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US House fast tracks CNMI’s delegate bill
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Posted on Jun 14 2005
The CNMI’s hope of having a nonvoting delegate may be realized soon, with the U.S. House of Representatives fast tracking the CNMI Delegate Bill’s fate on the floor.
The lawmaking body has committed H.R.873 to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, a parliamentary device usually invoked to give consideration to important legislation.
The committee involves the entire membership of the House. It is a parliamentary device that considers the House as one large congressional committee.
When the House convenes as a Committee of the Whole, the presence of only 100 members constitutes a quorum, instead of 218 congressmen during regular business. Debate for or against a bill is limited.
The House action committing the bill to the Committee of the Whole came about on Wednesday last week (Thursday, CNMI time). California congressman Jerry Lewis joined 20 other lawmakers as co-sponsor of the bill.
Another California representative, Richard Pombo, introduced the measure in the House last Feb. 17. The bill’s co-sponsors include Guam Rep. Madeleine Z. Bordallo and Hawaii Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Ed Case.
If the bill becomes law, there would be an election for the CNMI’s nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives next year along with the federal general election, and every two years thereafter.
