Kilili gets NRC appointment

Northern Marianas Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan has been assigned to the powerful House Committee on Natural Resources by the Democratic Caucus.

The Democrats made the announcement of initial committee assignments Tuesday, during the opening session of the 111th Congress.

Further committee assignments and subcommittee assignments will be made as the Congress completes its organizational process.

The Natural Resources Committee is responsible for federal policy over the United States insular areas.

“Having representation on this committee is going to give the people of the NMI a real voice in Congress on the issues that matter to us,” said Sablan. “It’s important that we are there. This is the committee the delegate bill started in. This is the committee that oversaw the drafting of our Covenant, which brought our islands into the American political family. And now we come full circle and join the committee that drafted our Covenant.”

In addition to federal policy on insular issues, the Committee on Natural Resources handles many other issues central to Sablan’s agenda in the 111th Congress. The committee has oversight over the nation’s resources, including energy resources.

“It is most important that the NMI finds its way out of dependence on foreign oil and into a sustainable energy future,” said Sablan. “And being on Natural Resources will help with that critical problem.”

Committee chair Nick J. Rahall (D-W.V.) has made the promotion of renewable energy resources one of the committee’s priorities over the next two years.

Another of Rahall’s priorities is greater autonomy for the insular areas. In the official statement of the committee’s agenda for the 111th Congress, Rahall wrote that, “As a nation, we have a responsibility to foster sustainable development; providing a path for energy independence, improving infrastructure, responding to economic challenges, and promoting self-government.”

The committee is also responsible for protection of the environment and has jurisdiction over fisheries, the ocean, and national parks.

“Chairman Rahall sponsored the bill, and said he was doing so in order to give the NMI a new era in Congress—a fresh slate and a strong voice for the Marianas,” said Sablan. “In this committee we will get the opportunity to protect our beautiful oceans, and to fix our not so beautiful roads. We will work toward greater self-governance, and a better power supply. We can do good things for the NMI on this committee.” [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]