Kilili urges Social Security re-enrollment, worker regs issuance

House of Representatives members took turns asking Delegate Gregorio Kilili Sablan on a host of issues for two hours yesterday, including the continued delay in the issuance of the transitional worker regulations, his bill on the immigration status of four specific groups of people, control over submerged lands, and increased food stamp funding, among other things.

Sablan also brought up the issue of re-enrolling CNMI government employees in the U.S. Social Security program.

The delegate accepted Speaker Eli Cabrera’s (R-Saipan) invitation to the House chamber to have an open discussion with members during yesterday’s session.

He told House members and reporters that after he spoke on the floor of the U.S. Congress on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s continued delay in issuing the worker rule, he was able to personally convey the same message to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano during a meeting on an entirely different matter.

Just the same, there’s no telling when the regulations will be out, barely five months before the Nov. 28 expiration of umbrella permits. On that date, workers may face deportation from the CNMI.

When Rep. Ralph Demapan (Cov-Saipan) asked Sablan whether he sees the need to extend the CNMI-issued umbrella permits, the delegate said the Commonwealth-only worker regulations will be more manageable than CNMI umbrella permits.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial wants an extension of the umbrella permits.

In an interview with reporters later, Sablan also said a hearing on his bill giving permanent residence status to four specific groups of people may be held in the summer, along with the hearing on the implementation of the federalization law or U.S. Public Law 110-229.

He said as early as 2009, he brought up with Gov. Benigno R. Fitial the idea of re-enrolling CNMI government employees into the federal Social Security program but he said he has not received a response from the governor, until Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos recently brought it up to him.

The delegate said the Social Security is willing to help the CNMI in this.

Sablan said when he learned that Inos didn’t know about his 2009 letter, the delegate made it a point to give copies of his letters to the governor to the lieutenant governor, the House speaker, and the Senate president.

He said re-enrollment into Social Security “needs the commitment of the CNMI government” either through legislation or a memorandum of agreement.

In 1986, the CNMI government decided to opt out of the Social Security System and instead created the NMI Retirement Fund for their pension system.

Press secretary Angel Demapan, when asked for comment, said the Fitial administration has long considered transitioning government employees back to the Social Security system “even before receiving the delegate’s letter in 2009.”

“It’s an issue that has been and is being considered. However, it’s not the piece of cake that some make it out to be,” Demapan told Saipan Tribune in an email.

He said the administration most recently discussed this matter with the Retirement Fund officials and Buck Consultants.

“Transitioning active government employees to the SS program will be beneficial to the Fund as well in that it will be able to achieve solvency to sustain the pension program for those who were retired before the implementation of the SS program,” he said.

Sablan said going back to the Social Security program will cost the CNMI government in employer contribution, an amount which can be computed by the CNMI Department of Finance.

“[This will be] entirely separate from the Retirement Fund. And this one we have to pay on time…because it’s what due the employees. It’s a program for employees,” he added.

Demapan, for his part, said the administration “will work these figures out to determine how best to proceed with transitioning government employees.”

“Bottom line is that we want to ensure that the end result will be beneficial to both the employee and the employer. Once everything has been quantified and a transition plan is finalized, then we’ll work with the legislature to move it forward,” he added.

Rep. Tony Sablan (R-Saipan) said he’s planning to introduce a resolution in support of the CNMI government employees’ re-enrollment in the Social Security program.

On the issue of food stamp funding which Rep. Teresita Santos (Ind-Rota) raised, Sablan said the CNMI continues to get much lower amount of food stamp benefits because the CNMI government “has not taken the initiative to submit a proposal” for the Commonwealth to get into the “full program.”

The delegate said an individual in the CNMI gets $84 a month, while on Guam, that’s $280 a month.

Rep. Frank Dela Cruz (R-Saipan) and Rep. Ray Palacios (Cov-Saipan) followed up on funding for the Northern Marianas Trades Institute, and Sablan said the Republicans in Congress put a moratorium on earmarks, which the delegate had offered for NMTI.

Sablan, in responding to Rep. Trenton Conner’s (R-Tinian) questions, said he supports relocation of troops from Futenma in Okinawa to Tinian, especially the non-commissioned officers.

Sablan, the CNMI’s first nonvoting delegate to the U.S. Congress, said he will be in the CNMI for three weeks, and will also be visiting Rota and Tinian.