119th Congress
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
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.