Press releases
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477 rows where chamber = "Senate" and year = 2015 sorted by date descending
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| url | title | date ▲ | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| http://sablan.house.gov/2015-year-review | 2015 - The Year in Review | 2015-12-31 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | 2015 will be remembered in part as the year of Typhoon Soudelor. Complete recovery is still to be accomplished, but federal assistance helped local hands respond to the immediate emergency and will continue to aid in restoration of homes and public infrastructure. 2015 was also a year of significant accomplishment in Washington. January 16% NAP benefit increase for Saipan takes effect - Food stamp beneficiaries on Saipan received a 16 percent increase in their benefits. The Saipan increase followed a 28 percent increase for Tinian and 62 percent for Rota and the Northern Islands that took effect in 2014. Seniority pays off in Committee assignment - Six years of seniority allowed the Northern Marianas Delegate to win promotion to Vice-Ranking Member for the Natural Resources Committee. February H.R. 851 aims to increase federal funding for PSS - As it became apparent that the Elementary and Secondary Education Act would finally be reauthorized, I introduced legislation to increase federal education funding for our Public School System a move that paid off in December. March Presidents budget includes funding for Rota National Park study - The study was only authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act in December 2014, but the President immediately proposed funding. April Community Health Centers, CHIP benefit from doc fix - The Kagman Community Health Center was assured of funding through 2017 in Public Law 114-10. The law also extended the CHIP program, which will provide $1.4 million for health insurance for children from low-income families in the Northern Marianas in 2016. June Geothermal explorations get green light - CUC got the go-ahead to use technical assistance funds provided by Congress to continue exploring geothermal potential on Saipan. Hot water deep below the surface could generate electricity and lower the cost of power. July Foxx-Messer-Sablan Act would help students select college - Along with Education and the Workforce Committee members Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Luke Messer … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/fema-obligates-12-million-cuc-soudelor-repairs | FEMA obligates $1.2 million for CUC Soudelor repairs | 2015-12-31 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | FEMA obligates $1.2 million for CUC Soudelor repairs Dec 30, 2015 The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced this week a grant of $1,194,653.70 to the Northern Mariana Islands. The funds are intended to be passed through to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation for costs of restoring power on Saipan following Typhoon Soudelor. These public assistance funds are authorized under Section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Act and should continue to be obligated for a variety of public infrastructure that was damaged during the storm. FEMA provides 90 percent of funding; the Commonwealth provides 10 percent, a reduction of the usual 25 percent match. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/uscis-assures-action-pending-cw-petitions | USCIS assures action on pending CW petitions | 2015-12-31 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | USCIS assures action on pending CW petitions Dec 30, 2015 The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has responded to my calls for action on delayed renewals of Commonwealth-only worker permits by moving CW applications submitted over 90 days ago for permits that expire this week to the front of the line for processing about 800 in all. Extra staff have also been added to clear the backlog of CW applications. USCIS has told me that they expect to act on these 800 CW petitions by the end of this week. Another 2,000 applications that were not submitted before the recommended 90 days will also receive the extra staff attention I called for. I urge employers with applications that are more than 90 days old to contact the congressional office. I also recommend that employers submit applications for renewals as early as possible they may do so up to 180 days prior to expiration. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/working-together-new-torres-administration | Working together with the new Torres administration | 2015-12-31 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Working together with the new Torres administration Dec 31, 2015 Our new Governor, Ralph DLG Torres, led the response and recovery to Typhoon Soudelor; and the congressional office assisted by making sure that every federal resource he called for was provided fully and quickly. In a meeting with Governor Torres this week I pledged to continue that model of cooperation and partnership with his new administration for the benefit of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands. I thanked the Governor, too, for leading us all through these days of grief with grace and courage. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-holds-town-hall-paducah-performing-free-eye-surgeries/ | Sen. Rand Paul Holds Town Hall in Paducah Before Performing Free Eye Surgeries | 2015-12-29 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | PADUCAH, KY – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul held a Town Hall in Paducah, Kentucky at the Paducah Chamber of Commerce Center. Before heading to the Ambulatory Surgery Center in Paducah to perform pro bono eye surgeries, Sen. Paul spoke with Kentuckians in attendance and took questions from the audience. Questions ranged from local issues to immigration to national defense. Following the Town Hall, Sen. Paul performed pro bono eye surgeries with Dr. Barbara Bowers. Sen. Paul regularly performs free eye surgeries for charity, and since being elected to the Senate in 2010, he has continued to use his skills to help those in need. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-december-23-2015 | THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - December 23, 2015 | 2015-12-28 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | In this issue: Bill introduced to pay for earned income tax credit in NMI. I have introduced legislation,H.R. 4309, that would use federal funds to cover the cost of the earned income tax credit in the Northern Mariana Islands and other U.S. insular areas. The EITC provides extra money to U.S. workers, who have low wage jobs, up to $6,000 annually. Here in the Northern Marianas, where incomes are half the national average, the EITC would put more money into peoples pockets and into our local economy. Unlike other forms of welfare that go to people without jobs, the EITC is only paid to those who are working. It rewards work. The EITC would apply in the same way as the Child Tax Credit that many families now receive. Taxpayers file for the credit on their CNMI tax return; and then the federal government gives the money to the CNMI to cover the cost. The Commonwealth tried to provide the EITC in the 1990s, but had to stop because the program was too expensive. Getting tax law changed is not easy to do in Congress. And what I am proposing costs money, so it is even more difficult. But our new Speaker, Paul Ryan, wants to reform the tax code perhaps in the next Congress. My proposal starts the discussion and prepares us for the work that could get done in 2017 or 2018. New Marianas High School cafeteria approved. Marianas High School students will be getting a new cafeteria and kitchen valued at $1.4 million. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Food and Nutrition Service approved use of 2015 Nutritional Assistance Grant funds for the project this week. The Public School System asked for approval in September. I registered support with FNS Administrator Audrey Rowe and have been working with the agency ever since to clear procedural hurdles. The present cafeteria, built in 1969, was designed to serve 450 students. The new cafeteria will be five times larger. This will allow the current enrollment of 1,604 students to all be served in two lunch periods of 30 minutes each. At the recommendation of FNS the new faci… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/new-marianas-high-school-cafeteria-approved | New Marianas High School cafeteria approved | 2015-12-24 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | New Marianas High School cafeteria approved Dec 23, 2015 Marianas High School students will be getting a new cafeteria and kitchen valued at $1.4 million. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Food and Nutrition Service approved use of 2015 Nutritional Assistance Grant funds for the project this week. The Public School System asked for approval in September. I registered support with FNS Administrator Audrey Rowe and have been working with the agency ever since to clear procedural hurdles. The present cafeteria, built in 1969, was designed to serve 450 students. The new cafeteria will be five times larger. This will allow the current enrollment of 1,604 students to all be served in two lunch periods of 30 minutes each. At the recommendation of FNS the new facility will also include a full kitchen, where students will be able to learn cooking and nutritional skills for their own benefit and as part of the MHS vocational curriculum. Federal NAG funds previously built cafeterias at San Vicente Elementary and Dandan Middle schools. Congratulations to PSS and all the MHS Dolphins. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-mrs-rand-pauls-christmas-message/ | Dr. & Mrs. Rand Paul’s Christmas Message | 2015-12-24 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul and his wife, Kelley Paul, delivered the following message in celebration of Christmas and the holiday season. The video and transcript can be found below. CLICK HERE TO WATCH DR. AND MRS. RAND PAUL’S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE TRANSCRIPT Merry Christmas! As families come together this time of year to give thanks and rejoice in the holiday season, Kelley and I would like to offer our very best wishes to the hard-working families in Kentucky, and across this great nation. With the Christmas season upon us, let us pause for a moment and remember our brave men and women serving our country and protecting our freedom at home and abroad. We thank you and your families for all the sacrifices you make. We would also like to extend our prayers and wishes to the families across the Commonwealth of Kentucky – from the horse farms to the coal mines, from the family-owned small businesses to the factories creating products shared worldwide. Your hard work makes the Bluegrass State proud. May your holiday be filled with love and your New Year rich with God’s blessings. From our families to yours, merry Christmas and happy holidays! ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-releases-special-festivus-airing-grievances-2015-edition-waste-report/ | Sen. Rand Paul Releases Special ‘Festivus: Airing of Grievances for 2015’ Edition of ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-12-23 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released a special ‘Festivus: Airing of Grievances for 2015’ edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The ‘Festivus: Airing of Grievances for 2015’ edition highlights over 30 examples of wasteful spending, misplaced priorities, and bad management in the federal government that have cost the taxpayer more than one billion dollars. Of the 31 examples amassed from the past year, a few high-points of the ‘The Waste Report’ include: an $850,000 foreign made-for-TV cricket league in Afghanistan, a $150,000 federal government agency yoga classes, a $450,000 climate change video game, a $250,000 trip for Pakistani children to attend Space Camp and Dollywood in the U.S., and a $104 million subsidization for millionaires to live in public housing. The special ‘Festivus: Airing of Grievances’ of ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/investors-told-hire-construction-workers-through-h2b-visa-process | Investors told to hire construction workers through H2B visa process | 2015-12-22 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Marianas Variety- U.S. Congressman Gregorio Camacho Kilili Sablan on Tuesday said new investors such as Honest Profit can hire temporary workers using the H-2B visa program if they want to proceed with construction projects. Guam hires foreign workers, including construction workers, through the H-visa process. Rep. Joseph Leepan T. Guerrero earlier asked Sablan to look into the delay in the processing of Honest Profits petitions for CW workers. The investor wants to construct a new hotel in San Antonio. Variety learned from other employers that they, too, are still waiting for a response from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for CW petitions submitted in August. Sablan said H-2B visas are for workers who are only needed for a specific project and a specific length of time. In the rest of the U.S. there is a limit on the number of H visas each year. But there is no limit here in the Marianas because of the language I put into .S.S Public Law 113-235 last December. That law allows for an unlimited number of H visa construction workers to work in the Marianas without using up any CW permits. He said CW permits for construction workers are limited. There are only 12,999 CW permits available this year. Those CW permits are too valuable to our existing businesses to use for temporary construction workers. CW permits are limited. We can have 12,999 in 2016 but by 2019 that number is supposed to go to zero, Sablan said. We may need to stretch out that transition period further. I do not know yet. But I do know that with every year that goes by CW permits will become more and more valuable and should, in my opinion, only be used for workers we cannot get through any other means. Sablan said Guerrero had not written to him or met with him to discuss the issue. But I would explain the situation to him if he asks. Sablan said there are other companies with CW permits for construction workers because the employers were able to justify their claims that no U.S. workers were available for those jobs. When an employer … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/kilili-proposes-federally-funded-earned-income-tax-credit-program-nmi | Kilili proposes federally funded Earned Income Tax Credit program for NMI | 2015-12-22 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Marianas Variety- U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan has introduced a measure that will provide federal funds for the CNMI Earned Income Tax Credit or EITC program. Sablans H.R. 4309 will allow taxpayers in the Northern Marianas to receive a refundable tax credit if they have earned income in a given year. The earned income tax credit is an important public policy because it rewards people for working, Sablan said in a media statement. Even if people have to work for low wages, which many people do in the Northern Marianas, it will still be worthwhile to get a job because there will be this extra supplemental income from the government, Sablan said. Acting Gov. Ralph Torres on Tuesday praised Sablan for introducing the bill. I commend and appreciate Congressman Sablans efforts to extend a federal cover-over for the cost the CNMI would pay for the Earned Income Tax Credit. This is an important incentive for low-income residents. The EITC program is supposed to work in tandem with [other] programsto be a safety net for low-income families while supporting self-sufficiency through gainful employment, but the [EITC] has been unavailable in the CNMI. He added, This is an issue we have brought up during the formation of the Governors Special Commission on Economic Opportunity. In order to build a stronger society we need all the resources we have at our disposal to encourage greater workforce participation rates among our people and provide them the tools they need to succeed. I thank Congressman Sablan for his efforts on this issue and will follow the progress of this legislation closely. Sablan said the commonwealth tried to provide the EITC to its people in the 1990s but had to discontinue the program because it was too expensive for the CNMI government. Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands have an EITC program in place and pay for it using local funds. Sablans bill would cover the cost with federal funds. This would work in the same way that families in the Northern Marianas are now getting the refundable … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/many-cw-permits-expiring-dec-31-kilili-uscis-working-remedy-delay | WITH MANY CW PERMITS EXPIRING ON DEC. 31- Kilili, USCIS working to remedy delay | 2015-12-22 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Saipan Tribune- A 48-year-old wait staff at a restaurant is having sleepless nights as his CW-1 permit has yet to be adjudicated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service less than a month before his current permit expires on Dec. 31, 2015. Sonny (not his real name) is one of probably hundreds of CW-1 permit holders who are on pins and needles waiting for USCIS decision on their renewal permits. Under USCIS rules, a CW-1 permit holder should stop work immediately after his permit expires. But Sonny, who hails from the Philippines, said that stopping from work is not an option as the father of six has living expenses to meet. Are we just going to stop eating and using electricity? How about the rent in our apartment and payment of utilities? How are we going to pay for gas for our cars? Whos going to pay for all of that? And besides its Christmas and the New Year. I really hope USCIS approves my permit soon, he told Saipan Tribune. For many businesses such as hotels, the idea of stopping as much as a third of their workforce from working on one of the busiest nights of the year, Dec. 31, is also not an option. As of Dec. 1, 2015, USCIS has approved a total of 9,195 beneficiaries under the CW-Only Nonimmigrant Transitional Worker program and denied 1,092. The 9,195 counts against the 2015 cap of 12,999 set by the USCIS earlier in the year. Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) said he is aware of the anxiety not only on the part of CW-1 permit holders but their employers as well. He said a number of businesses have already approached him about the delay in the issuance of CW-1 renewal permits. The congressional office continues to work with employers who come seeking our help with their CW visa petitions. I cannot name the companies or petitioners because when anyone comes to us for assistance, their case is treated with complete confidentiality, he told Saipan Tribune in an email. He also confirmed what USCIS told Saipan Tribune about the current number of approved and denied CW-1 petitions. And I can repo… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-hhs-investigation-planned-parenthood-tissue-practices/ | Sen. Rand Paul Announces HHS Investigation of Planned Parenthood Tissue Practices | 2015-12-22 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the request initiated by U.S. Senator Rand Paul, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General (OIG) Daniel R. Levinson has opened an investigation, including a full audit into the compliance of HHS grantees with the fetal tissue regulations to determine whether there have been violations of the law and how the agency verifies compliance. Originally stemming from videos showcasing Planned Parenthood’s potential violations of federal law, Sen. Paul sent a letter, signed by 34 of his colleagues, on October 6, 2015, to HHS OIG Levinson calling for an audit to specifically examine the Department’s oversight of contractor and grantee compliance with laws governing fetal tissue research. The full text of Sen. Paul’s letter can be found HERE. Sen. Paul, in response to HHS OIG Levinson’s investigation, released the following statement: “I am encouraged to see the Inspector General take action to investigate Planned Parenthood’s unconscionable practices. Planned Parenthood selling body parts of the unborn demonstrates that the organization deserves not one penny more of our taxpayer dollars, and I am confident this investigation will give further proof of that,” Sen. Paul said. In July 2015, Sen. Paul joined 49 of his Senate colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell immediately following the release of footage from the Center for Medical Progress depicting Planned Parenthood executives discussing – in graphic detail – the organization’s involvement in the harvesting and sale of the organs of aborted babies. In the letter, the Senators asked HHS to conduct an internal review of the compliance of both HHS and their grantee, Planned Parenthood, with all applicable federal laws, including those prohibiting the sale of fetal tissue for profit. The response received from Sec. Burwell in August was unacceptable and makes clear that a thorough internal investigation of compliance was not conducted. Click HERE to read HHS OIG Levinson’s re… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/fy16-funding-tax-extenders-approved | FY16 funding, tax extenders approved | 2015-12-21 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | FY16 funding, tax extenders approved Dec 20, 2015 On Friday, The House and Senate passed, and the President already signed, an appropriations and tax bill, providing $1.067 trillion in funding for the federal government for the rest of fiscal year 2016 and extending a variety of tax provisions. Highlights of funding and tax provisions that benefit the Northern Marianas include: $22.5 billion for Pell Grants, which is the same as the 2015 enacted level. When combined with mandatory funding, these discretionary funds will enable the maximum grant to increase to an estimated $5,915, an increase of $140 in the 2016-2017 school year for NMC students. $6.35 billion to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program in FY16. The amount is lower than the FY15 enacted level due to decreases in program participation and is expected to provide full benefits to participants. WIC provides nutritional foods and services to nutritionally at-risk low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants and young children in the Northern Marianas. The Northern Marianas WIC program received $5.4 million in FY15. $638 million for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, an increase from the FY 2015 enacted level. The Northern Marianas received $456,074 in FY 2014 to help address the health needs of mothers, infants and children, including children with special health care needs and their families. Increases in funding for major housing programs: $19.63 billion for Section 8 Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, an approximate increase of $324 million from the FY15 enacted level. Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance increases $890 to $10.62 billion. And the HOME Investment Partnership program is funded at $950 million, a $50 million increase from FY15.The Community De… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/nmi-educators-apply-now-loc-summer-institutes | NMI educators: Apply now for LOC Summer Institutes | 2015-12-21 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | NMI educators: Apply now for LOC Summer Institutes Dec 20, 2015 The application period for the Library of Congress 2016 Summer Teacher Institutes is now open, and educators from the Northern Marianas are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is February 29, 2016. The highly acclaimed Summer Teacher Institutes provide educators with the tools and training to effectively utilize the Librarys rich collection of primary sources in the classroom. Educators will also be given the resources to share what they learn with their colleagues in their respective districts. Five weeklong institutes will be offered from June to July next year, including one institute focused on science, engineering, and technology. The week-long training is free, but participants are responsible for the costs of travel to Washington, DC, and room and board. To learn more about the Summer Teacher Institutes, and to apply, visit: https://www.loc.gov/teachers/professionaldevelopment/teacherinstitute/. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/soudelor-commendations-added-congressional-record | Soudelor commendations added to Congressional Record | 2015-12-21 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Soudelor commendations added to Congressional Record Dec 20, 2015 In a statement to the U.S. House of Representatives last week, I gave an account of the damage we suffered in Typhoon Soudelor and the response that followed. And I gave thanks to all who made possible our remarkable rebound from adversity. More than four months after one of the worst typhoons in memory, the initial recovery is substantially complete, and long-term rebuilding is well under way. In fact, the Federal Emergency Management Agency transitioned its recovery operations back to the Region IX office in San Francisco this week. Assistance from FEMA and other federal agencies will continue; and when all is said and done, the Northern Marianas will have received an estimated $100 million in federal disaster aid to help us get back on our feet. But it is the hard work and charity of so many individuals within our community and from outside who have really made our recovery possible. I cannot put a dollar value on that human effort; but I wanted to recognize and thank everyone and make a permanent memorial of their accomplishment in the official record of the U.S. Congress. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-december-18-2015 | THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - December 18, 2015 | 2015-12-21 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | In this issue: _________________________________________________________________________ Soudelor commendations added to Congressional Record. In a statement to the U.S. House of Representativesthis week, I gave an account of the damage we suffered in Typhoon Soudelor and the response that followed. And I gave thanks to all who made possible our remarkable rebound from adversity. More than four months after one of the worst typhoons in memory, the initial recovery is substantially complete, and long-term rebuilding is well under way. In fact, the Federal Emergency Management Agency transitioned its recovery operations back to the Region IX office in San Francisco this week. Assistance from FEMA and other federal agencies will continue; and when all is said and done, the Northern Marianas will have received an estimated $100 million in federal disaster aid to help us get back on our feet. But it is the hard work and charity of so many individuals within our community and from outside who have really made our recovery possible. I cannot put a dollar value on that human effort; but I wanted to recognize and thank everyone and make a permanent memorial of their accomplishment in the official record of the U.S. Congress. FY16 funding, tax extenders approved. The House and Senate today passed, and the President already signed,an appropriations and tax bill, providing $1.067 trillion in funding for the federal government for the rest of fiscal year 2016 and extending a variety of tax provisions. Highlights of funding and tax provisions that benefit the Northern Marianas include: $22.5 billion for Pell Grants, which is the same as the 2015 enacted level. When combined with mandatory funding, these discretionary funds will enable the maximum grant to increase to an estimated $5,915, an increase of $140 in the 2016-2017 school year for NMC students. $6.35 billion to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program in FY16. The amount is lower than the FY15 enacted level due… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-sends-bipartisan-bicameral-letter-president-obama-requesting-expedited/ | Dr. Rand Paul Sends Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter to President Obama Requesting Expedited Presidential Investigation for AK Steel | 2015-12-21 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, along with Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY), sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to President Obama requesting an expedited presidential investigation into the accusations of steel dumping. Sen. Paul has been engaged on this issue since he was first notified of the situation. In the past month, Sen. Paul has met with community and regional leadership in Kentucky regarding layoffs at the AK Steel plant, sent a letter to the International Trade Administration (ITA) requesting them to expedite their decision making process and make a determination before layoffs occur in December, and met with Ashland Mayor Chuck Charles and other city representatives, as well as President and CEO of the Ashland Alliance Tim Gibbs last week. A copy of the letter can be found below. LETTER TEXT: President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President: We write to bring to your attention troubling developments in the domestic steel industry and ask you to expeditiously review the situation before any permanent job losses occur. On October 16, 2015, AK Steel announced the company would temporarily layoff employees at its Ashland Kentucky facility later this month. AK Steel stated that one of the reasons for the temporarily layoff was the, “onslaught of unfairly traded imports.” Ashland has 21,335 residents and the plant is expected to temporarily layoff over 700 people. If the plant were to temporarily shut down, not only would there be hundreds of people unemployed but surrounding businesses would also be significantly impacted. Similar letters have been sent by other steel companies in other states warning of pending steel plant closures. City leaders in Fairfield, Alabama received notification from the US Steel Corporation that said it was closing its blast furnace and laying-off approximately 1,100 employees. US Steel issued a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifica… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-reintroduces-separation-powers-restoration-and-second-amendment-protection-act/ | Sen. Rand Paul Reintroduces Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act | 2015-12-21 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul last week introduced the Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act, which would void and prohibit funding for any of President Obama’s executive orders on gun control that undermines the powers reserved for Congress under the Constitution. “In the United States, we do not have a king, but we do have a Constitution. We also have the Second Amendment, and I will fight tooth and nail to protect it,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act in its entirety. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-releases-special-christmas-edition-waste-report/ | Sen. Rand Paul Releases Special Christmas Edition of ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-12-21 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released a special Christmas edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The special Christmas edition of ‘The Waste Report’ calls attention to the federal government spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to boost the sales of Christmas trees through TV commercials during Thanksgiving weekend. With retail sales of over 30 million live trees in the U.S. every year, the market for Christmas trees is hardly in a rut and not in need of government assistance. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. On Friday morning, all across the world children and parents will gather around the Christmas tree to see what Santa left. Maybe you finally got the kids got the National Science Foundation’s climate change video game they’ve been begging for. Just kidding, we know no one actually asked for that. Even though they already paid for it. But at the center of all those gifts is a stunted evergreen decorated with blinking lights and memories of Christmas past. Perhaps you and the family went out to cut down your tree this year, and maybe it was a TV commercial on Thanksgiving Day that inspired this joyous family experience. But, even if your tree is fake, your tax dollars paid for that commercial. So, why is Uncle Sam making TV commercials for Christmas trees? Well, as The Waste Report showed in our Thanksgiving edition, virtually all crops (including Christmas trees) are a “specialty” product according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This makes them eligible for special marketing assistance grants. Combine overly broad eligibility criteria, intergovernmental bureaucracy, and agencies flush with your tax dollars, and BOOM, Christmas tree commercials. In this case, the Georgia Christmas Tree Association got $50k in federal funds, “to boost the sales of Georgia Grown Christmas trees by implementing a 30 second cable TV ad that would run for four days over the 2012, 2013, and … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/feature-nmi-gets-100-million-federal-disaster-aid | FEATURE: NMI gets $100 million in federal disaster aid | 2015-12-20 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Marianas Variety- The following is a statement made to the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 15, 2015 and included in the U.S. Congressional Record. MISTER Speaker, on the night of August 2nd and through the early morning of August 3rd this year, Typhoon Soudelor lashed through the Northern Mariana Islands, causing widespread destruction to homes, businesses, and infrastructure, uprooting the lives of the people I represent here in Congress. Today, I want to reflect on that event, and on the exceptional grace and generosity that have made recovery possible. The typhoons impact was especially grave on Saipan, the most populated island in the Northern Marianas. Soudelor rendered hundreds of families homeless overnight. It also decimated infrastructure knocking out power and water systems, shutting down the ports, ravaging the college, schools and other public buildings. Survival is a way of life in our islands. We are accustomed to bracing ourselves through tropical storms and picking ourselves up when skies clear. But the sheer ferocity of Typhoon Soudelor caught us all off-guard. Even the National Weather Service failed to foresee the force of this storm. That there was no loss of life is testament to the resilience and resourcefulness of our people. And we are grateful to Providence for sparing us. As long as we live, those of us who experienced Soudelor will not forget the wreckage we saw the morning after. Nor will we forget the hardship that followed, the long hours in line for food and fuel and other necessities, the days of physical suffering and distress, the weeks without power and running water. Soudelor tested our infrastructure, our government, and our capacity as a community to deal with disaster. Now, however, four months after the storm, I can report that conditions are greatly improved, since that long and terrifying night in August. Electricity is restored, and residents have daily water service. Streets have been cleaned in our villages and commercial districts. Students are in school. Bus… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/24-hour-water | 24-hour water | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Marianas Variety- NOW that 96 percent of Saipans population has access to 24-hour water and the work of the Water Task Force has been handed over to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, I would like to add my congratulations and thanks to everyone responsible. I join the Acting Governor in his praise of Mr. Pete Sasamoto and his Water Task Force colleagues for a job well done. Additionally, I want to acknowledge the partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has been a guiding hand throughout this process. I understand that Saipan was the only major population area in the U.S. without 24-hour water; and Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld, Pacific Islands Program Manager John McCarroll, and the staff at EPAs Region IX office in San Francisco partnered with the congressional office and we made it our mission to fix that. Achieving 24-hour water would not have been possible without a substantial increase in funding beginning in 2009. As EPA reported in its review of Consolidated Grants program accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2014, the achievement of having the public water supply system provide 24 hour service to 95 percent of its population[is] a result of the increase in [State Revolving Fund] funding . Before 2009 the Commonwealth was getting about $1 million annually from the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund grants that Congress provides. Beginning with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 and in every fiscal year from 2010 to today, annual funding has always exceeded $6 million a 619 percent increase over pre-2009 levels and a seven year total of $51.6 million. I made this increase a priority when I came to office in 2009 and have worked to keep the change in place in every annual appropriation since then. In fact, in the fiscal 2016 appropriation that we expect to see enacted this week there should be an additional $6.5 million, bringing the eight year total for the Northern Marianas to $58.1 million. Without this increased funding from… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-senate-audit-fed-vote/ | Sen. Rand Paul Announces Senate “Audit the Fed” Vote | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) today announced plans for the Senate to vote in relation to the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015, widely known as “Audit the Fed,” on January 12, 2016. