Report to www.sablan.house.gov SUMMER 2018 Constituents Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan | Proudly Representing the People of the Northern Mariana Islands What’s Inside: U.S. Workforce Act: More time, more workers At a Glance, p. 2 Trump signs NMI U.S. Workforce Act signed into law Economic Expansion The Marianas economy Act, p. 2 will have access to foreign labor for 10 more years and $73M for infrastructure new protections for U.S. brings 96% of Saipan to workers and local businesses 24-hour water, p. 2 under terms of the Northern Title I school funding Mariana Islands U.S. jumps to $11.5M, p. 3 Workforce Act. President Trump signed Obamacare dollars the law on July 24, 2018. keep CHCC open, The Act provides Medicare funding ‘cliff’ unlimited H visas for ahead, p. 3 construction and other temporary workers and resets Tinian divert field the number of Marianas-only okayed, p. 3 CW visas to 13,000 beginning in fiscal year 2019—an increase CODEL visits Rota as of 8,001 over the number set NPS takes input on by the administration. proposed park, p. 3 It also continues the bar on claims of asylum in the Inclusion in STEP grant Marianas, without which A partnership. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, program nets $142k there would be no parole for for Marianas, p. 3 and Congressman Sablan have worked together over many years to address the labor needs of the Chinese tourists, who make Marianas economy. In 2014, they agreed on a five-year extension of the transition period to 2019. U.S. public laws with up almost half of all arrivals. Public Law 113-235. In 2017, they increased CW permits and training fees. Public Law 115-53. Here, Sablan language Congressman Sablan they shake hands after the Senate committee hearing on their bill, the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. wrote the Act, together with Workforce Act, and discuss next steps for the legislation. The bill is now Public Law 115-218. important to the Senators Lisa Murkowski Marianas, p. 4 (R-Alaska) and Maria Vets health clinic study Cantwell (D-Washington) signed into law, p. 4 and a working group of congressional offices over 18 Troop store opens, p. 4 months of negotiation. Saipan post office Sablan incorporated ideas from many hours of listening honors first Chamorro sessions with his constituents postmaster, fallen and policies from his previous heroes, p. 4 immigration legislation (See Boots-to-Business story on the NMI Economic Expansion Act, page 2). Reboot, p. 4 His bill also benefited Veterans resource list from his decade of experience now online, p. 4 helping individuals solve problems created by U.S. Public Law 110-229, which put the Marianas under federal immigration control. “Without a special foreign labor program, the present- day economy of the Marianas is not viable,” Sablan said. “In the future, however, we want a labor-force that is primarily U.S. workers. The U.S. Workforce Act gives us the time and tools we need to complete that economic transition. “I thank all who helped work out the structure of the bill, particularly how to provide new protections for U.S. workers from competition from cheap foreign labor and how to protect our local businesses and the legacy foreign workers they employ. “And on behalf of the people of the Marianas I thank the President for signing the New federal funding means new technology for students. Congressman Sablan discusses Act and everyone who made with Kagman High School students how their new iPads and robots can help them learn about passage possible in the Senate coding, math, and problem-solving. These tech tools were purchased with the new Title I-A money the and the House.” Congress of the United States the United of Congress Representatives of House U.S. STD DC PRSRT Business 20515 | Official Washington, expense. at taxpayer mailed and published, prepared, was mailing This For details of the U.S. Congressman included for the Marianas school system in the Every Student Succeeds Act, U.S. Public Workforce Act see page 2. Law 114-95 (see story, page 3). 2 | Report to Constituents U.S. Workforce Act - At a Glance - Extension: Adds 10 years — through 2029 — to all four elements of the transition period: • Bar on claims of asylum in the Marianas (necessary for Chinese tourism) • Exemption from national cap on H visas (allows unlimited workers for construction projects) The U.S. House passed the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act on June 5. • E-2C visas — originally granted by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop of Utah and Congressman Sablan introduced the bill, H.R. 5956, just 12 days earlier, then spoke on the House floor together on the merits of the CNMI immigration bill. Chairman Bishop laid out the economic rationale for the Workforce Act. Sablan emphasized • CW visas — Commonwealth Only the new protections making sure no U.S. worker is passed over for a job because of cheap, foreign Transitional Workers labor. The bill also ensures that the Commonwealth government make good use of the training fees that employers must pay. Protects U.S. workers from unfair competition: President signs Sablan’s • U.S. Department of Labor must certify NMI Economic Expansion Act no U.S. worker is willing, able, and More CW permits, more for construction, forcing Act puts more money into available for job money to train U.S. workers, nurses and other high-value training local residents who • CW wages may not drag down set-asides for key job foreign workers to leave the want jobs. Employers who U.S. worker wages categories, and protections Marianas and hurting local hire a CW worker must pay for local businesses that businesses. $200 to the fund to train U.S. • CW workers must be paid the higher employ legacy foreign The Act, U.S. Public Law workers, an increase of $50. of: Marianas minimum wage, federal workers—these are all 115-53, bars the use of CW And Sablan’s new law— minimum wage, prevailing wage policies first agreed in the permits for new construction for the first time ever— Northern Mariana Islands workers. To fill construction increased the total number • From FY19 cap of 13,000, CW permits Economic Expansion that jobs there are unlimited of CW permits. This increase reduced statutorily by 500/year for five became the basis for the U.S. H-2B visas available. That laid the groundwork for the years, then 1,000/year for five years Workforce Act. is because Sablan exempted U.S. Workforce Act, which Congressman Sablan the Marianas from the ups CW permits from 4,999 • U.S. Department of Homeland Security introduced the Economic national cap on H visas, to 13,000. can revoke CW permit, if employer Expansion Act on Jan. 5, 2017. when in 2014 he used U.S. In a display of legislative violates any terms of employment President Trump signed it Public Law 113-235 to extend know-how Sablan got the into law on August 22. the immigration transition House to pass his Economic • Anti-fraud fee: Increases resources Sablan wrote the Act in period to 2019. Expansion Act in a pro forma to protect against “bad actors” and response to the disaster To bring more U.S. session, while the House was ensures program integrity caused by Chinese companies workers into the labor force, in its August recess, a highly using up 4,000 CW permits the Economic Expansion unusual move. • Increases fee paid by CW employers for training of U.S. workers • Increases Marianas government $73 million for infrastructure accountability for effective use of funds CUC: 96% of Saipan now has 24-hour water to train U.S. workers Before representation in Congress, the Marianas only received $1 million annually for water infrastructure. After representation that changed. Congressman Sablan got funding formulas for the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act improved significantly. The result: more and more Helps local business: households on Saipan have water around the clock and CUC ratepayers were saved $73 million. • U.S. Department of Labor holds CNMI accountable for effective use of employer-paid training funds • Protection from competition for permits from surge of temporary workers and from “ghost permits” • Provides three-year permits for employers’ legacy workers, reducing fees and filing headaches Increases Congressional oversight: • CNMI Governor must report to Congress annually on number of U.S. workers employed • Government Accountability Office audits CNMI Governor • U.S. Department of Interior reports on statutory responsibility to help identify economic growth and diversification “I must sincerely commend you for your superior work in Washington opportunities, assist with recruitment/ to provide CUC the additional funding to continue toward the goal of training of U.S. workers 24-hour water access.” - Governor Ralph DLG Torres Report to Constituents | 3 Title I school funding IN BRIEF Tinian divert field okayed, funding starts The U.S. Air Force plans to spend $375.6 million on the jumps to $11.5M Tinian divert airfield. And, now that Governor Ralph Torres and Tinian leadership have agreed to the project, The Public School System Marianas, that have a high Congress has begun the funding. received $11.5 million last percentage of low-income The proposed National Defense Authorization Act for school year, an increase of The better families. 2019 includes $46 million for construction of a cargo pad $4.1 million because of a “It took six years of work with taxiway extension at Tinian airport and $4.7 million formula change for insular educated to make that change,” Sablan for a maintenance facility, a total of $50.7 million to get schools that Congressman our kids are, explains.