Newsletters
The House passed the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Wednesday with three of my amendments benefiting the Northern Mariana Islands. All three amendments were adopted by unanimous consent, strengthening local readiness, infrastructure, and strategic importance in the Indo-Pacific. My amendments include:
The Joeten-Kiyu Public Library flew to Washington, D.C.
On September 11, our nation celebrates Patriot Day in remembrance of the nearly 3,000 lives lost on 9/11 and honor the courage of first responders and everyday heroes
Proud to recognize two of our very own from the CNMI, Lino Tenorio and James Roberto, for their outstanding contributions to the first-ever NOAA bottomfish survey in the CNMI. This groundbreaking project brought local fishers together with NOAA scientists to better understand our deep-water fish populations, which are vital to both our culture and economy. Through their expertise and dedication, Lino, James, and others helped shape a model of collaboration that blends traditional knowledge with modern science.
Wednesday was a long one. After meeting with Governor Apatang, I was back in the Capitol for a scheduled Committee of the Whole vote on the House Floor at 9:00 pm. This late-night session focused on amendments to the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act and was one of the rare opportunities for territorial delegates to cast a vote alongside our colleagues in Congress. We made our vote count and, in the process, I had the chance to connect with fellow Members as the votes were called and tallied.
Regular readers of this newsletter know about our ongoing conversations with Seafix Inc. on the potential for the CNMI to expand its role in ship repair and maintenance. This week, I met again with Andrew Miller, Greg David, and Brian Cain while they were in Washington for meetings with the Department of Defense. Some residents may have noticed fewer prepositioning ships in our waters in recent months. These vessels, vital to our national security, regularly require servicing and repairs, but that work is being done elsewhere in the region.
Over the past week, my office has been working nonstop on the reported suspension of certain outbound airmail services from the Marianas. After first hearing about the suspension on Friday, I immediately reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Postal Service for answers, and communicated with Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to share information and learn about the impacts across our islands. This week, I met with senior White House Officials, who confirmed that the intent of Executive Order 14324 was not to impact mail services from the CNMI.
Richard Chalkey, Special Assistant to the President in the Office of Legislative Affairs, visited the Congressional Office this week to talk all things C
The Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs announced Tuesday that the CNMI Department of Finance will receive $250,000 in Fiscal Year 2025 T