WASHINGTON Rep. Pete A. Tenorio is requesting a bigger budget for his office, which would include $330,000 for lobbying or consulting services.
Tenorio says his office needs an additional $459,389 for the next fiscal year. Besides hiring lobbyists, Tenorio said he would use the extra money for his staff’s retirement and group insurance payments.
“We are trying to get professional help,” Tenorio said yesterday. This time, however, the funding for the lobbyist would be “channeled” through the Washington Representative’s Office, which would be held accountable for it, Tenorio said.
Further, the lobbying firm will directly work with him in Washington, he added. “We will get our money’s worth,” Tenorio said.
The previous administration was criticized for hiring a lobby firm that did not coordinate its efforts with the Washington Representative’s Office and for allowing itself to be used for the election campaign of certain candidates in last year’s elections. The lobby firm also turned the CNMI into a political “hot button” issue in Washington.
Babauta, in a separate interview yesterday, assured Tenorio that the administration was working on his request.
“Of course (we will help him). We will try to find a way to increase (his budget),” Babauta said.
Babauta said the Washington representative needs to have a budget for professional services.
“He has to have access to either an adviser or a consultant in Washington,” said the governor, who was the CNMI’s Washington representative for the past 12 years.
In its proposed fiscal year 2003 budget, the administration recommended $1.32 million for the Washington Representative’s Office, an increase of 9.59 percent from the $1.2 million it is currently receiving.
Tenorio submitted a budget request amounting to $1,782,009 for FY 2003. He said there is a need to expand his office’s ability to influence legislation that threatens the CNMI’s “economic future and internal self-government.”
“Our continuing efforts to have the U.S. Congress provide the CNMI with a stable wage system through inclusion of the American Samoa version of the (wage system), together with our efforts to continue retention of our authority on certain labor and immigration matters, are but two critical examples of those efforts,” Tenorio said.
He said the CNMI should also pursue the local people’s “overwhelming desire” to finally have “non-voting representation” in the U.S. Congress.
Previously authorized “overceiling appropriation” to the CNMI during the early years of the Covenant’s implementation could also be revived “through aggressive and coordinated lobbying efforts,” Tenorio said.
Likewise, securing more federal funds for capital improvement project requires experts and lobbying, he added.
