OIA PRESS RELEASEFirst Northern Marianas Member of the U.S. Congress Visits OIA
Washington, D.C. (November 19, 2008) - The newly elected Member of Congress from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), T.H.Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan visited Nikolao Pula, Director of Insular Affairs, and staff today in the Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs. Congressman Sablan was accompanied on the visit by T.H. Joseph Camacho, Floor Leader of the CNMI House of Representatives. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has been a member of the U.S. family since 1986, however, for the first time in thirty years, the CNMI will finally have a member in the U.S. House of Representatives. Previously, the CNMI had been represented by Resident Representatives, the last of whom was Pete A. Tenorio. Congressman Sablan begins in his new post on the Hill on January 3, 2009. On May 8, 2008, President Bush signed into law, Senate Bill 2739 (H.R. 3079) which included the provision for having a member of congress from the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. The CNMI now joins the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in the House of Representatives. Puerto Rico is the only member of the House to serve for four years. |