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) filed cloture on the motion to proceed to “Audit the Fed” today, setting up the cloture vote when the Senate returns in January. The legislation, S.2232, would eliminate restrictions on the U.S. Government Accountability Office audits of the Federal Reserve and mandate that the Federal Reserve’s credit facilities, securities purchases, and quantitative easing activities be subject to congressional oversight. Sen. Paul originally introduced the legislation for the 114th Congress in January 2015. In November 2015, Sen. Paul invoked Rule XIV, which allowed “Audit the Fed” to be placed directly on the Senate Legislative Calendar so that the legislation can be called up for immediate consideration. “My legislation to conduct a complete and thorough audit of the Federal Reserve will be voted on in the Senate on January 12, 2016. The Fed operating under a cloak of secrecy has gone on for far too long. The American people have a right to know exactly how Washington is spending their money. The time to act is now,” Sen. Paul said. Cosponsors of the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 include: U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), John Barrasso (R-WY), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dean Heller (R-NV), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rob Portman (R-OH), James Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and David Vitter (R-LA). Click HERE to read the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 in its entirety. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-opposes-omnibus-spending-bill/ | Sen. Rand Paul Opposes Omnibus Spending Bill | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul issued the following statement today opposing the FY2016 “omnibus” spending bill: “Since coming to Washington, I have voted against every spending bill that continues to add to our nation’s mountain of debt, and this bill is no different. By adding $700 million of new debt this year, this bill will continue to fund President Obama’s priorities such as Obamacare, Planned Parenthood, and sanctuary cities. The 2,242-page bill will do nothing to stop the flow of refugees from terrorist countries and expand big government’s intrusion into every American’s internet activity. I cannot and will not support any legislation that adds debt on top of debt and enables President Obama’s lawlessness. Ultimately, this reckless spending will only be hurting the hard-working families in Kentucky and across the nation, and the American people deserve better,” Sen. Paul said. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/5-day-spending-bill-keeps-government-open | 5-day spending bill keeps government open | 2015-12-15 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | 5-day spending bill keeps government open Dec 15, 2015 The House passed a short-term appropriation bill last Friday and sent it to the President for signature into law. H.R. 2250 will keep the lights on in the federal government until midnight on December 16. Without enactment of H.R. 2250 funding would have ended that Friday. The President is expected to sign the bill, so critical federally-funded programs in the Northern Marianas will continue for now. Legislation providing funding for the rest of fiscal year 2016 is expected to be introduced on Monday. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/new-education-law-means-millions-nmi-schools | New education law means millions for NMI schools | 2015-12-15 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Millions of dollars in new funding for Northern Mariana Islands schools will result from the Every Student Succeeds Act, signed by President Obama on Thursday, December 12, 2015. The new law reforms education policy nationwide, but also contains proposals from my bill, H.R. 851, that apply specifically to the U.S. insular areas. Section 1014 of the law raises the set-aside of Title I-A grant funds going to the islands. The Congressional Research Service projects Northern Marianas funding will go up from the current $6.8 million to $11.1 million, beginning next October. Increasing school funding was a top goal when I came to office in 2009. Our annual Title I-A grant then was just $3.6 million, so funding will have tripled by 2017. The Every Student Succeeds Act also makes the Northern Marianas eligible for Preschool Development and Education Innovation and Research grants, two competitive programs now open only to states. Thanks to Committee Chairman John Kline (R-Minnesota) and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-Virginia) for helping me get changes I proposed into the new law. And thanks to Congresswoman Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa) for working with me in a bipartisan fashion to make sure our island youth have the education they will need to succeed in life and to contribute to the prosperity of our communities 10, 20, 30 years into the future. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/500000-cnmi-coral-reef-conservation | $500,000 for CNMI Coral Reef Conservation | 2015-12-14 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | $500,000 for CNMI Coral Reef Conservation Dec 13, 2015 The Commonwealth government was awarded $500,000 for its Coral Reef Conservation program this week. Congress provides the funding to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help with protecting coral reefs against the harmful impacts of global warming, ocean acidification, degradation of water quality, and other changes in the marine environment. The grant to the Northern Marianas was part of a total of $8.5 million announced. The Commonwealth will also benefit from grants to the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council and the Nature Conservancy. See the complete list of awards here. Congratulations. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/rhodes-scholarships-open-insular-university-students | Rhodes scholarships open to insular university students | 2015-12-14 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Rhodes scholarships open to insular university students Dec 13, 2015 The prestigious Rhodes Scholarship is now open to scholars attending university in U.S. insular areas. Thanks to the efforts of Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi (D) this opportunity, previously offered only to students at universities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, is now available to students throughout the U.S. The Rhodes Scholarship is awarded for graduate study at the University of Oxford in England. Thirty-two U.S. students between the ages of 18 and 24 are selected each year. The scholarship covers all university fees, a personal stipend, and airfare to and from Oxford. For more information, go tohttps://www.rhodesscholar.org/. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-highlights-us-forest-service-building-smokey-bear-laundromat-costing-taxpayers/ | Sen. Rand Paul Highlights U.S. Forest Service Building the Smokey Bear Laundromat Costing Taxpayers $25,000 | 2015-12-14 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition highlights the U.S. Forest Service spending nearly $25,000 taxpayer dollars to build the Smokey Bear Laundromat at the Lincoln National Forest in Ruidoso, N.M. – all while the closest laundromat can be found 0.2 miles away. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Maybe you have anguished over a coffee stain on your pants or prayed an errant blotch of marinara sauce would come out of a white shirt. Well, it seems the U.S. Forest Service is concerned about laundry too, which is why earlier this year they spent almost $25,000 to build the Smokey Bear Laundromat at the Lincoln National Forest in Ruidoso, New Mexico.[1] The project solicitation calls for converting a single-car garage at the Smokey Bear Ranger House into a six-machine laundromat. However, this expense is just for the facility, the washers and dryers were not included in the $25,000 price. Some readers may be envisioning a remote outpost[2] far from civilization. However, the Lincoln National Forest abuts the town of Ruidoso, and the Ranger House itself is right off of a highway, across from a golf resort and next to commercial shopping on both sides.[3] It is basically just another business, with a giant back yard, off a city street. Even the solicitation for the project notes that lodging and meals can be found within two miles of the worksite.[4] More surprising is the proposed location for the government laundromat would be just 0.2 miles from Becker’s Mountain Laundry and just 0.3 miles to Evergreen Cleaner, which offers laundry services.[5] But when the taxpayer is footing the bill, 0.2 miles seems a lot longer. Ruidoso, by the way, is hardly a small, remote hamlet. In fact, Ruidoso is something of a tourist destination with a Micropolitan Statistical Area population of 21,223 and over 7,500 housing units.[6] Forest Service… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/kilili-every-student-succeeds-act-bring-millions-dollars-more-nmi-schools | Kilili: Every Student Succeeds Act to bring millions of dollars more to NMI schools | 2015-12-11 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Marianas Variety As a result of the Every Student Succeeds Act, public education in the Northern Mariana Islands is about to get a major boost, U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan announced Thursday. Overall, the new law will increase Title I-A funding to the insular areas by 30 percent. The Northern Marianas, however, is expected to receive a 60 percent increase over its current funding. That will bring a total of $11.1 million to the Public School System in 2017. Further increases should continue through 2020. President Obama has indicated he will sign the Every Student Succeeds Act into law on Thursday. Public school officials have told me they will use this new money to hire more teachers and reduce student-teacher ratios in our schools, Congressman Sablan said. And we know from educational research that lower student-teacher ratios improve student performance. I remain convinced that education is key to the success of our people and our economy now, and 10, 20, 30 years into the future. Sablan has been working to strengthen education funding to the Northern Marianas since he first came into office in 2009. At that time, PSS was receiving just $3.6 million in Title I-A funds. The $11.1 million that PSS can now expect in 2017 represents a 208 percent increase. I am particularly grateful because this is the only change in the Title I-A funding formula that was included in the entire bill. This is one of the most difficult changes in law that I have worked on for the Northern Mariana Islands, said Sablan. It would not have been possible without the understanding and support of Chairman John Kline and Ranking Member Bobby Scott of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. I also owe special thanks to Ranking Member Marcia Fudge of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. Earlier this year, Sablan introduced H.R. 851, which separated Title I-A funding for the insular areas and Bureau of Indian Education schools, and increased funds for both. Sablans proposals… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-time-op-ed-lets-destroy-isis-not-constitution/ | TIME Op-Ed: Let’s Destroy ISIS — Not the Constitution | 2015-12-09 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | In his Oval Office address Sunday night, President Obama continued his failure of leadership and his outrageous quest to turn a necessary discussion on terrorism and national security into an unnecessary and ineffective gun control debate. Let’s be clear: disarming more law abiding citizens will not stop mass murderers and terrorists. President Obama often refers to Australia as a gun control success story. The problem is that the statistics prove otherwise. Between 1996 – 1997, Australia gained control of over 600,000 civilian guns. The country’s murder and manslaughter rates remained the same, while its armed robbery rate actually increased by nearly 10 percent. In 2003, the Australian government took possession of 50,000 more firearms, but its crime statistics still hardly budged. The truth is that the increasing use of guns in the United States has made our country safer. Though the number of firearms in the U.S. has increased by over 50 percent since 1993, our gun homicide rate has decreased by nearly 50 percent. The worst thing we could do for our national security is further trample on our civilians’ Second Amendment rights. Instead, we should be doing the opposite — advocating for more concealed carry ability for law-abiding Americans and an end to unconstitutional gun free zones. Second, we must fully examine and reform our border security, including refugee and visa programs. While the President paid lip service to this fight, he plans to keep the failed current rules in place and allow tens of thousands of refugees to enter our country. I couldn’t disagree more strongly. Today, the question is not whether the U.S. accepts refugees. It’s whether the U.S. takes refugees at this time under these conditions. We can and should accept refugees, but not until they can be properly screened. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, we currently do not have access to any type of database in Syria to track these refugees’ criminal records. As a result, over 90 percent of Syrian refugee a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/air-force-divert-comments-due-december-15 | Air Force Divert comments due by December 15 | 2015-12-08 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Air Force Divert comments due by December 15 Dec 7, 2015 The public review period for the U.S. Air Force Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement for proposed divert airfield activities remains open until December 15. The purpose of the divert airfield is to give the Air Force backup capacity in the Marianas region in the event planes cannot use Andersen Air Force Base on Guam because of a natural disaster or military attack. The revised draft EIS, now open for comment, includes a Saipan-only, a Tinian-only, and a hybrid alternative that divides activities between the two islands. The original deadline of December 1 was extended by the Air Force at the request of Acting Governor Ralph Torres because of the disruption caused by Typhoon Soudelor. The revised draft EIS is available at https://www.pacafdivertmarianaseis.com/docs.html. Comments can be submitted at https://pacafdivertmarianaseis.com/comment-form.html. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/congress-passes-5-year-highway-bill-increases-nmi-funding | Congress passes 5-year highway bill, increases NMI funding | 2015-12-08 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Transit and safety programs worth $1.2 million annually and an additional $1 million in highway construction funds for the Northern Mariana Islands over the next five years are part of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, passed by both the House and Senate on Thursday, December 3, 2015. The five-year, $305 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill retained a provision, Section 1115, to increase annual funding for the Territorial Highway Program from $40 to $42 million, which the Northern Mariana Islands shares with American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The $2 million increase in annual THP funds was contained in the House reauthorization bill, the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act, but not the Senate bill, the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act. I am thankful that conferees decided that funding increases, though relatively small, should apply to all areas of our country and not just the states. The measure now heads to the White House, and President Obama is expected to sign shortly. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/house-passed-education-bill-boost-funds-nmi-schools | House-passed education bill to boost funds for NMI schools | 2015-12-08 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | House-passed education bill to boost funds for NMI schools Dec 7, 2015 A major increase in federal education funding for our schools is one step closer to becoming law. The House passed the Every Student Succeeds Act last Wednesday and the Senate is expected to do the same this week. The bipartisan bill, S. 1177, includes a provision I have been working on intensely all year that increases Title I funding for the Northern Mariana Islands and other insular areas. Title I assists areas with a high percentage of students from low-income families. My provision is designed to give the insular areas about 30 percent more funding than we have been receiving. For the Northern Marianas, the Congressional Research Service estimates Title I to increase to $11.1 million in 2017, up by $4.3 million from the 2016 funding of $6.7 million. The change is contingent upon overall Title I funding increasing so that states, as a whole, do not lose funding because of the change for insular areas. But appropriations for education are expected to rise in 2017. Every Student Succeeds also makes the NMI eligible to compete for Preschool Development Grants and Education Innovation and Research Grants, two competitive grant programs previously open only to states. The President has signaled he will sign the bill into law. