119th Congress

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On Wednesday the Small Business Committee held a

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On Tuesday, I spoke with NPR reporter Juliana Kim to discuss issues impacting the CNMI and the broader national conversation on birthright c

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On Thursday, the

We’re inspired to see the rich heritage of Pacific navigation, including traditions of the CNMI, being shared in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Traditional Chamorro and Carolinian wayfinding, which involves reading the stars, waves, clouds, and animals to sail across vast oceans, is not only an art but also a sophisticated science.  The “Native Seas: Traditional Micronesian Navigators Visit the Bay Area” workshop at the University of California, Berkeley, celebrates this knowledge, connecting Pacific Islanders to their roots and reminding all

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued an update this week on the status of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, notifying states, Tribal Nations, and territories of ongoing efforts to resume programmatic support for BRIC awards and sub-applications. FEMA indicated that full program support, including award monitoring, closeouts, and pre-award reviews, will resume once the current lapse in appropriations ends.

On Wednesday the Small Business Committee held a hearing with the Small Business Administration Associate Administrator for Field Operations, Lisa Shimkat. I questioned Associate Administrator Shimkat about the closure last year of the SBA field office in Guam, which serves the CNMI as well. SBA field offices serve several important roles, including being the “boots on the ground” in delivering disaster loan assistance to small businesses after natural disasters like typhoons.