 FSM Congress News, March 24, 2004PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Congress): March 24, 2004 - Congress Speaker Peter M. Christian has called for a special session of the 13th FSM Congress to convene of the 25th of March, 2004. This will be the 4th Special Session of the current Congress. The items Congress will consider during the upcoming session will include amendments to the budget procedure law to make the current procedure consistent to the requirements of the amended Compact. Congress will also consider providing funds for the purchase of the Chuuk Star Hotel in Chuuk as the permanent site of the College of Micronesia-FSM Chuuk campus. President Urusemal requested $1.1 million to purchase the property after many long months of negotiations between the management of COM-FSM and other parties involved in the plan of purchase. The bill to allow payment of surviving spouse benefits under the Social Security Act to continue after the surviving spouse has remarried passed on 1st Reading during the 3rd Special Session of the 13th Congress. It is an unfinished item and could be taken up at any time during the session. Congress will go into recess on 28 March and reconvene on the 3rd of April. The five-day recess would allow Members of Congress to participate in the up coming 3rd FSM Economic Summit, which is scheduled, take place March 29 to April 2. Congress will then reconvene and stay in session until the 7th of the same month. |