PALIKIR, POHNPEI. August 4. 2016 – The Fifth Special Session has adjourned sine-die on Wednesday – August 3, 2016, as scheduled, with the passage of numerous measures among which included the confirmation of an Associate Justice and the ratification of the Paris Agreement.
In addition to the grants, Congress had confirmed through Congressional Resolution (CR) 19-236, the nomination of Larry Wentworth to serve as an Associate Justice for the FSM Supreme Court. It also adopted CR 19-237, to ratify the climate change treaty also known as the Paris Agreement.
Through CR 19-251, and based on information from the Executive Branch Congress had set the ceiling for funds available at $ 94,294,212.
On a more somber note, Congress adopted CR 19-253, to express its condolences to the family of Alison MacConnell who had recently passed. MacConnell was one of the many expatriates on Pohnpei who had dedicated much of her time on the island of Pohnpei. She was a regular figure at the sessions of Congress where she was familiar with Members on a first name basis and visa versa.
The remaining resolutions involved grants and assistances for the various health and social development programs ongoing in the Nation and they included:
– CR 19-214, for a $32,000 grant from United Nations Environment Program to fund the Regional Hydro chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) Phase-out Management Plan, including the terms and conditions of the assistance;
– CR 19- 238, for a $42,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to provide additional funding to the FSM Immunization and Vaccines for Children Program;
– CR 19-239, to approve the submission of a $252,080 grant application the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – OPHPR to fund the Public Health Preparedness and Response Cooperative Agreement for All-Hazards Public Health Emergencies: Zika 2016;
– CR 19-242, for a $47,579 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to fund the Community Mental Health Program in the FSM;
– CR 19- 243, for a $325,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service-OASH Office of Grants Management, to fund the FSM Family Planning Program;
– CR 19-246, for a $511,015 grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to fund for the implementation of the Federated States of Micronesia Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) Plan to reduce cancer burden in the FSM for the budget period from June 30, 2016, to June 29, 2017;
– CR 19-247, for a $33,744 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to fund the Community Mental Health Services Program in the FSM;
– CR 19-249, for a $686,701 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to fund the FSM Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Healthcare Preparedness Program;
– CR 19-250, for a grant of up to $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs, to fund the FSM Single Audit for FY 2015 as required under the amended Compact; and
– CR 19-254 was adopted for a $59,000 grant from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for the 2016 Annual Work Plan-FSM Strategic Development Goals (SDG’s) Localization Project.
And finally the last adopted resolution CR 19-259, was to accept emergency humanitarian assistance in the amount of $500,000 from the Government of the People’s Republic of China to the FSM Government, including all the terms and conditions of the assistance.
After the adoption and passage of the congressional measures, the Fifth Special Session of the Nineteenth Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia adjourned sine-die on August 3, 2016.
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