After years fighting for federalization, human rights advocates should be alarmed by S.1237, expected to pass the Senate, or as I call it, "The Reverse Federalization Act of 2013".
The disanfranchised long abused underpaid guest workers of Saipan are now CWs (which is a CNMI only temporary no travel status), and according to The US State Department 2013 report says the CNMI is a “destination and transit location for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking”.
A lot has changed in the CNMI since the Jack Abramoff and Tom Delay days, the population has followed the economy down after the demise of the garment industry, and Kilili Sablan is the thrice Delegate to the US House of Representatives that introduced HR 2200 bill to the house as the sister legislation to S.1237, or Omnibus Territorial Act of 2013.
Business leaders, including the Saipan Chamber of Commerce along with notorious impeached Governor Ben Fitial hiding in the Philippines to avoid prosecution and his appointed Lt. now Governor Eloy Inos, here have heralded this legislation as necessary.
Specifically the bill:
1. Delays increases to the abysmal CNMI minimum wage
2. Extends the status quo of workers by extending the transition period another 5 years past 2014 allowing for unlimited extensions
3. Allow non US visa holding “investors” to operate indefinably in our Commonwealth, something the Consolidated Natural Resources Act prevented past 2014 with no extensions.
This bill was cut across party lines but since introduction by insular area Democrats and expected to pass the Senate, it apparently now has bipartisan support, and that is quite disturbing. Representative Donna Christensen (D-VI) was the original author of HR-3079, the bill to federalize the Commonwealth’s broken labor and immigration system, and is now a co-author of HR-2200.
Some theorize the big business community now funds politicians on both sides of the fence, and hired independent lobbyists to deceptively mask this legislation on the bottom of an Omnibus bill instead of disclosing it as a US immigration and border security issue and threat.
Representative Boehner or Senator Reid or ____,
I oppose three sections of the Omnibus Territorial Act of 2013 (HR-2200, S.1237) that reverses protections guaranteed by the Consolidated Natural Resources Act or the CNMI federalization law.
1. I oppose delaying the CNMI minimum wage increase because citizens overwhelmingly support an escalation in wages
2. Two tiered labor and immigration schemes for US territories is an ongoing human rights concern and we must insist on one policy for the US and territories to ensure the principles of our nation are followed on US soil.
3. Allowing non-visa businesses to continue in the CNMI aims to block the positive benefits to citizens before it is set to begin in late 2014. The CNRA addressed citizens concerns of rampant abuse by requiring a US visa to operate a business in the CNMI after 2014 with no possible extensions, even if the worker transition is continued. This act would undo federalization and allow foreign operators that seldom hire citizens to continue doing business in the CNMI indefinably, which will irreparably harm citizens. Their status was debated in the news for years and comments were solicited by the US until brilliantly crafted regulations addressed the issues in the best interests of local citizens.
The foreign interests that successfully funded Jack Abramoff’s bribery scandal of the US House of Representatives by blocking this original bill for a decade, support this measure, which is quite disturbing and may warrant investigation.
Concerned citizens may inform members of Congress and their voters because unemployed Americans may also have concerns with such pork barrel spending given the massive funding US taxpayers pour into the Northern Marianas Islands.
CNMI voters must demand the same opportunity and protections afforded citizens of Guam and the US mainland, and following current law will do that.
Ron Hodges
Saipan, CNMI