US House budget spares CNMI programs from sequestration

CNMI programs dependent on federal dollars will be spared some of the impacts of sequestration or automatic across-the-board budget cuts under a compromise federal budget plan that the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Wednesday. Once the U.S. Senate approves the bill, it would remove the threat of a government shutdown for two years.

Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) said the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 provides $63 billion in relief from the across-the-board sequester cuts that hurt Head Start and other federal programs nationwide.

A total of 169 Republicans and 163 Democrats voted in favor; 62 Republicans and 32 Democrats voted against.

Sablan said discretionary spending for fiscal 2014 had been scheduled to go down to $967 billion, but is now set at $1.012 trillion for this year and $1.014 trillion for fiscal year 2015.

“[This] week, the Senate is expected to pass the bill and President Obama has said he will sign it into law. After that, Congress will have to enact appropriations for fiscal 2014. Appropriations are set to expire on Jan. 15,” Sablan said.

In other news, Sablan said the CNMI will have to wait until January to see if the $33 million SNAP pilot program for the Commonwealth and the rest of the 2013 farm bill are enacted into law.

SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Sablan has been pushing for the CNMI’s inclusion in the SNAP, which is seen to add $12 million to $24 million into the local economy compared to the current food stamp assistance block grant program.

“As the holiday recess neared without conference committee agreement on the farm bill, H.R. 2642, House Agriculture Committee Chair Frank Lucas (R-Oklahoma) convinced the House to pass an extension of the 2008 farm policies effective until the end of January. This extension will give conferees time to complete their work; otherwise the agriculture law enacted in 1949 goes into effect on Jan. 1,” Sablan said.

The U.S. Senate has not yet agreed to the extension, but may vote this week, Sablan said.

Key House negotiators say they are close to an agreement and will continue to work through the holidays to ensure that Congress can enact the farm bill in January, he also said.

“Meanwhile, I will continue to work to be sure the Northern Marianas SNAP pilot program is a part of the final conference agreement, so that food stamp benefits for our people are on par with the rest of the United States,” Sablan added.