The U.S. Senate is expected to act on the omnibus bill that includes federalization of CNMI immigration after the spring recess.
According to Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee spokesman Bill Wicker, S.2739, or the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, would be considered after the break, which lasts from March 17 to 28.
“There is no timeframe for this bill, though action is expected after this spring recess,” he said in a Blackberry message to the Saipan Tribune.
Wicker added that the new omnibus bill that took the place of S.2483 will not go before a U.S. Senate committee but will be considered directly on the Senate floor. “That's because all of the components in the new bill have already been considered by the committee.”
He added that the general reaction to S.2739 is very encouraging. “All the measures in it have strong bipartisan, bicameral support. None of the provisions included in this omnibus bill are controversial.”
If the Senate approves the legislation, the only thing missing for it to become law is President Bush's signature.
“The bill, once passed by the Senate, will not return to the House [of Representatives]; it will go straight to President [Bush] for enactment,” said Wicker.
The new omnibus bill, introduced on March 10 by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D, NM), is a repackaged S.2483 with the addition of eight new bills, bringing the total number of bills in the package (including CNMI legislation) to 62, according to Wicker.
And like S.2483, Title VII of S.2739 would extend immigration law and create a federally run guest-worker program in the CNMI.
It would also give the CNMI a delegate in the House with limited voting powers. Currently, all U.S. possessions except the CNMI have a delegate in Congress.
The provision also includes language that will benefit Guam. Under the bill, there will be a unified visa-waiver program for Guam and the CNMI based on the existing Guam-only visa waiver program, which was authorized by Congress in 1986.
The new visa waiver program would authorize tourists entering either Guam or the CNMI under the program to stay in either location, or any combination of both locations for a maximum 45 days. This extends the current Guam-only visa waiver program, which provides only for a 15-day period of stay.
In addition, the provision would provide exemptions to Guam and the CNMI from national caps for the number of H-2 temporary worker visas that could be issued for work in either location. This is expected to help Guam and the CNMI meet the construction demands associated with the planned military buildup in the region.
S.2739 adopted the provisions of H.R. 3079, which was passed by the House of Representatives on Dec. 11, 2007. It was crafted by Rep. Donna Christensen of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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