PALIKIR, POHNPEI – June 09, 2017. The Twentieth Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia had adjourned its First Regular Session on May 30, 2017, with the adoption of various resolutions to either assist the programs or to facilitate the services provided by the National Government, among others.
Congressional Resolution (CR) 20-01, started the line-up and specific to the administrative responsibilities of the Legislative Branch. The resolution designated Liwiana Ramon Ioanis as the Chief Clerk of 20th Congress. A similar intent was adopted in CR 20-02, which designated T. Lam Dang as the Legislative Counsel for the new body.
Having attended to its administrative issues, the Congress turned its focus on the administrative issues of the National Government pending before the body, and adopted the following resolutions:
- CR 20-03, confirmed the nomination of Kosak Keller to be the National Government’s representative on the FSM Social Security Board of Trustees;
- CR 20-05, requested the Speaker to establish a Special Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Issues;
- CR 20-08, was to set the total funds estimated to be available for appropriation from the FSM General fund for fiscal year ending September 30, 2017;
- CR 20-10, ratified the Agreement to the Treaty on Fisheries Between the Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America;
- CR 20-13, expressed the appreciation of Congress to Eastern Oregon University for their support and promotion of students from the Federated States of Micronesia; and
- CR 20-14, expressed the sincere gratitude and appreciation to Lucas Cupps for his dedicated services as staff attorney to the Congress Federated States of Micronesia.
The remainder of the resolutions approved various grant assistances to the Nation through either the amended Compact of Free Association with the United States of America or through its bilateral and/or international relationships, and they included:
- CR 20-04, which approved a $150,247 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to fund the FSM Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Project;
- CR 20-07, which approved a $113,110 grant amendment from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change through the Green Climate Fund to the FSM for a GCF grant writer specialist;
- CR 20-11, through which an EUR 436,089 grant from the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany was approved for the protection of islands “through learning and leading in adaptation to climate change and renewable energy”; and finally
- also from the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany was CR 20-12, which approved an EUR 325,000 grant for enhancing investments in small-scale renewable energy technologies in the Nation.
The final resolution was CR 20-16, which authorized the President to submit the Recommended National Government Compact Budget Request, as revised pursuant to Congress’s recommendations, to the United States under Article V of the Fiscal Procedures Agreement.
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