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/typhoon-soudelor-update-week-18 | Typhoon Soudelor Update - Week 18 | 2015-12-08 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | As our community continues to heal from Typhoon Soudelor, FEMA and SBA made some important announcements this week. The SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) has relocated to the Juan A. Sablan Memorial Building, Office of the Governor on Isa Drive in Capitol Hill, Saipan. The DLOC hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Additionally, FEMA is winding down recovery operations on Saipan and closing the Joint Field Office on December 18, 2015. Approximately 20 personnel will remain until that time to coordinate the transition with the Commonwealth government and various volunteer agencies. Your congressional office will continue to work with residents requiring assistance with respect to FEMA issues. As of December 4, FEMA has granted more than $24 million in assistance to individuals and households and obligated nearly $5 million for public assistance. As of November 30, SBA has approved 361 home loans totaling approximately $13 million, and 104 business loans totaling more than $10 million. FHWA announces $609,000 in highway repair funding. The Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation has awarded the CNMI Department of Public Works $609,063 in Emergency Relief program grant funds. Emergency Relief funds may be issued for the repair or reconstruction of federal-aid highways that are seriously impacted by natural disaster. Typhoon Soudelor caused widespread damage to traffic signal heads, poles, signs and guardrail across the island. Program funds will be used to help make permanent repairs necessary to restore highways to pre-disaster conditions. Congratulations to DPW. Volunteer debris cleanup in Kagman last Saturday. The Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Efforts, or C.A.R.E., and United 4 Saipan continued their community cleanup efforts last Saturday, December 5 in Kagman from 8:30am - 12:00pm. Volunteers assistted in sorting storm debris that was then collected and disposed of by the CNMI Department of Public Works and the Saipan Mayors office. To help with the project, volunt… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/new-aafes-troop-store | New AAFES Troop Store | 2015-12-07 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | New AAFES Troop Store Dec 7, 2015 About 4,000 service members and families in the Northern Marianas can look forward to a new, improved Army & Air Force Exchange Troop Store on Saipan. The AAFES is expected to announce the winning bidder shortly. Construction of the 5,000-square-foot facility will take about one year. I have been working on expanding the store since my first days in Congress. A feasibility study in the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act was an early milestone. But the possibility of unexploded ordnance on the site has caused delays. Now the project is really moving forward. (Image credit: Building elevations drawing for the AAFES troop store, developed by EMCE Consulting Engineers and Architects Pacific, Inc. Additional plans and drawings are available here.) | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-december-07-2015 | THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - December 04, 2015 | 2015-12-07 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | House-passed education bill to boost funds for NMI schools Congress passes 5-year highway bill, increases NMI funding Air Force Divert comments due by December 15 Typhoon Soudelor Update - Week 18 OPPORTUNITIES - Federal contracts, grants, jobs for/in the Marianas Highlights in the Legislative Program House-passed education bill to boost funds for NMI schools. A major increase in federal education funding for our schools is one step closer to becoming law. The House passed theEvery Student Succeeds Acton Wednesdayand the Senate is expected to do the same next week. The bipartisan bill, S. 1177, includes a provision I have been working on intensely all year that increases Title I funding for the Northern Mariana Islands and other insular areas. Title I assists areas with a high percentage of students from low-income families. My provision is designed to give the insular areas about 30 percent more funding than we have been receiving. For the Northern Marianas, the Congressional Research Service estimates Title I to increase to $11.1 million in 2017, up by $4.3 million from the 2016 funding of $6.7 million. The change is contingent upon overall Title I funding increasing so that states, as a whole, do not lose funding because of the change for insular areas. But appropriations for education are expected to rise in 2017. Every Student Succeeds also makes the NMI eligible to compete for Preschool Development Grants and Education Innovation and Research Grants, two competitive grant programs previously open only to states. The President has signaled he will sign the bill into law. Congress passes 5-year highway bill, increases NMI funding. Transit and safety programs worth $1.2 million annually and an additional $1 million in highway construction funds for the Northern Mariana Islands over the next five years are part of theFixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, passed by both the House and Senateon Thursday. The five-year, $305 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill retained a p… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-full-expensing-act-2015/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Full Expensing Act of 2015 | 2015-12-07 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | Permanently Expands Section 179 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senator Rand Paul introduced S.2350, the Full Expensing Act of 2015. This legislation would level the playing field for all U.S. industries by expanding and extending Section 179 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (tax code) to permanently allow businesses to deduct 100% of their business expenses within the year of purchase. According to the Tax Foundation, this simple tax reform will boost the gross domestic product (GDP) by 5.13%, increase wages by 4.36% percent, create nearly 900,000 jobs, and raise federal revenues by $121.3 billion. Currently, under Section 179, businesses are able to deduct the purchase price of certain qualified business expenses from their taxable income. Section 179’s current deduction limits of $25,000 on purchases of up to $200,000 fail to reflect high costs in the agriculture, food and beverage, and manufacturing industries that make up the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s economy. Hefty startup costs and routine equipment purchases ranging from $35,000 to $400,000 per item continue to act as an unnecessary barrier for young entrepreneurs and aspiring farmers. Full expensing is a vital part of supporting small business and job creation. “By eliminating the need for continual tax extenders and removing the complicated depreciation schedule, the Full Expensing Act will act to promote economic growth and capital investment and, ultimately, bring stability to our nation’s tax code,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the legislation in its entirety. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-uncovers-400000-grant-reduce-regulations-armenia-latest-waste-report/ | Sen. Rand Paul Uncovers $400,000 Grant to Reduce Regulations in Armenia in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-12-07 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition reveals the U.S. Agency for International Development’s expenditure of approximately $400,000 in grants to reduce and streamline the regulatory burdens for businesses in Armenia. However, at the same time, other agencies of the government are increasing the pace of expanding regulations at home and spending tens of billions of dollars to enforce them every year. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. After years of complaints from across the country about the burdens of over-regulation, the federal government is finally cracking down and taking a “guillotine” to the regulatory colossus—only in Armenia, and not in the United States. In a glaring display of contradiction, the U.S. Agency for International Development has backed approximately $400,000 in grants to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to reduce and streamline the regulatory burdens on businesses in Armenia.[1] It should be noted, of course, that eliminating burdensome regulations is generally a good thing. In fact, the “guillotine,” as it is known, applies important criteria to regulations, such as whether a regulation is legal, necessary, and business-friendly.[2] This is obviously criteria that our own federal government should be applying to regulations here at home. Unfortunately, the American taxpayer will have to wait to see their tax dollars support U.S. regulatory reform at home. In fact, while the federal government is funding a “regulatory guillotine” in foreign countries, the Obama administration is adding approximately 81 major regulations annually, which is just slightly worse than the 62 added annually under President Bush.[3] And what is a major regulation? Well, according to law, it costs the economy at least $100 million in economic activity, creates a major cost increase for consumers, or… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-defend-our-capital-act-amendment-reconciliation-bill/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces “Defend Our Capital Act” Amendment to Reconciliation Bill | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today introduced the Defend Our Capital Act of 2015 as an amendment to H.R.3761, Restoring American’s Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015. The legislation would remove existing restrictive firearm ownership laws in the District of Columbia, and require the District of Columbia to issue and grant reciprocity for concealed weapons permits for both residents and non-residents. “For too long the Americans who live in and visit their nation’s capital have been prevented from defending themselves and their loved ones. No longer should our citizens have to choose between safety or visiting Washington, D.C.,” Sen. Paul said. Click HERE to read the text of the Defend Our Capital Act in its entirety. Top-line bullet points and background information for the legislation can be found below. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Requires the District of Columbia to issue both resident and non-resident conceal and carry weapons (CCW) licenses. The District of Columbia will honor any CCW license issued by any other state or commonwealth. Allows for the national reciprocity of CCW licenses between all states in accordance with local states regulations. Active duty members of the Armed Forces may carry a concealed weapon on Department of Defense property. In addition, members of the Armed Forces would be allowed to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, similar to retired law enforcement officers. Legislation repeals many of the D.C. requirements and policies that hinder firearms ownership, that includes registration of weapons and ammunition, removal of the ban on semiautomatic weapon possession, and restores the right to self-defense within a home. Legislation allows for the purchase of handguns across state lines in the same manner as long rifles and shotguns. Allows for the carrying of a concealed weapon on publically accessible, non-sensitive areas of federal property. This can include post offices, Veterans Affairs parking facilities, Federal Bureau of Prisons Correction Of… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-secure-act-amendment-prevent-terrorists-entering-us-refugees/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces “SECURE Act” Amendment to Prevent Terrorists From Entering the U.S. as Refugees | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | SECURE Act: Stop Extremists Coming Under Refugee Entry Act WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today introduced the Stop Extremists Coming Under Refugee Entry Act (SECURE Act) as an amendment to H.R.3761, Restoring American’s Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015. The legislation would suspend visa issuance for countries with a high risk of terrorism and impose a waiting period for background checks on visa issuance from other countries until the American people can be assured terrorists cannot enter the country through our immigration and visa system. This legislation is based off language first proposed by Sen. Paul in 2013. Sen. Paul introduced S.2329, the SECURE Act, as a stand-alone bill earlier this year. Sen. Paul also introduced today three amendments to H.R.3761 that would restrict funding to resettle refugees in the U.S. Click HERE to read the text of the SECURE Act in its entirety. Top-line bullet points and background information for the SECURE Act offered as an amendment can be found below. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Enhances Screening for High-Risk Refugees Designates 33 countries as “high-risk” and places an immediate moratorium on refugee and asylum approvals from those countries; Within 30 days, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will provide to Congress a comprehensive assessment of the status of refugees and the screening process, including numbers and countries of origin, failed security checks, information on refugees that do not comply with requests related to security screening, or who cannot be located; The Secretary of Homeland Security shall certify to Congress within 30 days that enhanced background checks and monitoring have been implemented, and that Congress has been supplied with all necessary information on the status of refugee screening; Once the Secretary of Homeland Security has completed the 3 requirements below, Congress can review whether satisfactory progress has been made and hold a separate vote to resume approvals for refugees from high-risk co… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senate-votes-sen-rand-pauls-defend-our-capital-act-amendment-budget-reconciliation-bill/ | Senate Votes on Sen. Rand Paul’s “Defend Our Capital Act” Amendment to Budget Reconciliation Bill | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor tonight urging his colleagues to support his amendment No. 2915 to H.R.3761, Restoring American’s Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015. The amendment, known as the Defend Our Capital Act of 2015, would remove existing restrictive firearm ownership laws in the District of Columbia, and require the District of Columbia to issue and grant reciprocity for concealed weapons permits for both residents and non-residents. The vote, which needed 60 to pass, was 54-45. Click HERE to read the Defend Our Capital Act in its entirety. Top-line bullet points and background information for the legislation can be found HERE. The video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks can be found below. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FLOOR SPEE CH TRANSCRIPT Sen. Paul: Last week, the District of Columbia Police Chief said that if you see an active shooter, take them down. The problem is it’s very difficult to own a gun in D.C., and it’s nearly impossible to be able to have a gun with you if you were to see an active shooter. So my amendment would create a District of Columbia concealed carry permit program. It would also allow national reciprocity for concealed carry. And it would also allow active duty forces to carry concealed carry on Department of Defense properties. And I ask the Senate and those Senators who believe in self-defense to vote for this amendment. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senate-votes-sen-rand-pauls-secure-act-amendment-prevent-terrorists-entering-us-refugees/ | Senate Votes on Sen. Rand Paul’s “SECURE Act” Amendment to Prevent Terrorists From Entering the U.S. as Refugees | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | SECURE Act: Stop Extremists Coming Under Refugee Entry Act WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the U.S. Senate floor today, Senator Rand Paul delivered the following remarks urging his colleagues to support his amendment to H.R.3761, Restoring American’s Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015. Amendment No. 2899, known as the Stop Extremists Coming Under Refugee Entry Act (SECURE Act), would suspend visa issuance for countries with a high risk of terrorism and impose a waiting period for background checks on visa issuance from other countries until the American people can be assured terrorists cannot enter the country through our immigration and visa system. This legislation is based off language first proposed by Sen. Paul in 2013, and was introduced as a stand-alone bill, S.2329, earlier this year. The amendment failed passage with a vote of 10-89. Click HERE to read the text of the SECURE Act in its entirety. The video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks can be found below. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FLOOR SPEECH TRANSCRIPT Sen. Paul: Mr. President, we spend hundreds of billions of dollars defending our country, and yet we cannot really truly defend our country unless we defend our border. My bill would place pause on issuing Visas to countries that are at a high risk for exporting terrorists to us. My bill would also say to Visa waiver countries that in order to come and visit, you would have to go through Global Entry, which would require a background check. I would urge Senators who truly do want to defend our country to have increased border security by voting for this amendment. Thank you. