President signed six congressional acts into law, vetoed two and let one become law without his signature

Government of the Federated States of Micronesia

President signed six congressional acts into law, vetoed two and let one become law without his signature

Approved Acts

Congressional Act No. 15-52 becomes Public Law No. 15-41, enacting a one-time salary increase for certain Public Service employees of the National Government. In his letter to Speaker Figir, President Mori requests assistance of Congress to take further reform measures to offset the salary increase and ensure sustainability of the $35 biweekly increase. The President will consider eliminating non-essential positions at the National Government and cutting the budget.

Congressional Act No. 15-42 becomes Public Law No. 15-49, to change the use of certain funds previously appropriated during the Fourteenth Congress for public projects and social programs in the State of Kosrae.

Congressional Act No. 15-51 becomes Public Law No. 15-43, providing additional funding for the National Government for Fiscal Year 2008. However, the President line-item-vetoed certain appropriations including $25,000 for FSM Red Cross, $166,537 for Caroline Island Air, and $10,000 for construction of a Nahs for the National official residences. The President felt that the Red Cross needs to raise more of its funds and not depend on the Government. With respect to Caroline Island Air, he is of the view that CIA should operate more as a private entity and operate as such. He considers the Nahs in Palikir not a priority need and could wait.

Congressional Act No. 15-48 becomes Public Law No. 15-44, to change the use of certain funds previously appropriated for public projects and social programs for all the states. The President however line-item-vetoed part of Section 1 of the Act due to insufficient funds in the proposed uses as amended, and they are as follows: $25,000 for Weno municipal election, $5,000 for Weno municipal government subsidy, $5,000 for Fonoton municipal government subsidy, and $5,000 for Pis-Paneu municipal government subsidy. Regretfully, the President informed Speaker Figir that he has no choice but to line-item-veto this Section of the Act since more than $18,000 of the original $40,000 appropriation has already been expended.

Congressional Act No. 15-46 becomes Public Law No. 15-39, to amend Title 39 of the FSM Code to establish a Cancer Registry System in the FSM for the collection of information on the incidence of cancer and related data, and to provide for the confidentiality of identifying information regarding cancer patients, health care facilities and health care providers.

Congressional Act No. 15-47 becomes Public Law No. 15-40, appropriating the sum of $245,000 from the General Fund of the FSM for national general election in March 2009.

Vetoed Acts

Congressional Act No. 15-45 intended to permit a registered voter to cast ballot where the name of the voter does not appear on the signature list of a polling place in a state, Congress election district or municipality in which he or she resides. In his letter to Speaker Figir, the President added that there would be potential problems and further confusion if this Act becomes law and will not resolve any of the disparities it is attempting to harmonize in the current National Election Law.

Congressional Act No 15-50, to establish a Trust Fund for the benefit of former Presidents and to provide for an allowance for them. The President informed Speaker Figir that he vetoed the said act because it fails to address the sustainability of funding for the program. However, he believes that a trust fund scheme can be designed to address the financial aspect to guarantee the sustainability of the program without creating too much of a financial burden on the Government. He also noted that the Act fails to address the need to include former vice presidents, congressmen, judges and other exempt employees of the Government.

Act becoming law without President's signature

Congressional Act No. 15-44 becomes Public Law No. 15-38 without President's signature, to further amend Title 24 of the FSM Code to establish a two-term limit for members of the NORMA Board, and to limit the period of time a member may serve after expiration of a term to six months. In a letter to Speaker Figir, President Mori indicated he found it difficult to make a decision due to the conflicting positions of Congress and NORMA.

He added the Authority is concerned for the short term a member may serve on the board while Congress took the opposite view that when a member served on the board for too long he becomes complacent and inefficient to carry out his duties and responsibilities.