Fitial, wife to return this weekend from DC trip

Gov. Benigno Fitial and his wife, Josie, will return to the CNMI this weekend after having spent the week in Washington D.C., where the two met with several members of Congress and witnessed President George W. Bush sign the legislation creating the Marinas Trench National Monument.

The week began with Fitial and the First Lady hosting a dinner for Congressman Gregorio “Kilili” Sablan at The Palm restaurant in Washington, according to a press release. Sablan was sworn in as the CNMI’s first-ever delegate to the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Tuesday morning, the governor and Josie met with U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a ranking member of the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration.

“Fitial discussed matters involving immigration and the minimum wage were discussed at great length with Representative King,” the press release stated.

The two then joined others from the CNMI at Sablan’s office to celebrate his swearing in, which occurred at 2pm Tuesday.

“The 2pm hour on Tuesday was an important hour for the CNMI,” the press release said. “At that hour, the Speaker of the House was congratulating Delegate Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan on becoming the first Congressional representative from the CNMI; while across town at The White House, the President of the United States was congratulating Governor Benigno Fitial for his leadership in the CNMI and specifically his effort to spearhead pro-CNMI initiatives which led to a successful negotiation for the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument.”

After the signing, Fitial and his wife returned to Sablan’s open house, before meeting with U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

“In an hour-long meeting, the Governor and Senator Murkowski talked at length about the immigration issue; the effect of the minimum wage increase on the CNMI people and economy, the visa waiver matter, and many other CNMI-related issues,” the press release said.

The governor and first lady continued their meetings with other U.S. legislators on Wednesday. On that day the two met with U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), chairwoman of the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, where they discussed how the immigration issue will affect the CNMI and how they can work together for the CNMI, according to the release.

Also on Wednesday, the two met with officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior, including Douglas W. Domenech, Deputy Chief of Staff and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs, and Nikolao I. Pula, the Director of the Office of Insular Affairs.

Fitial and Josie then met with U.S. Rep. Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa “to thank him for his years of hard work and commitment to the people of the CNMI prior to the CNMI electing its first congressman this year,” the release stated.

The two will have a few more meetings before leaving Washington and heading to San Diego, California, where they will meet with Joel Bergsma, Fitial’s special legal counsel.