Economy
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U.S. Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds on Wednesday said the CNMI government does not view the local economy the same way the private sector does.
The government “can’t even agree on what [economic] condition it’s in,” she said in her remarks during the Saipan Chamber of Commerce’s annual economic forum at Kensington Hotel.
THE CNMI needs to have a unified voice to save the struggling local economy, U.S. Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds said on Saturday.
Washington – Today, Congresswoman King-Hinds touted a record full of accomplishments in 100 days as a freshman member of Congress representing the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
“When I ran for Congress, my slogan was ‘Level Up,’” said Congresswoman King-Hinds. “From the moment I raised my right hand and took the oath of office, I hit the ground running to do everything possible to elevate the CNMI.”
As the United States negotiates the Trump administration’s tariff increases with individual countries, CNMI Del. Kimberlyn King-Hinds said these negotiations should also explore ways to help the Northern Mariana Islands and its economy.
In an April 7 letter, King-Hinds asked Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative spearheading the negotiations, to explore economic development opportunities for the Northern Mariana Islands.
U.S. Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds urged National Endowment for the Humanities Acting Chairman Michael McDonald to reconsider the decision to end funding for the CNMI.
In her letter on Monday, King-Hinds expressed deep concern over the April 2, 2025 notice received by the Northern Marianas Humanities Council, which terminated three critical grants and jeopardized the continuation of programs and services that have long supported the CNMI.
She asked McDonald for an explanation and urged the Trump administration to reconsider the cuts.
THE CNMI has until Dec. 31, 2026 to spend the state and local fiscal recovery funds that it received from the federal government under the American Rescue Plan Act, U.S. Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds said.
She was responding to the inquiry of Senate Vice President Karl King-Nabors, who requested a "most up-to-date information" on the CNMI's expenditures of the pandemic assistance funds.
King-Hinds said of the $481.8 million in ARPA funds that the CNMI received from the federal government, $443.7 million had been expended as of Sept. 30, 2024.
Instead of a short-term fix like asking the federal government for more money to offset revenue losses from the anemic tourism industry, the CNMI would be better off fixing structural issues that created its current problems. With the cost-cutting frenzy gripping Washington, D.C. these days, any request for more federal dollars faces slim chances.