E-Newsletter - November 25, 2009

This Week in Congress

"Some people complain because God put thorns on roses while others praise Him for putting roses among thorns." Anonymous

As we reflect upon the many blessings of this past year, I want to express my sincere gratitude to you, the people of the Northern Marianas Islands, for giving me the honor and the opportunity to represent our islands in Congress.

But this is not a one-person job. Everyone who has given their prayers, their ideas, and their help is also contributing to represent the Northern Mariana Islands. I am very grateful for that assistance. Together we have made this first year in Congress productive and given the Northern Mariana Islands a more positive image in Washington. For that we can all be thankful.

I will continue to need your prayers, input and cooperation in the year ahead. Your support means the world to all that we do in Washington, DC and in the Northern Mariana Islands.

May your Thanksgiving be blessed with God's blessings, the love of family and friends, and a harvest of good life. Thank you again.

Saipan Community School students, under the direction of art teacher Debbie Winkfield and Principal Bobby Winkfield, crafted the ornaments above for this year’s National Christmas Tree. The ornaments will be unveiled at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony to take place at the White House Ellipse on December 3. This is the first time the Northern Mariana Islands Delegate’s Office will participate in the 85-year U.S. tradition. Every year, students from each of the states and US territories are asked to submit hand-crafted Christmas ornaments for the National Christmas Tree and a tree representing their Territory or State. This year’s theme is the appreciation for natural resources and recycling. Saipan Community School students used materials found on the islands, including seashells, tree bark and seeds.

Securing a fair share of Recovery Act telecommunications grants – I am working to make sure the Northern Marianas gets a fair share of the $4 billion in Recovery Act grants for telecommunications upgrades. The Act says that each of the 50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia should receive at least one grant. But reviewing the 2,200 grant applications that have come in I saw that many projects serve more than one area. For instance, IT&E has submitted a funding request to increase access to faster Internet services that covers both Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. I am concerned that one area may benefit more than another in this situation, or that both areas may not receive as much funding as they would if each had their own grant. I have written to the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration requesting a commitment that each of the states and territories does receive at least one individual project grant. To view a copy of the letter, visit https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B5yOYxtEBY-VODBhY2RmNTktYmU0OC00Mjk1LWJjMjQtY2U1MzE4MmRhYWYw&hl=en. NTIA is expected to announce the grant winners in December.

Consumer protections ensure the availability of health insurance (Third in a series on H.R. 3962, the House-passed Affordable Health Care for America Act) – In previous weeks I’ve written about how the House health care reform bill helps seniors and the uninsured. The week, we’ll take a look at how the bill changes the way we buy health insurance, making it cheaper, easier to get and harder to take away. The bill ensures that insurance is cheaper by instituting cost controls and requiring that companies justify any increases in premiums or cuts in benefits. The bill we passed in the House also limits the ways patients can be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions, such as domestic violence and birth defects. And it prohibits insurance companies from taking away your coverage just because you are sick. We worked hard to make sure that U.S. territories were included in the health care bill. As a result, all these protections extend to consumers buying insurance in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Recovery Act assists small and disadvantaged businesses - Small and disadvantaged business in the Northern Mariana Islands may now apply for reimbursement for bonding premiums and fees incurred in connection with transportation and infrastructure projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The program, administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, will directly reimburse a business certified as a “Disadvantaged Business Enterprise.” To be certified a firm must be a small business owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. In the Northern Mariana Islands the agency that certifies businesses is the Commonwealth Ports Authority. Contact Ms. JoyAnn Deleon Guerrero or Ms. Frances Mafnas at 237-6514 or 237-6502 or visit http://www.cpa.gov.mp/business/dbe.asp for more information. To learn more about the bonding assistance program, contact Ms. De Vera Redmond at devera.redmond@dot.gov or visit http://www.dot.gov/recovery/ost/osdbu/.

$77,209 highway safety grant is just in time for the holidays – Commonwealth police officers can have their overtime paid this holiday season with Section 402 State and Community Highway Safety Grant funds released this week. Section 402 grants are awarded automatically by formula set in law and are used to change behavior to improve highway safety. Programs discouraging drinking and driving, encouraging the use of seat belts, and raising awareness of pedestrians and bicyclists are among the ways the grant can be used. The money also pays for police overtime to enforce traffic safety laws - especially important over the holidays. The $77,209 awarded covers only the period from November 1 to December 18, because Congress has not yet enacted the fiscal year 2010 Transportation appropriation. Total Section 402 money for the Northern Marianas for FY10 should be approximately $573,000. Congress is also still working on reauthorization of the 5-year highway law; so I am keeping an eye on funding formulas to make sure the Northern Marianas' share of Section 402 and other transportation money remains safe. back to top

Highlights in the Legislative Program, House of Representatives

THIS WEEK

The House is in recess for the Thanksgiving holiday.

NEXT WEEK

The House will be in recess.