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-requests-expedited-ruling-international-trade-administration-ashlands-ak-steel/ | Dr. Rand Paul Requests Expedited Ruling from International Trade Administration for Ashland’s AK Steel Plant | 2015-12-01 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul announced today that he sent a letter to the International Trade Administration (ITA) requesting an expedited ruling on whether or not China, India, Italy, South Korea, and Taiwan are guilty of depressing the price of foreign steel introduced into U.S. markets. The letter advocates for the ITA to make a determination prior to the announced layoffs so AK Steel Holding Corporation, and the Ashland community, can incorporate ITA’s final decision into the status of layoffs at the steel plant. Sen. Paul met with community and regional leadership in Kentucky last Monday regarding layoffs at the AK Steel plant, and on Tuesday sent the letter to the ITA requesting them to expedite their decision making process and make a determination before layoffs occur in December. Sen. Paul has been engaged on this issue since he was first notified of the situation. He released the following statement: “This is an issue incredibly important to the hard-working families in Ashland and the surrounding areas, as well as Kentucky as a whole. Since first learning of the situation, my office has been engaged and in touch with all parties to do whatever we can to help. I will continue to stay involved with this issue and sincerely hope for a favorable outcome,” Sen. Paul said. A copy of the letter can be found below. LETTER TEXT: The Honorable Penny S. Pritzker Secretary of Commerce U.S. Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230 Dear Secretary Pritzker: I urge the International Trade Administration to issue a final ruling before December 18th on corrosion resistant steel (CORE) imports. Previous rulings from the ITA and the U.S. International Trade Commission have indicated there is substantial evidence China, India, Italy, South Korea and Taiwan are providing CORE imports at an unfair market price. AK Steel and five other domestic steel producers have accused China, India, Italy, South Korea and Taiwan of purposefully undervaluing their CORE imports in… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:33:33Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-november-25-2015 | THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - November 25, 2015 | 2015-11-30 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - November 25, 2015 Nov 29, 2015 In this issue: BREAKING NEWS: Three new academy slots now available. President Obama signed the2016 National Defense Authorization Actinto law this afternoon, adding three new slots for Northern Mariana Islands students at the U.S. service academies. Section 556 of the new law increases academy positions for NMI students by one each at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. This is the second time openings for the Northern Marianas have been increased. I included language in the2010 Defense Authorization (527)doubling the total slots at the time from three to six. All but one of those are currently filled, a testament to the high caliber of applicants from our islands. With the Presidents action, we now have nine positions set aside for the Northern Marianas with four openings available now for applicants in this years admissions cycle. For information about applying for a congressional nomination to a service academy, visit the congressional website athttps://sablan.house.gov/serving-you/academy-nominationsor contact yourlocal congressional office. The deadline to apply for my nomination isFriday, December 11, 2015. Erratum:In last week's e-newsletter, we mistakenly identified the school mascot of the Tinian Elementary School as the Stallion. The Colt is the mascot of Tinian Elementary School, while the Stallion is the mascot of the Tinian Junior Senior High School. Our apologies for the error. OPPORTUNITIES: Federal contracts, grants, jobs for/in the Marianas: Grants: 2016 Marine Education and Training Mini Grant Program- The National Marine Fisheries Service is soliciting competitive applications for the 2016 Pacific Islands Region Marine Educati… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-uncovers-national-science-foundation-450000-global-warming-video-game-latest/ | Sen. Rand Paul Uncovers National Science Foundation $450,000 Global Warming Video Game in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-11-30 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition uncovers a $450,000 project at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to produce a video game aimed to educate students about global climate change and how to prevent it. The initiative, known as the Climate Change Narrative Game Education (CHANGE), creates a video game set 110 years in the future, which the NSF claims to be “scientifically realistic.” ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. A whole generation remembers the thrill of strolling into an elementary school computer lab, firing up an Apple II computer, and playing The Oregon Trail. Well, thanks to an almost $450,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, it appears a whole new generation of students will have their own iconic game…on climate change.[1] Apparently “[e]ducating young people about Global Climate Change (GCC) is challenging because they have difficulty relating to its slow pace, with larger effects 10s-100s years in to the future.”[2] How to solve that problem? A video game aimed at indoctrinating kids into the climate change way of thinking. The Climate Change Narrative Game Education (CHANGE), which is being developed by researchers at the University of South Florida and piloted at Hillsborough County high schools, aims to counter this morass by, “develop[ing] a place-based futuristic gaming simulation model…”[3] Of course, the CHANGE project is all supposed to be “scientifically realistic.” The game will involve a science fiction narrative of the effects of climate change on the students’ community as told by virtual persons from the future. This, “focus on the built environment will help students attach a ‘human face’ and a sense of immediacy to hitherto abstract issues of global warming.” The first part of the game will ask students to deal with simulations like severe weather and sea-level rise, while the … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/three-new-academy-slots-now-available | Three new academy slots now available | 2015-11-29 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | President Obama has signed the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act into law, adding three new slots for Northern Mariana Islands students at the U.S. service academies. Section 556 of the new law increases academy positions for NMI students by one each at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. This is the second time we have been able to increase the openings for the Northern Marianas. I first included language in the 2010 Defense Authorization (Section 527) doubling the total slots at the time from three to six. All but one of those are currently filled, a testament to the high caliber of applicants from our islands. Now, with enactment of the 2016 Defense Authorization, we have nine positions set aside for the Northern Marianas; and four of those are immediately available for applicants in this years admissions cycle. For information about applying for a congressional nomination to a service academy, visit the congressional website at https://sablan.house.gov/serving-you/academy-nominations or contact your local congressional office. The deadline to apply for my nomination is Friday, December 11, 2015. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-november-20-2015-1 | THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - November 20, 2015 | 2015-11-25 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | In this issue: High school students invited to Service Academy Workshop. High school students interested in applying to a U.S. service academy are invited to attend a workshop hosted by the congressional office onWednesday, November 25, 10am - 11am at the Napu Room, Pacific Islands Club on Saipan. A congressional nomination is the first step in applying for the service academies, and by law I am able to nominate up to ten students per available slot for the Northern Marianas. There are currently two slots available for Northern Marianas students for the 2016-2017 school year one each at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. Additional slots may soon open up for NMI students at the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the Military Academy in West Point, New York, if theNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016that was sent to President Obamas desk this week becomes law. For more information about the Service Academy Workshop, contact the congressional office at(670) 323-2647or email kilili@mail.house.gov. To learn more about requesting a congressional nomination to the service academies, visit https://sablan.house.gov/serving-you/academy-nominations. Applications are dueDecember 11, 2015. Typhoon Soudelor Update - Week 16: SBA Relocates Disaster Office to Capital Hill. The Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Outreach Center relocates to the Juan A. Sablan Memorial Building, Office of the Governor, on Capitol Hill as of Monday, November 23. The Center, which has processed and approved $22.1 million in federal disaster loans to businesses, nonprofits, and individual residents, has been located at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe since Typhoon Soudelor. Although the deadline to apply for property damage loans has expired, businesses and private nonprofit organizations may still apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans to provide working capital. The SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center is open8 a.… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/push-dc-15k%E2%80%9335k-foreign-workers | Push in DC for 15K35K foreign workers | 2015-11-24 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Saipan Tribune- A casino investor, among other business interests, are lobbying in Washington, D.C. for as much as 15,000 to 35,000 foreign nationals to be allowed employment as contract workers in the CNMI, according to Delegate Gregoro Kilili C. Sablan yesterday. That 35,000-worker demand, he said, would amount to about 65 percent of the CNMIs population and result in irrevocable changes to the Commonwealth that should be questioned. How much is enough for us? and Who will it benefit? are questions that should be asked, Sablan told reporters yesterday. The federal government in October set the annual limit for contract worker permits for next fiscal year at 12,999, a one-thousand drop from last year, as federal immigration officials looks to phase out the contract worker program that federal law mandates an end in 2019. In an interview with reporters yesterday at his office in Susupe, Sablan compared the $13 billion reported investment on the table to the The Wharf in Washington, D.C., a mega-project that he said would amount to several buildings, restaurants, apartments and condos, office streets, boat slips, 27 acres of land, 50 acres of waterall coming with six years of permitting. Its going to cost $1.5 billion. And here in the Northern Marianas, we are talking about $13 billion, he said. Sablan said there have been conversations in the Capitol about increasing the number of CW workers. Some have suggested 15,000 workers, he said, while others have gone up to as many as 35,000. Those are numbers being tossed at meby different business interests primarily, Sablan said when asked. When pressed for more details, he said, I am aware that a casino has retained lobbyists in D.C. Yes. To work on both the CW workers and the Chinese visa-waiver [program]. He was responding to a question from Saipan Tribune on whether Imperial Pacific CNMI (LLC)the owner of the Saipan casino that has reported project demands requiring more than 10,000 workerswere lobbying in the Capitol. However, as this develops, Sablan said he has … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/high-school-students-invited-service-academy-workshop | High school students invited to Service Academy Workshop | 2015-11-23 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | High school students interested in applying to a U.S. service academy are invited to attend a workshop hosted by the congressional office on Wednesday, November 25, 10am - 11am at the Napu Room, Pacific Islands Club on Saipan. A congressional nomination is the first step in applying for the service academies, and by law I am able to nominate up to ten students per available slot for the Northern Marianas. There are currently two slots available for Northern Marianas students for the 2016-2017 school year one each at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. Additional slots may soon open up for NMI students at the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the Military Academy in West Point, New York, if the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 that was sent to President Obamas desk this week becomes law. For more information about the Service Academy Workshop, contact the congressional office at (670) 323-2647 or email kilili@mail.house.gov. To learn more about requesting a congressional nomination to the service academies, visit https://sablan.house.gov/serving-you/academy-nominations. Applications are due December 11, 2015. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/typhoon-soudelor-update-%E2%80%93-week-16 | Typhoon Soudelor update week 16 | 2015-11-23 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | FEMAs Region IX Administrator Robert Fenton, Deputy Regional Administrator Ahsha Tribble, and Federal Coordinating Officer Stephen De Blasio visited the congressional office this week. FEMA has issued more than $24 million in financial assistance to individuals and households to help replace or repair damaged property. The agency anticipates providing an additional $30 million to rebuild public infrastructure, $13 million for hazard mitigation, and additional grants to the Commonwealth for long-term disaster case management and crisis counseling.Though the agency is winding down operations in the NMI in December, Mr. Fenton reiterated FEMAs commitment to following through on the long-term recovery, mitigation, and planning work that will continue into 2016 and beyond, so that we are better prepared for the next storm. Thank you, FEMA, for all that you have done to help the people of the Northern Marianas get back on their feet. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region IX Pacific Islands Manager John McCarroll (left) and NMI Program Manager Carl Goldstein (right) gave me a Soudelor recovery update this week. Mr. McCarroll reported on one crisis that we escaped, a sewage backup. Because we increased the Clean Water Fund appropriations from Congress from about $600,000 to $3.4 million in each of the last six years, the vast majority of wastewater pump stations on Saipan has been upgraded and continued operating throughout the storm. Out of 40 pump stations the only 5 that failed were the ones that have not been upgraded. EPA also helped with hazard waste removal and restoration of the drinking water system in the weeks after Soudelor. Thank you. SBA Relocates Disaster Office to Capital Hill The Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Outreach Center relocates to the Juan A. Sablan Memorial Building, Office of the Governor, on Capitol Hill as of Monday, November 23. The Center, which has processed and approved $22.1 million in federal disaster loans to businesses, nonprofits, and individual residents, has been… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-releases-special-thanksgiving-edition-waste-report/ | Sen. Rand Paul Releases Special Thanksgiving Edition of ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-11-23 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | Report Calls Attention to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released a special Thanksgiving edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The special edition of ‘The Waste Report’ calls attention to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant program. Over 300 specialty crops are eligible for federal support from the $72.5 million program. A sampling of the specialty crops eligible includes: apples, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, sweet corn, potatoes, green beans, peas, broccoli, grapes, almonds, pears, cherries, carrots, and brussels sprouts. The special edition of ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. On Thursday, millions of Americans will sit down to Thanksgiving dinner. While you enjoy Thanksgiving staples of sweet potatoes and green beans, you might not realize that according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), except for the turkey and stuffing, just about everything else on your table is considered a “specialty crop” and eligible for federal support from the $72.5 million Specialty Crop Block Grant program (SCBGP). [1] According to USDA, “The SCBGP focuses on projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops…the block grants are designed to increase the long-term success of producers and broaden the market for specialty crops.”[2] Allowable activities under these grants include some types of marketing, travel, consultants, attending conferences, development of websites or mobile apps, and more. So what exactly qualifies as a specialty crop? You may be envisioning some exotic herb or something new to the market. It would probably something rare, atypical, and thus in need of competitive enhancement. You will probably be surprised to learn that according to USDA, just about everything is “special.” In fact, the USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in his April … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/kilili-lauds-customs-division-its-anti-drug-efforts | Kilili lauds Customs Division for its anti-drug efforts | 2015-11-20 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Saipan Tribune- U.S. Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) honored the CNMI Division of Customs yesterday for their diligence against the spread of methamphetamine, or ice, in the Commonwealth, presenting division officials with a congressional commendation for the largest ice bust in CNMI history that took place last July. I am very grateful and happy. This is Congressman Kilili showing appreciation for our efforts at the ports of entry, Customs director Jose Mafnas told reporters. The Customs officers will be very happy that they are recognized for their efforts. It will push us to do our job more effectively. I thank all of them, Sablan said, also noting efforts of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and CNMI Department of Public Safety. I do acknowledge Customs because they are the ones who first made the interdiction. Thats very important, Sablan added. In July, Customs uncovered 12 kilos of ice in a 40-foot container from China. Mafnas said yesterday that the container was full of various violations, like pesticides, that he believed were meant to distract them from the 12 kilos of icean amount akin to a 25-lb bag of ricethat was hidden in an air compressor. When our law enforcement officers are able to prevent 12 kilos of crystal methamphetaminefrom entering our community, we need to stop and say thank you, Sablan said. Sablan also recently introduced legislation in Congress to allow the CNMI governor or Secretary of the Army to establish a National Guard unit. That unit, Sablan said, could be a partner in fighting drugs. The nice thing about this is that the Department of the Army will pay for that additional cost. It will not cost the Commonwealth, [or] the National Guard operational budget itself. It will be money set aside just for this additional work. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-demands-vote-amendment-block-taxpayer-benefits-new-refugees-high-risk-countries/ | Sen. Rand Paul Demands Vote on Amendment to Block Taxpayer Benefits for New Refugees from High-Risk Countries | 2015-11-19 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today on the Senate floor demanded a vote on his amendment to the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act. Amendment 2843, introduced earlier this week, would block taxpayer benefits for new refugees from high-risk countries. The transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks and clips of both floor speeches are available below. Click HERE to read the amendment in its entirety. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FIRST FLOOR SPEECH CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S SECOND FLOOR SPEECH TRANSCRIPT First Floor Speech Mr. Paul: Reserving the right to object. Over a thousand Americans have called my office in the last couple of days and they’re very concerned about admitting people to the Middle East that we’re not sure of what their intentions are. The Boston bombers were here under the refugee program. Two Iraqi refugees came to my state with the intent to buy stinger missiles to attack us. I’ve asked for a very simple amendment. I would like to have an amendment placed in the queue for a vote that lets the American people vote on whether or not we want to bring more people to here from the Middle East, whether we’re doing an adequate job screening these people. I think it’s a very reasonable request to have a vote on that. And, therefore, until I am allowed to have a vote for which I think the American people are clamoring for, I will continue to object. I object. The Presiding Officer: Objection is heard. Mr. Paul: I also ask unanimous consent that I bring forward my amendment to limit and end the subsidized housing for new people to come here from the Middle East. My amendment is 2843. And I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to set aside the current business and bring my amendment forward. Second Floor Speech Mr. Paul: Madam president? The Presiding Officer: The senator from Kentucky. Mr. Paul: The biggest issue of the day is how we protect ourselves from terrorism. My amendment goes to the heart of the matter. Are we sufficiently vetting those … | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduce-defend-our-capital-act-2015/ | Sen. Rand Paul to Introduce Defend Our Capital Act of 2015 | 2015-11-19 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul announced plans to introduce the Defend Our Capital Act of 2015 in the coming days. This legislation would remove existing restrictive firearm ownership laws in the District of Columbia, and require the District of Columbia to issue and grant reciprocity for concealed weapons permits for both residents and non-residents. “For too long the Americans who live in and visit their nation’s capital have been prevented from defending themselves and their loved ones. No longer should our citizens have to choose between safety or visiting Washington, D.C.,” Sen. Paul said. Top-line bullet points and background information for the Defend Our Capital Act of 2015 can be found below. BACKGROUND INFORMATION · Requires the District of Columbia to begin issuing concealed weapons permits for both residents and non-residents. · Requires the District of Columbia to grant reciprocity of concealed weapons permits issued by other states and commonwealths. · Eliminates existing District of Columbia laws that restrict firearms and ammunition ownership. · Allows for national reciprocity of conceal and carry weapons permits between states and for carry by active duty military. · Allows for the carrying of firearms on public, non-sensitive areas of federal property. · Allows for the purchase of firearms across state lines. No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-floor-speech-sen-rand-paul-offers-amendment-block-taxpayer-benefits-new-refugees-high-risk/ | FLOOR SPEECH: Sen. Rand Paul Offers Amendment to Block Taxpayer Benefits for New Refugees from High-Risk Countries | 2015-11-18 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the U.S. Senate floor today, Senator Rand Paul introduced an amendment to the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act to block taxpayer benefits for new refugees from high-risk countries. Below is the video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks. Click HERE to read the amendment in its entirety. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S FLOOR SPEECH TRANSCRIPT Sen. Paul: Mr. President, make no mistake, we have been attacked in the past by refugees or by people posing as refugees. The two Boston bombers were here as refugees. They didn’t take very kindly to what we gave them – education, food, clothing, and they chose to attack our country. In Bowling Green, Kentucky, we had two Iraqi refugees who came through the refugee program, posing as refugees and then promptly decided to buy stinger missiles. Fortunately, they got them from an F.B.I. Agent and we caught them, but when we caught them, we discovered that their fingerprints were already on bomb fragments in Iraq in our database, and yet we had no clue and admitted them anyway. I think we have an insufficient process for knowing who’s here legally and illegally. There are eleven million people in our country illegally, 40% of them have overstayed their Visa. Do we know who they are? Do we know where they are? If we extrapolate those statistics to those who are visiting our country from the Middle East, do we know where the 150,000 students are who say they’re going to school in our country from the Middle East? I don’t think we do. I don’t think we should continue adding people to the rolls of those coming from the Middle East until we absolutely know who is in our country and what their intentions are. So my amendment says this that we’re not going to bring them here and put them on government assistance. When the poem beneath the statue of liberty says give me your tired, give me your poor, it didn’t say come to our country and we’ll put you on welfare. In those days, you came for opportunity. Many Christian churche… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-amendment-block-taxpayer-benefits-new-refugees-high-risk-countries/ | Sen. Rand Paul Announces Amendment to Block Taxpayer Benefits for New Refugees from High-Risk Countries | 2015-11-18 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today announced plans to introduce an amendment to the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act to block taxpayer benefits for new refugees from high-risk countries. Text of the amendment will be available shortly. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-november-13-2015 | THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - November 13, 2015 | 2015-11-17 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | In this issue: More NMI academy slots closer as Senate passes Defense bill. The Senate passed a revised2016 National Defense Authorization Actthis week, retaining three new service academy slots for Northern Mariana Island students. President Obama had vetoed a previous 2016 NDAA over spending concerns. So the bill was revised to conform with the budget deal forged last month between Congress and the White House. The revised bill kept the increase in academy positions for NMI students, one each at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. The President is now expected to sign the bill into law. There will then be nine permanent slots for the Northern Marianas at the service academies. Five are currently filled, so four openings will be available for applicants this year. When I came to office in 2009 I quickly got the number of Northern Marianas slots doubled from three to six inSection 527 of Public Law 111-84. The Northern Marianas has produced good candidates and filled available openings. It was time to add more. For information on how to apply for nomination to a U.S. Service Academy go to https://sablan.house.gov/serving-you/academy-nomination-form or contact your local congressional office. The deadline to apply is December 11. We call for investigation of racial profiling. Race, ethnicity, or national origin should not be the primary reason for suspecting a person of committing a crime. Yet that appears to have happened to a number of Asian Americans who were wrongly arrested and charged with espionage. That is why I joined over 40 of my Democratic colleagues incalling on U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, to launch an independent investigation on whether any federal agency has a pattern or practice of using these civil rights classifications to single out minorities for arrest and indictment. We also urge a full investigation into recent cases of Asian Americans arrested and indicted for spying only to have the charg… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senate-passes-resolution-disapproval-protecting-kentuckys-coal-industry-co-sponsored-sen-rand/ | Senate Passes Resolution of Disapproval Protecting Kentucky’s Coal Industry, Co-Sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul | 2015-11-17 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today voted through the Congressional Review Act on two resolutions of disapproval, S.J.Res. 23 and S.J.Res. 24, both co-sponsored by Senator Rand Paul. The resolutions would halt the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) destructive implementation of the Clean Power Plan, which would require Kentucky to reduce its carbon emissions by 39 percent. Upon voting on the resolutions, Senator Paul released the following statement: “Protecting Kentucky’s coal miners and families from President Obama’s overreach has always been a priority of mine, and I will continue fighting every day to stop the destruction of Kentucky coal,” Sen. Paul said. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-uncovers-15000-grant-conference-balding-latest-waste-report/ | Dr. Rand Paul Uncovers $15,000 Grant for Conference on Balding in latest “The Waste Report” | 2015-11-16 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition calls attention to $15,000 granted by the National Institutes of Health to the 9th World Congress for Hair Research. This year’s conference is being held in Miami, Fla., and includes sessions like: Growing Better Hair: Impacting Pre-Emergent Hair via Scalp Condition, Hair Dye, Hair Care, and Robotic Hair Transplants. Hair loss treatment is a whopping $3.5 billion industry and the conference is partially funded by numerous corporate sponsors. Why, then, are your tax dollars needed as well? It would take an average American two years, two months and two weeks before their taxes would pay for this grant. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Maybe the comb runs through your hair a little easier than it used to, or trips to the barber take less time these days. But whether you have just accepted it, are trying to fight it, or are not even losing your hair at all, your tax dollars are going to combat baldness. The National Institute of Health (NIH) spent $15,000 on a grant to put on the 9th World Congress for Hair Research which is being held in Miami, Florida this week.[1] Hair research is not uncommon for NIH and the National Science Foundation to fund. But usually that research falls in one of two more metritis categories, the study of hair for forensic identification purposes, or the study of inner-ear hair and how it contributes to hearing loss. But make no mistake the 9th World Congress is definitely about baldness. The theme this year’s conference is Reflect, Rejuvenate, and Regenerate, and includes sessions like, Growing Better Hair: Impacting Pre-Emergent Hair via Scalp Condition; Hair Dye; Hair Care; and Robotic Hair Transplants.[2] Hair loss treatment by the way is a booming $3.5 billion industry.[3] So, aside from the obvious question, of why is the federal government is funding a… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-legislation-prevent-terrorists-entering-us-refugees/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Legislation to Prevent Terrorists From Entering the U.S. as Refugees | 2015-11-16 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today announced legislation that would suspend visa issuance for countries with a high risk of terrorism and impose a waiting period for background checks on visa issuance from other countries until the American people can be assured terrorists cannot enter the country through our immigration and visa system. This legislation is based off language first proposed by Sen. Paul in 2013. “The time has come to stop terrorists from walking in our front door. The Boston Marathon bombers were refugees, and numerous refugees from Iraq, including some living in my hometown, have attempted to commit terrorist attacks. The terrorist attacks in Paris underscore this concern that I have been working to address for the past several years. My bill will press pause on new refugee entrants from high-risk countries until stringent new screening procedures are in place,” Sen. Paul said. Sen. Paul’s legislation would suspend issuance of visas to nationals of countries with a high risk of terrorism until the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) certifies and Congress votes to approve that: 1) Aliens already admitted from high-risk countries have been fingerprinted and screened, pose no terrorist risk, and are being monitored for terrorist activity 2) Enhanced security measures are in place to screen future applicants and prevent terrorists from entering the country 3) DHS’ visa entry-exit system is 100 percent complete and a tracking system is in place to catch attempted overstays Additionally, the legislation would impose a 30-day waiting period for all entries to the U.S. in order for background checks to be completed, unless the traveler has been approved through the Global Entry program. This requirement will be lifted after DHS certifies and Congress approves that: 1) Screening of entrants is sufficient to prevent terrorists from entering the country 2) DHS’ visa entry-exit system is 100 percent complete and a tracking system is in place to catch attempted overstays ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/more-nmi-academy-slots-closer-senate-passes-defense-bill | More NMI academy slots closer as Senate passes Defense bill | 2015-11-15 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | More NMI academy slots closer as Senate passes Defense bill Nov 15, 2015 The Senate passed a revised 2016 National Defense Authorization Act this week, retaining three new service academy slots for Northern Mariana Island students. President Obama had vetoed a previous 2016 NDAA over spending concerns. So the bill was revised to conform with the budget deal forged last month between Congress and the White House. The revised bill kept the increase in academy positions for NMI students, one each at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. The President is now expected to sign the bill into law. There will then be nine permanent slots for the Northern Marianas at the service academies. Five are currently filled, so four openings will be available for applicants this year. When I came to office in 2009 I quickly got the number of Northern Marianas slots doubled from three to six in Section 527 of Public Law 111-84. The Northern Marianas has produced good candidates and filled available openings. It was time to add more. For information on how to apply for nomination to a U.S. Service Academy go to https://sablan.house.gov/serving-you/academy-nomination-form or contact your local congressional office. The deadline to apply is December 11. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/supporting-access-higher-education-all | Supporting access to higher education for all | 2015-11-15 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Supporting access to higher education for all Nov 15, 2015 Earlier this month, 84 of my House Democratic colleagues and I filed a friend of the court brief, with the U.S. Supreme Court, supporting the idea that colleges and universities should be open to a broad range of students from many social, geographic, and cultural backgrounds. The case, Fisher v University of Texas at Austin, No. 14-981, looks at how the University decides who to admit. Our amicus brief urges the Supreme Court to uphold a lower courts decision in favor of the Universitys use of race and ethnicityamong many other factorsto help ensure a diverse student body. The Supreme Court ruled 7-1 in Fisher I that diversity in higher education was a compelling state interest that could justify race and ethnicity as factors among many in a carefully crafted admissions policy. I also joined an amicus brief in that case in the belief that a diverse learning environment benefits students, our workforce, and our economy. