report No. AR-03-05 dated Aug. 6, 2003, Santos, R-Saipan, said there is no accountability for the current allowances provided to Rota and Tinian lawmakers.
The OPA report noted that the monthly travel expenses for Rota and Tinian lawmakers are likely to be considerably less than $5,000 a month.
Hence, it added, the current rates have resulted in “an unjustified personal benefit.”
A Tinian-Saipan roundtrip air ticket costs about $60. Rota-Saipan costs about $200.
A ferry service charges each passenger around $40 per Tinian-Saipan roundtrip.
If passed by the House of Representatives, H.B. 16-245 will still need the approval of the Senate, which is dominated by Rota and Tinian members, before it can reach the governor’s desk.
