FORMER Rota Mayor’s Office Public Information Officer Ivan Mereb Jr. on Friday asked Senate Vice President Karl King-Nabors to consider a resolution requesting U.S. Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds to propose the creation of a non-voting delegation for U.S. territories in the U.S. Senate.
Mereb, who is also the president of Rota Island Specialty Crop Association, cited H.R. 6941, which then-U.S. Congressman Michael San Nicolas of Guam introduced in the 117th Congress on March 7, 2022. It was a bill to provide a non-voting delegate to the U.S. Senate representing the CNMI, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
H.R. 6941 was referred to the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, but no further action has been taken.
Mereb noted that, unlike the U.S. House, where the territories have representation, the U.S. Senate has the power to confirm executive appointments and decide on the impeachment of a U.S. president.
It is his hope, he said, that the CNMI Senate would consider adopting a resolution requesting King-Hinds to introduce a bill similar to San Nicolas’ H.R. 6941.
“In hindsight, we are asking our Congresswoman to tread uncharted waters with the goal of having the CNMI’s voice equally represented in both houses of Congress,” Mereb said.
