Congresswoman King-Hinds: Our National Security Decisions Must Be Based on Facts, Not Fear
Washington - Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds has called on the U.S. Department of the Treasury to expand the oversight of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to include foreign investments in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Congresswoman King-Hinds urged the Department to review its regulatory provisions and establish a process by which foreign investments in the CNMI are subject to CFIUS review.
“Ensuring our national security is the responsibility of the federal government, not local businesses or policymakers acting without the necessary authority,” said Congresswoman King-Hinds. “The federal government already has the tools to investigate and, when necessary, block foreign investments that pose a threat to our security. It is time those tools are applied to the CNMI to ensure that any investment decisions made here align with U.S. national security interests while also allowing legitimate and beneficial investments to proceed without harmful and uninformed speculation.”
CFIUS has broad authority to review foreign investments in the United States for potential national security risks, including real estate transactions near military installations. However, its scope has not been clearly defined for the CNMI, despite the region’s growing strategic importance. The CNMI is home to key U.S. military assets, including a long-term lease of two-thirds of the island of Tinian for defense purposes and ongoing military infrastructure developments vital to U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy.
“In recent years, there has been a growing debate over foreign investment in the CNMI, with some calling for local policies that have had a negative impact on our tourism industry,” Congresswoman King-Hinds continued. “Rather than relying on speculation and economically damaging restrictions, we should ensure that CFIUS—the federal body responsible for assessing national security risks—has a process to conduct the necessary reviews. The CNMI does not have access to the intelligence or security expertise to make these determinations, but the federal government does.”
“Section 104 of the Covenant of the Northern Mariana Islands clearly states that the ‘United States will have complete responsibility for and authority with respect to matters relating to foreign affairs and defense affecting the Northern Mariana Islands.’ This responsibility does not fall on local airlines, hotel operators, or our local government,” the Congresswoman emphasized.
“If a foreign investment in the CNMI presents a legitimate national security risk, the federal government has the authority and the responsibility to address it. My request to Secretary Bessent is about ensuring that responsibility is upheld. Our national security decisions must be based on facts, not fear.”
“As we continue to push for compliance with Annex VI and resume air service from China, we need to be honest about the distinction between national security concerns on the Chinese government and tourists that are directly benefiting workers and families in our economy,” she added. “Let’s just focus on bringing jobs, income, and stability back to the CNMI now while we still can. Its what’s right and what the people elected us to do.”
Congresswoman King-Hinds emphasized that she is working on ensuring both the security of the CNMI and the protection of its economic future, preventing unnecessary economic disruption while ensuring that federal agencies are properly responding to any potential threats.