Kilili hopes Torres will use connection with Trump

Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) hopes that Gov. Ralph DLG Torres would use his position with the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump to further push issues that concern the Commonwealth.

Torres is co-chair of the Asian Pacific American Advisory Committee, together with Guam Gov. Eddie B. Calvo. The committee consists of the U.S. territories—American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—and the commonwealths of the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico.

Trump, in a statement early this year, said the committee would be integrated into his transition team and its main task is to create a holistic review of all federal regulations affecting the territories and commonwealths.

Sablan, speaking to the media yesterday, focused on Trump’s immigration policies, which he consistently talked about during his campaign. “I’m concerned about his immigration policies. I’m concerned about what would happen to the CW program [CNMI-Only Transitional Worker Nonimmigrant Visa].”

“The Obama administration kept the cap high so we could have a lot of foreign workers. Trump promised to protect American jobs and keep out foreign competition. Will he agree to a different policy for the Marianas? I don’t know and I can’t say right now,” added Sablan, who ran unopposed for his fifth term as the CNMI delegate to the Republican-led U.S. Congress.

He said the worst case scenario for the CNMI is for the Trump administration to pull the plug on the CW-1 program. Trump had said during the campaign that he would bring back jobs and stop competition from foreign workers.

Sablan, however, said that he is hopeful Trump would temper down as he settles in and slowly lays out his political agenda, and that Torres would use his position on the new administration to push for issues concerning the CNMI. “We hope that he [Torres] would use his position with Trump and get things done. That would actually be great if he could and would do that. My sincere hope is he [Trump] would temper down on some of his tough statements during the campaign. He will be in a lot of pressure from outside groups and he should also learn to be presidential.”

Sablan is willing to work with a Republican-led Congress, which he had done in the past few years. “What I do know is I’m willing to work with the new administration and the Republican leadership, friends I have made over the years.”

“Like Rep. Rob Bishop, the chair for insular areas committee, Bob Goodlatte on immigration, Virginia Foxx that I believe would be the education chair, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski who helped with the submerged lands laws and extending the transition period.”

Sablan said he is giving Trump the benefit of the doubt. “I don’t know yet, I will give him benefit of the doubt. I think he would have people surrounding him that have experience in government and there’s also Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Presidents are always surrounded by competent people to help manage the government.”