PALIKIR, POHNPEI. Speaker Dohsis Halbert has called for Third Special Session of the Eighteenth Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia to convene on the 24th of March in the newly renovated Chamber of Congress for the duration of 10 days in Palikir in accordance with Congressional Resolution 18-128.
According to the Resolution which was adopted during the recent Third Regular Session of Congress in January, there are issues still pending before the Congress that warrant additional time for the Body to consider.
Aside from the call for Special Session, 18 other Resolutions were adopted during the January session a majority of which were grants for the various US federal programs throughout the nation and they include:
Congressional Resolution (CR) 18-76, which accepted a $11, 240,511 grant from the Government of Japan to fund the Improvement of Domestic Shipping Services Project;
CR 18-86, accepted an 80,022 grant from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community to fund the FSM household income and expenditure survey;
CR 18-105, accepted a 4,400 grant from the International Information and Networking Center for the Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region to fund the Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Efforts Project;
CR 18-106, accepted a 5,000 grant from the International Information and Networking Center for the Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region to fund the Joint Publication Project;
CR 18-107, accepted a 7,000 UNESCO grant to fund Historical Preservation Offices in states of Kosrae and Pohnpei’
CR 18-109, expressed condolences of the 18th Congress on the passing of the Lieutenant Governor of Chuuk State, the Honorable Ritis K. Heldart’
CR 18-111, expressed condolences of the 18th Congress to the government and the citizens of the State of Israel for the passing former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon;
CR 18-113, expressed condolences of the 18th Congress to Mrs. Kalau and family on the passing of Pastor Edmund Kalau;
CR 18-115, approved a 100,000 grant proposal to the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Disease to fund the FSM Environmental Health Program;
CR 18-117, approved a 95,516 USDOI National Park Services grant to fund the historic preservation program in Kosrae;
CR 18-118, approved a 95,516 USDOI National Park Services grant to fund the historic preservation program in Yap;
CR 18-122, approved a grant of 357,642 from the US DHHS CDC & PNC for HIV/Aids, Viral Hepatitis, STDs and TB Prevention to fund enter for Disease Control and Prevention to fund the FSM Communicable Disease Program;
CR 18-123, approved a grant of 1,157,873 from the US DHHS CDC & PNC for Immunization and Respiratory Disease to fund the FSM Immunization and Vaccines for Children Program;
CR 18-124, expressed the profound appreciation of the 18th Congress to the first Speaker of the FSM Congress, the Hon. Bethwel Henry for his immeasurable contributions to the FSM during its formative stages;
CR 18-125, approved a US DHHS CDC grant of 16,070 to fund the FSM Epidemiology and Laboratory capacity for infection diseases project;
CR 18-126, called for the extension of the 3rd Regular Session of the 18th Congress to February 1, 2014;
CR 18-127, amended the presidential Declaration of State of Emergency to authorize the President to decree during said emergency a maximum of 250,000 for the for relief purposes without congressional appropriation; and
CR 18-129, expressed profound gratitude and appreciation of the 18th Congress to His Excellency Leo A. Falcam, former President of the FSM.
In addition to the resolutions, Congress passed legislations to fund various national undertakings and they included the creation of a Postal Revolving Fund (Congressional Act 18-40) for maintenance of projects to improve the postal services throughout the nation; along the lines of funding Congress passed the creation of a FSM Venture Fund (CA 18-43) to increase and establish a ceiling for Corporate Income Tax to be invested in the fund and change the duration and expiration date of both new investments and new venture funds; CA 18-45 appropriated an amount of 250,000 to fund the improvement of terminal facilities in the States of Chuuk and Kosrae; and CA 18-53 appropriated an amount of 15,000 to Bethwel Henry as a token of Congress’ appreciation for his immeasurable services to the Nation.
CA 18-38, called for the compensation of employees who have for over ninety days served in an acting capacity in a position vacated by a Presidential appointee; CA 18-39, called for the establishment of State sub-accounts in the FSM Trust Fund with a representative from each government as members of the Board of Trustees; CA 18-44, called for the registration of FSM citizens deported of crimes in foreign countries; and Congress overrode Presidents veto of 4,900,000 to fund public projects and social programs in the four states and resubmitted it as CA 18-34.
And finally the remaining 11 Congressional Acts were all amendments to either change the use and or allottee of funds previously appropriated for public projects and social programs across the nation.
The Third Regular Session of the 18th Congress adjourned on the 31st of January with Members anticipating a Special Session to be held sometime in March. Accordingly, the Third Special Session will convene on the 24th of March for 10 days.
Sessions of Congress, as always, is open to the interested members of the general public.