Saipan Tribune

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Thursday, November 01, 2012

Kilili draws backing of 4 congressmen

Four leading members of the U.S. House of Representatives are featured in a new series of print advertisements from the Kilili for Congress campaign.

Former House majority leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee Mike Honda of California, Hispanic Caucus chair Charlie Gonzalez of Texas, and civil rights icon John Lewis of Georgia all support Sablan's re-election in the ads, which have begun running in local newspapers. A fifth ad in the “Congressional Endorsement” series lists the 36 Members of Congress who contributed funds to Sablan's campaign.

“I can only say how grateful I am that these four members of the House of Representatives would take the time and make the effort to support my re-election,” Sablan said.

“Each one of these representatives is a person of considerable experience in Congress, who has been kind enough to share their knowledge with me and help me learn the ropes over the last four years.

“It is an honor that they would know endorse the work I have done by speaking directly to voters in the Northern Marianas in this way.

“I am also most grateful to all 36 of my colleagues who dug into their own pockets and contributed to my campaign. Without their generous financial support it would be more difficult to pay for advertising, brochures, posters, and all the tools that we use to communicate with voters here in the Northern Marianas.

“Everyone needs funding in a campaign and to have other Members of Congress take money they could use for their own re-elections and share it with me is very humbling,” Sablan said.

It is believed this is the first time a Northern Marianas congressional candidate has received endorsements from Members of Congress.

Each of the four advertisements, featuring a congressman who supports Sablan, includes the text of an open letter from that congressman to the people of the Northern Marianas, focusing on an aspect of Sablan's work in Congress.

Lewis draws the connection between the civil rights movement of the 1960s and Sablan's fight to obtain parity for the Northern Mariana Islands under federal law.

Hoyer, one of the great orators now in the House, speaks of Sablan's willingness to bring causes important to the Northern Marianas directly to debate on the floor of the House and to use that pulpit to educate Congress about the people of the Marianas.

Honda tips his hat to Sablan's tact and diplomacy and the effectiveness of those skills in gathering both Republican and Democratic support on Northern Marianas issues.

Gonzalez recalls Sablan's central role in securing Medicaid funding for the Northern Marianas by working with the President in the development of Obamacare.

“These are kind words, indeed, coming from such distinguished members of the U.S. Congress,” Sablan said.

Two of the current House members who contributed funds to Kilili for Congress, Rep. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Rep. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, are strongly favored to win seats in the U.S. Senate on Nov. 6.