[registrars] Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas

["Robert F. Connelly" <rconnell@psi-japan.com>]

CONGRESSMAN UNDERWOOD INTRODUCES CNMI DELEGATE BILL


August 7, 1998 -- Congressman Robert A. Underwood today introduced a bill to
grant the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas a nonvoting delegate to the
House of Representatives, similar to those of Guam, American Samoa and the
Virgin Islands.
"Here in Washington, the House of Representatives is frequently called the
'People's House,' and we generally take it for granted that all Americans
are represented, even if imperfectly, like the people of Guam," Underwood
said. "But there is one group of Americans that remain outside, and that's
the people of the Northern Marianas."
This is the third time Congressman Underwood introduced the delegate bill
since taking office. After its second introduction, the bill was passed by
the Resources Committee in 1996 and was slated to go to the floor before the
104th Congress adjourned. However, it was preempted and pulled from the line
up at the last minute. If passed into law, the bill would authorize but not
compel the CNMI to elect a nonvoting member of the U.S. House of
Representatives, mirroring Congressman Underwood's membership.
The CNMI has sent a "resident representative" to the U.S. Congress since
mid-70s, but the representative is not a member of the House and does not
have floor privileges. The current CNMI Resident Representative is Juan N.
Babauta, who has been working with Congressman Underwood from the start, to
line up support for the delegate bill.
"Representation is not a reward; it is a right," Underwood said. "Even O.J.
Simpson had a defense attorney, someone to defend his rights. But the people
of the Northern Marianas are silent because there is no one in the House who
represents them, who defends them and speaks on their behalf. Hopefully,
Congress will see fit to be fair and democratic, to be American, and to
allow the Northern Marianas the opportunity to represent themselves."
# # #
Contact: Cathy Gault at (671) 475-2404 in Guam

Conclusion, citizens of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas are 
citizens of the United States of America, as are those of Guam and American 
Samoa.

Those political subdivisions are in the Asia Pacific Region as defined by 
ICANN.

Now therefore, U.S. Citizens --- especially those residing in the Asia 
Pacific Region (as defined by ICANN) are bone fide citizens of the region 
-- far more that some bloke in Minmar (Burma).

Let's keep Richard Lindsay in the office for which he was duly elected by 
his peers.

BobC