The administration’s request for a supplemental budget of $2.5 million for Fiscal Year 2016 has been approved by the House of Representatives.
Representatives passed the governor’s request intact without any changes though there were moves initiated by the Chairman of the Health Committee Vesi Faufano to include funding for the LBJ hospital in the appropriation measure.
A review of the bill by the House Budget and Appropriations Committee yesterday heated up with an exchange between Rep Faimealelei Anthony Allen, who serves on the Hospital Authority Board and Vesi.
The two lines of thought among committee members was that the bill be approved as proposed without any amendments, and the other proposed by Rep Vesi was that some funding in the supplemental should be allocated for the hospital given the dire situation the medical facility is in.
Vesi’s position was supported by Representatives Puletu Koko, Puleleiite Tufele Lia, Vui Florence Saulo and Fatulegaee Mauga.
But the committee decided to report the bill to the House floor for a second reading without any amendments.
Vesi was not pleased that their concerns for the hospital were ignored and turned on the volume to make his point.
Faimealelei said in response to the Manu’a lawmaker’s outburst that not a single lawmaker doesn’t want to help the hospital. However the Fono should act on what the administration has presented.
He said any semi autonomous agency of the government should channel their request for funding through the governor instead of coming straight to the Fono.
Faimealelei didn’t appreciate that Vesi was insinuating the House isn’t doing anything to help the hospital.
In the end those who supported reporting the bill to the floor without changes, won the vote.
They include Vice Speaker Fetu Fetui, Larry Sanitoa, Vailoata Amituanai, Vaetasi Tuumolimoli Moliga, Faimealelei and Timusa Lam Yuen.
The bill was approved by the House in second reading yesterday and this morning it was passed by unanimous vote in final reading.
The Senate version of the bill hasn’t been reported out of the Budget and Appropriations Committee.
Some but not all of the Special Programs funding in the supplemental bill includes:
$500,0000 for the Fono fale Samoa renovation
$400,000 for guardrails
$250,00 for LBJ Dialysis staff training
$200,000 added to hiring degreed graduates
$200,000 added to the road maintenance subsidy.
