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Congressional staff meets SCC on federalization
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Posted on Aug 12 2008
A nine-person delegation of congressional staffers tried to reassure leaders of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce in a closed-door meeting Monday that recently passed legislation “federalizing” local immigration and foreign labor rules will safeguard the local economy, the Chamber’s executive director, Kyle Calabrese said in an interview.
Members of the delegation—some representing lawmakers responsible for crafting the legislation—traveled to Guam last week to inquire about the pending military buildup there before reaching Saipan. The delegation had planned to meet with Gov. Benigno Fitial yet sources said he could not attend due to the recent indictment of Lt. Gov. Timothy Villagomez.
The pending federal takeover, Calabrese said, was the key issue of the meeting as a special Chamber committee on the issue detailed the potential consequences business leaders have long said it could have on the local economy, such as fueling a shortage of skilled labor.
“They attempted to assure us that they had worked diligently and strove to minimize any negative effects it might have on our economy when they were drafting the legislation,” Calabrese said, adding they suggested the Department of Homeland Security would take the same approach.
Moreover, he said, the delegation discussed the prospect of establishing a special visa category for foreign workers to address the labor needs of the local community.
