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Congress News Day 16: Tuesday, February 19^th

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Congress): February 19, 2008 - Day 16 of the Third Regular Session of the 15^th Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia passed on Second Reading a bill for $3.8 million to fund public projects and social programs in the four states.

After its third amendment, Congress adopted Congressional Bill (CB) no. 15-94, CD 3 for $3.8 million from domestic revenues to fund public projects and social programs in the four states.

Other legislative measures addressed during today's session included, two bills that passed First Reading - C.B. no. 15-55, a bill proposed to establish a national Venture Fund to provide an incentive for large foreign companies to register major corporations in the FSM.

Also passed is C.B. no. 15-75, a bill to amend title 7 of the FSM Code to allow, through naturalization, FSM citizenship to those FSM nationals and children of FSM citizens wishing for citizenship, and other purposes.

In addition to the First Readings, Congress had deferred action on the following bills that were up for Second and final reading:

• C.B. no. 15-30 is the bill proposed to exempt the US federally funded employees of the national government from the national Public Service System Act, deferred to Wednesday - February 20; and

• C.B. no. 15-73 is the bill to establish a limit of two terms for board members of the National Oceanic Resources Management Authority; it was deferred yet again, this time to the last day of session, Saturday - February 23.

Congress also addressed two Congressional Resolutions today:

• CR 15-82, on the nomination of Ismael Dobich for Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs was defeated in a vote of seven against to six; and

• CR 15-83, on the nomination of Midion G. Neth for the Postmaster General, was deferred again to the next day of session.

Following the public hearing announcements by the Committee Chairs, Congress went into recess until the next day.