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Convening Day

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Congress): January 8, 2003 - Congress convened today and deferred action on four Standing Committee Reports, which were up for action on its first day of the 3-day special session.

The four reports were deferred before the November 12, adjournment of the Fourth Regular Session held October-November of 2002. One of them concerns Congressional Bill No. 12-79, which would provide a Board of Directors to oversee the National Government Employee's Health Insurance Fund, one would change the Social Security Act and one concerns the FSM Language Policy. The fourth concerns a resolution to adopt the Strategic Plan for the Improvement of Education in the FSM.

On the agenda and assigned to the Committee on External Affairs for further study, was a communication from the FSM President informing Congress about the establishment of diplomatic relations between the governments of the FSM and Romania.

Floor Leader Joseph J. Urusemal welcomed and introduced members of the diplomatic corps and members of the president's cabinet after extending his and his family's belated Merry Christmas and happy New Year to all citizens and friends of the FSM. The Floor Leader also, on behalf of the Congress, welcomed to Pohnpei the Vice President of the Government of the Republic of Palau, the Honorable Sandra Pierantozzi, who is here for meeting. He was appointed by Speaker Jack Fritz to chair the Special Committee to Wait on the President and instructed to conveyed best wishes of the Speaker and members of Congress to the president and vice president and their families and to extend the same wishes to members of the cabinet and all FSM citizens.

Senators Manny Mori and Resio Moses were also appointed to the same committee.

With no appointment from Kosrae on the Special Committee, Speaker Fritz encouraged the three members that the Congress and the whole nation entrusted the good faith that though the State of Kosrae is not represented in the committee, they, as one committee, work for only one nation, the four states.

Congressional Chief Clerk Liwiana Ramon administered the invocation, a new record for a woman to administer opening prayer for the FSM Congress.

The Kosrae Congressional Delegation was absent due to the over flown of the Continental flight the delegation would have taken to Pohnpei. Only one of the four members of the Pohnpei Delegation was present at the convening day. This is due to funerals in Pohnpei and Chairman Peter Christian being in Guam.

Congress took to recessed at 11:15 a.m. and will reconvene tomorrow, January 9, at 10:00 in the morning.