CNMI Priorities at the Table in IGIA
Governors of the Insular Areas, including Governor Apatang, gathered in Washington this week for the 2026 Senior Plenary Session of the Interagency Group on Insular Areas. The IGIA is an annual forum where governors and delegates address the Department of the Interior and federal agencies on the needs, challenges, and priorities of our respective islands. In my remarks, I called on federal partners to take concrete steps to remove barriers slowing the CNMI’s economic recovery. I also appreciated and echoed Governor Apatang’s message that economic stability in the Commonwealth is directly tied to our national security interests in the region. Our future cannot be allowed to erode through inaction or administrative obstacles. At the end of the day, the federal government has the authority to act, and the challenges of the moment call for urgency and follow-through.