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/typhoon-soudelor-update-week-15 | Typhoon Soudelor Update - Week 15 | 2015-11-15 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Typhoon Soudelor Update - Week 15 Nov 15, 2015 Our community continues to recover from the devastation of Typhoon Soudelor with the assistance of U.S. taxpayers and the federal government, as well as groups of community volunteers, the local government, and countless acts of individual charity. FEMA seeks public input on changes to Individual Assistance With the experience of getting Individual Assistance from FEMA still fresh, people in the Northern Mariana Islands are especially qualified to comment on new rules proposed for how the Federal Emergency Management Agency handles this aid program. Congress required that FEMA review, update, and revise the factors it uses to measure the severity, magnitude, and impact of a disaster in the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act in 2013; and FEMA has now published its proposals. Sharing the understanding you have gained from federal response to the storm and to our community's needs could help other Americans in similar situations in the future. Comments are due by January 11, 2016 and may be submitted online at https://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FEMA_FRDOC_0001-4824. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/veterans-day-nmi | Veteran's Day in the NMI | 2015-11-15 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Veteran's Day in the NMI Nov 15, 2015 Ceremonies honoring the contributions of all our veterans were held across the Northern Mariana Islands this week. On Tinian (top left), Major Adrian Evangelista, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and currently a pilot of a Marine MV-22B Osprey, posed with the JROTC cadets of his alma mater Tinian Jr. Sr. High School after giving the keynote address. On Rota (top right), Major Annan Mae Mendiola participated in the ceremony at the Tomb of Fallen Soldiers in Rota. On Saipan (bottom), veterans, government officials, and community members attended the laying of the wreath at American Memorial Parks Flag Circle, Court of Honor. Happy Veterans Day to all who served and thank you for your bravery. Thank you to all our Veterans!! | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/we-call-investigation-racial-profiling | We call for investigation of racial profiling | 2015-11-15 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | We call for investigation of racial profiling Nov 15, 2015 Race, ethnicity, or national origin should not be the primary reason for suspecting a person of committing a crime. Yet that appears to have happened to a number of Asian Americans who were wrongly arrested and charged with espionage. That is why I joined over 40 of my Democratic colleagues in calling on U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, to launch an independent investigation on whether any federal agency has a pattern or practice of using these civil rights classifications to single out minorities for arrest and indictment. We also urge a full investigation into recent cases of Asian Americans arrested and indicted for spying only to have the charges dropped several months later for lack of evidence. It is important to protect our country against those who wish to do us harm. We must ensure, however, that racial profiling is not the basis for targeting any individual. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-decries-43-million-spent-build-gas-station-afghanistan/ | Dr. Rand Paul Decries $43 Million Spent To Build Gas Station in Afghanistan | 2015-11-12 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released a special edition of ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. This special edition draws attention to a gas station built by the United States’ Department of Defense (DOD) in Afghanistan that cost the American taxpayer an eye-popping $43 million. Many media outlets have already reported on this egregious example of government waste, but it is important to draw attention to the peculiar lack of planning put into this project that caused such a significant sum of money to be wasted, as well as, the apparent stonewalling of the DOD special inspector general’s investigation into the project. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. Several news outlets have reported on a $43 million gas station built by the Department of Defense in Afghanistan. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction issued a Special Report in late October on the compressed natural gas (CNG) filling station, which cost at least 86 times more than similar projects.[1] FSO dug deeper into the report and found the ridiculous price tag just scratches the surface. To begin with, the IG found no evidence that DOD ever did a feasibility study before moving forward with the project. Had they done so, they would have found that Afghanistan, “[l]acks the natural gas transmission and local distribution infrastructure necessary to support a viable market for CNG vehicles.” But even if getting CNG to the station was not a problem, it seems no one in Afghanistan can afford vehicles that run on the fuel. CNG conversion costs as much as $800, in a country where the average annual income is about $690. This may explain why the U.S. government paid to convert at least 120 Afghan vehicles to CNG. What is strange is one of the project goals was to expand CNG usage to Mazar-e Shariff because of its 100,000 cars. But DOD failed to do its home work, mischaracterized the city as the 2nd largest in the country (i… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/kilili-invites-nmi-veterans-join-veterans-history-project | Kilili invites NMI veterans to join Veterans History Project | 2015-11-11 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Marianas Variety Washington, D.C. (Office of the CNMI Congressional Delegate) - On this Veterans Day and in the weeks and months ahead veterans of the Northern Mariana Islands will be able to add the stories of their wartime service to the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress. U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan announced this week that the congressional office has launched an outreach initiative to promote the Project. Sablan will be helping veterans and members of the community who want the Northern Marianas to be included. The Veterans History Project has collected stories from about 100,000 veterans so far, but none from veterans currently residing in the Northern Marianas, Congressman Sablan said. We want to change that. Congress began the Veterans History Project in 2000 to honor Americas war veterans by collecting and preserving their remembrances of service to the country. The Project relies on volunteers nationwide to interview veterans and send their stories to the Library of Congress. The congressional office has already begun reaching out to veterans in the Northern Marianas and community groups to let them know about the Project and show them how to join, Sablan said. Students, researchers, Scout troops, civic groups, family members of veterans, neighbors, and friends anyone can participate. The first step to participating in the Veterans History Project is to learn more about it. The Project website, www.loc.gov/vets/, provides a field kit and other resources for conducting interviews, hosting community events, and submitting stories. Hard copies of these materials, and additional information and assistance are also available at the congressional offices on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. The wartime service of Northern Marianas veterans is an important part of the history of our Commonwealth and our country, Congressman Kilili said. We can honor that service by chronicling our veterans experiences, learning from them, and preserving their stories for future generations. Rec… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-novermber-06-2015 | THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - November 06, 2015 | 2015-11-10 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | In this issue: College and Career workshops begin for NMI students. Making sure young people have the information they need to continue their education is why your congressional office began a series of workshops for Northern Marianas high school students this week. Beginning with Tinian Jr. Sr. High School and Dr. Rita H. Inos Jr. Sr. High School in Rota, the workshops include an overview of federal and local financial aid resources for college, offer student tips on using the U.S. Department of Educations College ScoreCard to help schools, highlight in-demand jobs and options for vocational training, and discuss opportunities for military service and congressional nomination to the U.S. service academies. Students are also encouraged to look at volunteer service through organizations such as AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps as a way to gain valuable experience and educational benefits while giving back to their communities and nation. As I explained to the students in a video message from Washington, DC, I believe any problem our community faces will be more easily solved, if we are all well-educated. For more information or to request a workshop for a school group, contact the congressional office at (670) 323-2647 (Saipan), 433-2647 (Tinian), or 532-2647 (Rota) or email kilili@mail.house.gov. NDAA passes House, again, with increase in NMI academy slots. The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 this week, again, maintaining the increase of three more service academy slots for Northern Marianas students. President Obama vetoed the original bill last month because it increased defense spending above budget caps without any increase in domestic spending. The revised bill reduces defense spending, but retains the increased academy positions for NMI students. Once the revised bill is signed, we will have three positions at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs 9 in all with 4 openings for the c… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-seeks-answers-fed-inspector-general-about-fed-lobbying-activities/ | Sen. Rand Paul Seeks Answers from Fed Inspector General About Fed Lobbying Activities | 2015-11-10 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today sent a letter to the inspector general of the Federal Reserve (Fed) outlining his concerns with lobbying by the Fed and its officials against legislation to bring transparency to the Fed. This letter comes on the heels of new legislation announced last week by Sen. Paul, the Bring Accountability Now to the Fed Act, which would prohibit lobbying by the Fed and Fed officials. A copy of the letter can be found below. LETTER TEXT: Mark Bialek Inspector General Office of Inspector General Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System 20th Street and Constitution Avenue NW Mail Stop K-300 Washington, DC 20551 Dear Inspector General Bialek, I am troubled that the Board of Governors, as well as Board members and employees, appear to be lobbying Congress and the public against legislation pending before Congress to bring greater transparency and accountability to the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve, as an entity of the government and operating under authority granted by Congress, should not use its funds to lobby members of Congress or influence Congress’s efforts to create a more transparent and fundamentally sound monetary policy. I request your office investigate whether the Board, any Board members, or Board employees have engaged in improper or illegal lobbying, as well as respond to the following questions: 1. How much does the Federal Reserve spend on public relations? 2. How much does the Federal Reserve spend on lobbying Congress? 3. How much does the Federal Reserve spend on conferences, travel, or other entertainment? Sincerely, Sen. Rand Paul No related posts. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-exposes-medicare-overpaying-estimated-175-million-sleep-apnea-studies-latest/ | Dr. Rand Paul Exposes Medicare Overpaying an Estimated $175 Million on Sleep Apnea Studies in Latest ‘The Waste Report’ | 2015-11-09 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition to ‘The Waste Report,’ which is an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition exposes Medicare overpaying as much as $175 million annually on sleep studies seeking to determine if the individual suffers from sleep apnea – a condition that causes an individual to momentarily stop breathing during sleep. At the root of the problem, Medicare is paying bills for services that are missing proper documentation, such as a doctor’s referral. Furthermore, the estimated $175 million could be used to actually treat patients suffering from sleep apnea or other conditions, if corrected. ‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below. You have probably heard of sleep apnea, the condition where a person momentarily stops breathing during sleep. In fact, Medicare alone spends almost $300 million a year on sleep studies determining if patients have this condition. Unfortunately, it seems Medicare has a problem with overpaying for these important studies, which costs taxpayers as much as $175 million a year. In a recent report, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) noted that one provider of sleep studies recently agreed to repay $15.3 million resulting from false claims.[1] The OIG report delved into another sleep study provider from Orlando that was estimated to have been overpaid more than $1 million, or almost 60 percent of all payments they received. Specifically, the OIG found, that in a sample of 100 patients, 74 percent of items billed were not allowable under Medicare guidelines. In addition, nearly one-third of those payments were made without supporting documentation, such as a doctor’s referral. And, in one instance, Medicare paid for a procedure that was not even done.[2] Shockingly, roughly 60 percent of payments made to this particular provider were over 3-years old. Which means Medicare paid the bill for services without the req… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/college-and-career-workshops-begin-nmi-students | College and Career workshops begin for NMI students | 2015-11-08 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | College and Career workshops begin for NMI students Nov 8, 2015 Making sure young people have the information they need to continue their education is why your congressional office began a series of workshops for Northern Marianas high school students this week. Beginning with Tinian Jr. Sr. High School and Dr. Rita H. Inos Jr. Sr. High School in Rota, the workshops include an overview of federal and local financial aid resources for college, offer student tips on using the U.S. Department of Educations College ScoreCard to help schools, highlight in-demand jobs and options for vocational training, and discuss opportunities for military service and congressional nomination to the U.S. service academies. Students are also encouraged to look at volunteer service through organizations such as AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps as a way to gain valuable experience and educational benefits while giving back to their communities and nation. As I explained to the students in a video message from Washington, DC, I believe any problem our community faces will be more easily solved, if we are all well-educated. For more information or to request a workshop for a school group, contact the congressional office at (670) 323-2647 (Saipan), 433-2647 (Tinian), or 532-2647 (Rota) or email kilili@mail.house.gov. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/house-passes-highway-bill-ups-funding-nmi | House passes highway bill, ups funding for NMI | 2015-11-08 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | House passes highway bill, ups funding for NMI Nov 8, 2015 Transit and safety programs worth $1.2 million annually and an additional $1.2 million in highway construction funds for the Northern Mariana Islands over the next six years are part of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 the House passed this week. Section 1112 of the bill increases annual funding for the Territorial Highway Program from $40 to $42 million, from which the Department of Transportation gives the NMI and American Samoa ten percent each and Guam and the Virgin Islands forty percent each. I have introduced H.R. 3877, requiring Transportation to reassess this arbitrary distribution set in 1992. And Congresswoman Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-American Samoa) and I offered the language of my bill as an amendment during floor debate on the surface transportation reauthorization. But Guam and the Virgin Islands objected; and 173 Republicans and 137 Democrats voted against our proposal to use quantifiable measures, such as road mileage, as the basis for sharing the funds. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/ndaa-passes-house-again-increase-nmi-academy-slots | NDAA passes House, again, with increase in NMI academy slots | 2015-11-08 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | NDAA passes House, again, with increase in NMI academy slots Nov 8, 2015 The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 this week, again, maintaining the increase of three more service academy slots for Northern Marianas students. President Obama vetoed the original bill last month because it increased defense spending above budget caps without any increase in domestic spending. The revised bill reduces defense spending, but retains the increased academy positions for NMI students. Once the revised bill is signed, we will have three positions at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs 9 in all with 4 openings for the coming year. When I came to office in 2009 I quickly got the number of Northern Marianas slots doubled from 3 to 6 in Section 527 of Public Law 111-84. The Northern Marianas has produced good candidates, and those positions are almost full. So its time to add more. The bill now goes to the Senate, where quick passage is expected. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/share-your-story-national-veterans-history-project | Share your story with the national Veterans History Project | 2015-11-08 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | On this Veterans Day, Northern Marian Islands vets are invited to add their experiences to the Veterans History Project. Created by Congress in 2000, the Veterans History Project is a richand growingcollection of stories of veterans from all across the nation. The project relies on volunteersstudents, Scout troops, JROTC cadets, family members, neighbors, friendsto interview the veterans in their lives and submit their stories to the Library of Congress. About 100,000 veterans stories have been collected so far. 15,000 are available online. The collection includes first-hand accounts through audio or video interviews, written memoirs, photographs, manuscripts, letters, and even original works of art. If you want to participate, the Project website provides a field kit and other resources for conducting interviews, hosting community events, and submitting stories. For more information about how to get involved, visit www.loc.gov/vets or contact your congressional office at kilili@mail.house.gov or (670) 323-2647 (Northern Marianas), (202) 225-2646 (Washington, DC) or Toll-Free at (800) (877) 446-3465. