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I wanted to begin this week’s recap by sharing a few thoughts on the passing of Former Lieutenant Governor Diego Benavente.

Huge props to CNMI long distance runner Tania Tan for being named Pacific Player of the Week by Nesia Daily, a part of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Tania’s record-breaking performance in the 1500m at the Oceania Cup in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, has made the entire Marianas proud.

It is always important to listen to and learn from the experts doing the work on the ground. This week, I had the chance to do just that in meeting with Zabrina Cruz of the Division of Environmental Quality, Kelsey McClellan from NMC’s Natural Resources Management program, and Travis Spaeth of the U.S. Public Health Service. We discussed the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are showing increased levels in the Saipan aquifer. Every elected official has a responsibility to ensure the resources our people rely on are safe for their health.

It is an honor to represent the people of the CNMI, and it is also really meaningful to play a role in the major issues facing our islands. I am grateful for this responsibility, which is why I believe it is important to share as much as I can about the work happening in Washington and how it affects our community. I had the chance to do that this week when I spoke to Thomas Manglona’s Current Issues class at the Northern Marianas College. It was amazing to hear directly from NMC students about the topics they care about.

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I had the great pleasure of meeting with executives from Zo Motors this week, joined by Dr.

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I recently had the opportunity to visit the Center for Living Independently in the CNMI with Executive Director Susan Satur,