But Sen. Ralph DLG. Torres defended the travel, saying they have to meet federal officials to bring up “several issues.”
Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota, will leave on Saturday, while Senator Torres, Senate Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider, R-Tinian, and Sen. Frank Q. Cruz, R-Tinian, will leave on Sunday.
In an interview, Senator Torres, R-Saipan, said they have to discuss with U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar the need for the CNMI to use capital improvement project monies for other critical local government operations.
He said they also need to personally hand to Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan the CNMI Senate recommendation to give long-term guest workers immigration status similar to what the U.S. granted Freely Associated State citizens.
The senator said they will also have to “sit down” with Department of Homeland Security officials.
Moreover, he said he needs to meet with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials to discuss more public health assistance for the CNMI.
The senator expressed hope that they would be successful in convincing federal officials to allow the CNMI to use CIP funds for government operations and provide the islands with an MRI machine, a CT-scan, brand new beds and a hyperbaric chamber.
He is also hoping that they could convince the U.S. Congress to consider the local Senate’s recommendation for guest workers.
But according to Representative Torres, Ind.-Saipan, what the senators want to do was already done by Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, who visited the nation’s capital recently.
Representative Torres also noted that communication today is sophisticated and one does not have to travel that far just to air some concerns.
He said CNMI taxpayers do not have to spend a lot of money in transmitting a recommendation to the U.S. Congress.
He noted that the governor brought up all these issues, including Representative Torres’ concerns regarding the Endangered Species Act.
He said he didn’t have to travel to Washington D.C. to get a response from Salazar regarding the lawmaker’s request to exclude the nightingale reed-warbler from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s list of endangered species.
“I just faxed and email my letters to him,” Representative Torres said.
