‘NMI delegate will face many challenges in DC’

Whoever the CNMI sends to Washington, D.C. in January—be it the Republican candidate or any of the independents running for delegate—faces the challenge of dealing with a Democrat-controlled Congress, according to the CNMI’s longest serving resident representative to the nation’s capital.

Former governor Juan N. Babauta, who represented the CNMI for 12 years in Washington, yesterday said the Commonwealth would need “a good communicator” for a delegate to get the most out of its hard-won seat in Congress.

“Because I am a Republican, I’m hoping that we send to Washington a Republican delegate,” Babauta said. “However, we know that we’re going to have a Democrat-dominated Congress [in 2009]. In either case, whether we send a Republican or an independent candidate, they’re going to have a challenge on their hands working with the Democratic Congress.”

The new delegate, according to Babauta, will need to work closely with Democrat leaders such as Rep. George Miller, who for many years had pushed for labor and immigration reform in the CNMI, and Rep. Nick Rahall, the current chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, which has jurisdiction over insular affairs.

“The delegate is going to have to go to Washington and introduce himself to the members, and to make a case for the CNMI. I hope that this person is one who is going to be a good communicator—one that can articulate the issues before Congress about the CNMI, who can put forth the agenda of the CNMI early on so that the members are aware of what the critical needs are of the CNMI, and who can develop a working relationship starting with the House Natural Resources committee and to expand to other committees and members of the Congress who have a keen interest in the CNMI,” Babauta said.

Still, he said, having a seat in Congress is a feat in itself.

“It’s going to be an exciting time for the CNMI,” Babauta said. “We’re sending somebody for the first time who is actually going to be a member of Congress. He doesn’t vote on the floor. Nonetheless, we’re [Commonwealth] going to be at the table, participating in the debate and in the discussion.”

The nine candidates running for delegate are Pete A. Tenorio, the CNMI’s current Washington representative, incumbent Sen. Luis Crisostimo, former Election Commission executive director Gregorio C. Sablan, retired judge Juan T. Lizama, former senator David Cing, Saipan municipal councilor Felipe Atalig, local television talk show John Oliver Gonzales, high school teacher John Davis, and businessman Chong Won.

Of the candidates, only Tenorio, a Republican, has strong ties with a national political party. Cing represents the Northern Marianas Democratic Party, which has yet to get official recognition from its national counterpart. Crisostimo claims to be a member of the national Democratic Party, but is running as an independent after the local Democrats declined to endorse him. All of the other candidates are running as independents.

The Northern Marianas is the last U.S. jurisdiction to get congressional representation The law, which in May 2008 granted the Commonwealth the delegate seat, also allowed Washington to take over labor and immigration controls in the Commonwealth.

Under the measure, Northern Marianas will have a representative with limited voting powers to the U.S. House of Representatives. Similar to House members and other delegates, the CNMI delegate will be elected to Congress every two years. He can serve on committees, as well as vote on legislation at the committee level. But floor voting will not be permitted.

The final results of yesterday’s election will be known on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008, when the absentee ballots are counted.

The CNMI delegate will assume office on the third day of January after the election.