Bringing the CNMI’s Reality to the House Floor

On Thursday, I took to the House floor to speak about the realities facing the CNMI following Super Typhoon Sinlaku and the deeper challenges our islands were already carrying before the storm. In my remarks, I spoke about aging infrastructure, economic strain, shrinking air service, and the pressure placed on small island communities when federal systems are built without accounting for the realities of remote territories like ours. I also made clear that recovery cannot simply mean rebuilding what existed before. This disaster exposed vulnerabilities that have been building for years, and our focus now must be on creating stronger and more sustainable systems for the future. Most importantly, I wanted Congress to understand that while national attention may move on, our people are still living this every day. In the coming weeks, I will be working with as many of my colleagues in Congress as I can to see the broad relief we need become a reality. Step by step we’ll work this and get us back on our feet and running once again.