After more than twenty years of abuse, Legislation to extend US immigration laws to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) has passed the Senate.
Moments ago Senate Bill 2739 passed the Senate by a vote of 91-4.
For years now, I’ve posted about Abramoff here on Daily Kos. This has led to some great connections and friendships with other citizen researchers/reporters who have followed their own pathways into examining a core sample of the glacier of Republican corruption.
Many of you have supported this effort.
Thank You!
This is the Legislation Abramoff and the Republican Party had blocked for more than a decade.
This is a big victory. There is more to be done, but I wanted to let you know that the good guys have won today.
Cheers
I am at a loss for words, but I want to share the wordsof my good friend Wendy Doromal with this community:
CELEBRATE!
S. 2739 which contains, TITLE VII-NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS, passed the United States Senate today! When signed into law by President Bush, S. 2739 will extend U.S. immigration laws to the CNMI, establish a federally administered guest worker program on the island, and help to secure our borders
This is a significant victory for every advocate, every federal official, and every person who has fought to end labor and human rights abuses in the CNMI. It is an momentous victory for the guest workers in the CNMI. It is a personal victory for me, and for my family
As an advocate who has worked on passing this legislation for almost 2 decades, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the members of the U.S Congress, especially to the members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Natural Resources, and their dedicated staff members. They devoted hundreds of hours of hard work, untiring perseverance, and self-less determination to see this issue resolved
Some members of Congress and staff members including Congressman George Miller (D-CA), Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), and Allen Stayman have pushed for effective reform for over a decade in a fight that has been difficult and fraught with obstacles. Some of the strongest proponents of this legislation have been personally vilified, attacked, libeled, and have even have lost jobs because of their conviction and determination to extend just and democratic laws to the CNMI. Yet, they stood their ground and continued the battle. The late Congresswoman Patsy Mink (D-HI) fought vehemently for immigration and labor reform in the CNMI. She is the one member of Congress who answered every e-mail, and replied to every letter that I sent to her with a handwritten personal note
There are advocates and human rights organizations who helped to educate the public and officials on this issue, and who have worked to get this bill passed who should be thanked and applauded. Dennis Greenia, who some know as dengre from the Daily Kos, is a dear friend and fellow advocate. He never saw the faces of the guest workers, yet he educated thousands of Americans of their plight and disenfranchisement through his posts on the Daily Kos. He spent hundreds of hours working with me, communicating with members of Congress, and assisting the guest workers through his writing and efforts to get other human rights groups including Co-op America on board to assist
Committed clergy and staff from The Sisters of the Good Shepherds, Guma Esperansa, and the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa have worked tirelessly to assist victims of human trafficking, have educated the public on the human trafficking problem in the CNMI, and have worked for solutions
Since the 1990's others have worked to institute meaningful reform in the CNMI - Dr. Eddie del Rosario, David Cohen, Danny Aranza, Phil Kaplan, Jess Varela, Global Survival Network, Sweatshop Watch, Filipino Coalition for Solidarity, Aloha Medical Mission, Filipino Community of Guam, Federation of Asian People of Guam, and dozens of friends and employees from the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Interior, and other federal agencies. Not to mention, the numerous CNMI workers' groups, attorneys, and residents who supported and fought for federalization. Most importantly, the guest workers, themselves who over the last couple year found their voices!
Our work is not done. We still need to address the issue of federal permanent status for the long-term guest workers. I will be carrying the petition from the guest workers to Washington, D.C. that requests green card status for the legal CNMI long-term guest workers
It is time for the CNMI government to stop the fight and to start working in unity with the federal government to set the CNMI on a path towards prosperity; to work to unify all of the people who call the CNMI home
Best wishes to all of the guest workers and their families on Saipan, Rota, and Tinian! I wish I was there with you today. Take time to celebrate this victory in unity!
Again, Thank You to all who have worked on this Victory.
Cheers!
Update
Here is the statement from Congressman George Miller:
"Today, the Senate passed a bill to end the broken immigration system in the CNMI and help begin to restore human rights to individuals working there. The Senate’s good work today marks the first time that both the House and Senate have approved legislation closing the legal loopholes that have allowed some of the poorest men and women in the world to be lured to the CNMI, abused, and exploited in sweatshops in this American territory.
"For more than a decade, a lobbyist by the name of Jack Abramoff joined then-Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-TX) and others in Congress to block our reform efforts. We sought these changes so that we could put a stop to the well-documented and widespread abuse of poor men and women in the garment and tourism industry in the CNMI and to better secure America's borders.
"Jack Abramoff is now in prison and Tom Delay has resigned in disgrace. Very few people would defend the status quo in the CNMI, which has done such damage to workers and their families over the years.
"Coupled with the increase in the minimum wage that we enacted last year, this bill will help put an end to the old practices and, I hope, will help the CNMI open a new chapter of economic prosperity in compliance with American law."
This is a good day.
Cheers
UPDATE 2
All I can say is all bow to the folks at TPM.
These guys are muck raking All Stars.
This post by Paul Kiel is just spot on. And take a moment to follow the links to the source documents.
And then there is Josh Marshall's explaination of the story
It is something of beauty.
We won a big victory today and folks like Paul and Josh are a big part of it.
Cheers