Newsletters
I am pleased to share that airmail service from the CNMI and Guam to the U.S. mainland has resumed without disruption. The U.S. Postal Service confirmed this week that the measures are now in place alongside the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ensure compliance with the recent de minimus Executive Order. With this arrangement, mail packages from our islands are being accepted, transported, and delivered as normal. This means that mail and packages sent from the mainland to the territories are no longer affected.
On Tuesday, the Small Business Committee advanced H.R.
For decades, the prepositioning vessels anchored outside our lagoon have been a part of the daily horizon in the Marianas, a reminder of our role in national security. Recently, the ships departed for maintenance and repair outside of the United States and its territories. While upkeep of the fleet is essential, I believe there is an opportunity for the CNMI to play a role in this work.
At its core, the NDAA is the primary funding vehicle for our nation’s military. The $882.6 billion package proposed in FY26 NDAA delivers critical support to America’s service members and their families. This includes a 3.8% pay raise for service members and new benefits for military families, improvements to military food and housing programs, reforms to DoD’s acquisition process to accelerate delivery of innovative technologies, support for U.S. border security, and the extension of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to strengthen U.S. posture in the Indo-Pacific.
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