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/typhoon-soudelor-epa-update | Typhoon Soudelor - EPA Update | 2015-11-08 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Typhoon Soudelor - EPA Update Nov 8, 2015 The Environmental Protection Agency reports that it continues to work closely with the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation on collection and disposal of damaged transformers. More than 650 transformers have already been assessed, evacuated of oil, and shipped off island for recycling. Special shipping containers are needed, however, for the larger transformers, and EPA has determined that the required equipment would take several weeks to arrive on island. EPA additionally reports having identified 8 sites on Saipan where transformers containing PCBs may have spilled. Assessment of these sites was complicated by Tropical Storm Champi, which caused flooding in some of these areas, so additional sampling and investigation are now underway. Meanwhile, EPA is also working with the Public School System to coordinate electronic waste collection, which has become more feasible as power has been restored to the schools and assessments, inventories and other procedures required for disposal of public equipment can now be conducted. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-announces-legislation-ban-federal-reserve-lobbying/ | Sen. Rand Paul Announces Legislation to Ban the Federal Reserve from Lobbying | 2015-11-05 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today announced plans to introduce legislation that would ban the Federal Reserve (Fed), and all of its personnel, from lobbying Congress and the American people against legislation to bring transparency to the Fed or other matters. The legislation, known as the Bring Accountability Now to the Fed Act, prohibits anyone acting on behalf of the Fed from actively supporting or opposing legislation before Congress. “The Fed has used its immense power to bailout Wall Street and print money to finance our debt. When anyone rises up to challenge them, Fed officials use taxpayer dollars to lobby for more power and against oversight of their activities. It is time for Congress and the American people to say enough is enough,” Sen. Paul said. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-reintroduces-audit-fed/ | Sen. Rand Paul Reintroduces “Audit the Fed” | 2015-11-04 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today reintroduced the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015, widely known as “Audit the Fed,” taking steps to place it directly on the Senate Legislative Calendar. The bill eliminates restrictions on Government Accountability Office audits of the Federal Reserve and mandates that the Federal Reserve’s credit facilities, securities purchases, and quantitative easing activities be subject to congressional oversight. Sen. Paul originally introduced the legislation for the 114th Congress in January 2015. Rule XIV allows Audit the Fed to be placed directly on the Senate Legislative Calendar so that the legislation can be called up for immediate consideration. “Today, I reintroduced my legislation to conduct a complete and thorough audit of the Federal Reserve and am seeking a vote soon. The Fed operating under a cloak of secrecy has gone on for far too long. The American people have a right to know exactly how Washington is spending their money. The time to act is now,” Sen. Paul said. Cosponsors of the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 include: U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), John Barrasso (R-WY), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dean Heller (R-NV), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rob Portman (R-OH), James Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and David Vitter (R-LA). Click HERE to read the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015 in its entirety. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/190086-liheap-grant-nmi | $190,086 in LIHEAP grant for NMI | 2015-11-02 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | $190,086 in LIHEAP grant for NMI Nov 1, 2015 Households in the Northern Mariana Islands, who need help paying their CUC bills, will benefit from the $190,086 in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funds announced this week. The money is a partial payment of fiscal year 2016 LIHEAP, until Congress passes an appropriation for the entire year. This energy assistance goes to about 400 families in the NMI. The grant is four times higher than when I started work in Washington as a result of my efforts to get the Department of Health and Human Services to allocate the full amount authorized by law. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius made the decision to provide the maximum in 2014. With median household incomes less than half the national average and with the price of electricity in our islands two to four times more than most Americans pay, LIHEAP remains an important federal program for the Northern Marianas. The CNMI Department of Community and Cultural Affairs administers locally. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/supporting-clean-extension | Supporting a clean extension | 2015-11-02 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Supporting a clean extension Nov 1, 2015 As of 3:00 a.m. Friday, October 30th, the House and Senate have both passed a Bipartisan Budget Agreement that increases the borrowing authority of the U.S. government, ensuring we can pay our bills after November 5. A week ago, I joined other Democratic Members in urging Speaker Boehner to lift the debt ceiling in a clean bill without any of the politically charged provisions that could result in America defaulting on our obligations. The Budget Agreement, negotiated by the outgoing Speaker in a final gesture of bipartisanship with the President, is not clean. But many of the provisions added are commendable, including an increase in both domestic and defense spending and relief for seniors on Medicare, who were facing as much as a 54 percent increase in their premiums starting in January. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-uncovers-usaids-plan-spend-6-million-promote-tourism-albania/ | Dr. Rand Paul Uncovers USAID’s Plan to Spend $6 Million to Promote Tourism in Albania | 2015-11-02 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | Uncle Sam: “Come Visit the US…or go to Albania” WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition of “The Waste Report,” an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition draws attention to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). As part of Tourism as a Leading Edge, a joint venture with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, USAID is planning to spend six million hard-earned taxpayer dollars to study and promote the Albanian tourism industry. As if spending American taxpayer dollars to promote another nation’s economy is not bad enough, Albania’s tourism industry, as a percentage of GDP, is already larger than that of the United States. Furthermore, the U.S. government already contributes approximately $100 million to Brand USA, a public-private partnership, promoting the U.S. tourism industry to foreign vacationers. In other words, one effort is spending money to get foreign tourists to vacation in America and the other to get them to vacation in Albania. Essentially our federal government is working against itself. The latest edition of “The Waste Report” can be found HERE or below. Have you ever dreamed of a European vacation? Maybe you would like to check out England, France, Germany, or…Albania? Well, if you have not thought of spending your money on a trip to Albania, you might be surprised to learn the federal government is spending your tax dollars to study and promote the Albanian tourism industry. That is right! The U.S. Agency for International Development is currently planning to award as much as $6 million as part of Tourism as a Leading Edge, a joint venture with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, for studies and work to improve tourism in Albania.[1] The problem, it seems, is that the Eurozone economic crisis is having a negative ripple effect on the Albanian economy which previously relied heavily on remittances of earnings abroad, particularly from Greec… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:30:58Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/bill-help-train-northern-marianas-workers-fill-jobs-introduced | Bill to help train Northern Marianas workers fill jobs introduced | 2015-11-01 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Bill to help train Northern Marianas workers fill jobs introduced Nov 1, 2015 This week, along with 36 of my Democratic colleagues, I introduced the Community College to Career Fund Act, which is designed to train people for the jobs businesses need. Written by Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois), H.R. 3862 sets up a competitive grant to fund partnerships between businesses and two-year colleges, like our Northern Marianas College, to address local shortages of skilled workers. The recent reduction in the number of foreign, CW workers allowed in the Northern Marianas means employers must find ways to hire more U.S. workers, if growth is to continue in our islands. The Community College to Career Fund Act would respond to that problem by helping NMC close the skills gap between local workers and businesses. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/house-democrats-introduce-working-families-resolution | House Democrats Introduce Working Families Resolution | 2015-11-01 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | House Democrats Introduce Working Families Resolution Nov 1, 2015 In our local culture, family is a top priority. That is why I joined 108 House Democrats in introducing H. Res. 506, the Working Families Resolution. The resolution calls on Congress to pass legislation to increase wages, provide for paid family and medical leave when necessary, provide flexible, predictable, and stable work schedules, and give workers access to quality learning opportunities and affordable child care. October is National Work and Family Month, a time to call attention to the challenges working families face in balancing family and work responsibilities. We in the Northern Marianas are very fortunate to have extended family and friends we can call upon for help when family and work responsibilities conflict. Many have to do so more than they would like in order to earn enough for their families to live on. The Working Families Resolution outlines an agenda aimed at boosting wages, helping families achieve a better work-life balance, and removing barriers that prevent hard working families from getting ahead. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/typhoon-soudelor-update-week-13 | Typhoon Soudelor Update - Week 13 | 2015-11-01 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Many people are feeling that life is returning to normal. But we will continue to include a recovery update in the weekly e-news as long as we are receiving questions from constituents about aspects of the repairs or as new problems arise that need answers. American Memorial Park restoration will take time As we reported on September 4, the National Park Service provided $120,000 in fiscal year 2015 emergency funds to help repair the damage to American Memorial Park with another $140,000 set aside from fiscal 2016. But damage was extensive and recovery is slow because the work is technical and sometime dangerous, according to National Park Service Superintendent Jim Richardson. Richardson estimates that the Park lost 90% of its trees in Typoon Soudelor. Three months later, the popular park pathway remains inaccessible, covered in debris. The tennis courts are also still closed. And mold associated with the storm has shut down the Visitors Center Auditorium. The good news is that the Visitors Center Museum and Gift Shop have reopened at regular hours - 9am to 6pm daily, except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. Public access to the Flag Circle and the marinas has also been cleared. The American Memorial Park Visitors Center Museum and Gift shop is open once again to the general public. FEMA accepting appeals to replace damaged appliances As power is restored, families are discovering electrical appliances that no longer work because they were damaged in the storm. FEMA has provided a way for those families to file appeals to their initial claims for assistance, so they can get help repairing or replacing the damaged appliances. You will need: A written appeal letter specifying that the appliances were damaged by the typhoon, but could not be tested until power was restored; A letter from the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation indicating the date when power was restored to your area; and A letter from a qualified technician certifying that the appliance(s) need to be repaired or replaced, that the damages we… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-october-30-2015 | THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - October 30, 2015 | 2015-11-01 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | In this issue: ________________________________________________________________ $190,086 in LIHEAP grant for NMI. Households in the Northern Mariana Islands, who need help paying their CUC bills, will benefit from the $190,086 in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funds announced this week. The money is a partial payment of fiscal year 2016 LIHEAP, until Congress passes an appropriation for the entire year. This energy assistance goes to about 400 families in the NMI. The grant is four times higher than when I started work in Washington as a result of my efforts to get the Department of Health and Human Services to allocate the full amount authorized by law. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius made the decision to provide the maximum in 2014. With median household incomes less than half the national average and with the price of electricity in our islands two to four times more than most Americans pay, LIHEAP remains an important federal program for the Northern Marianas. The CNMI Department of Community and Cultural Affairs administers locally. Supporting a clean extension. As of 3:00 a.m. this morning, the House and Senate have both passed a Bipartisan Budget Agreement that increases the borrowing authority of the U.S. government, ensuring we can pay our bills after November 5. A week ago, I joined other Democratic Members in urging Speaker Boehner to lift the debt ceiling in a clean bill without any of the politically charged provisions that could result in America defaulting on our obligations. The Budget Agreement, negotiated by the outgoing Speaker in a final gesture of bipartisanship with the President, is not clean. But many of the provisions added are commendable, including an increase in both domestic and defense spending and relief for seniors on Medicare, who were facing as much as a 54 percent increase in their premiums starting in January. Typhoon Update - Week 13: Many people are feeling that life is returning to normal. But we will continue to include a recovery update in the weekly e… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-remarks-prepared-delivery-sen-rand-paul-floor-speech-senate-votes-continuing-his-filibuster/ | REMARKS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY: Sen. Rand Paul Floor Speech Before Senate Votes on Continuing his Filibuster on Budget Agreement | 2015-10-30 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today will deliver a speech on the U.S. Senate floor regarding his opposition to the two-year federal budget agreement. Sen. Paul has been a strong and vocal advocate against an unlimited debt limit increase in the budget deal. This morning, Senate leadership will attempt to end Sen. Paul’s filibuster with a cloture vote. However, the filibuster will continue if 41 Senators vote with Sen. Paul against the budget deal. Below is a transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks prepared for delivery. The number one threat to our country’s future is our debt. The number one threat to our national security is our debt. This deal gives the President the power to borrow unlimited amounts of money. This deal represents the worst of the Washington culture. The Left and the Right have come together in an unholy alliance to explode the debt. The Left gets more welfare, the Right gets more military contracts, and the Taxpayer is stuck with the bill! This a bipartisan busting of the budget caps that will further indenture the next generation. I promised the voters of Kentucky to oppose deficits, to oppose budgets that don’t balance, and to spend only what we have. I will not give this President or any President to power to borrow unspecified amounts of money. Our debt now equals our entire economy. Not raising the debt ceiling means we would be forced to only spend what comes in – also known as a balanced budget. I could accept that. But I also could accept a balanced budget amendment that brings us into balance over five years. The debt threatens us like never before and now is the time to take a stand. I have travelled far and wide across America and I have not met one Republican outside of DC who supports adding an unlimited increase in the debt ceiling. I hope my colleagues will listen to their constituents before voting for this terrible, no good, rotten deal. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-pauls-late-night-filibuster-nearly-derails-debt-increase/ | Sen. Rand Paul’s Late Night Filibuster Nearly Derails Debt Increase | 2015-10-30 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul delivered multiple speeches on the U.S. Senate floor regarding his opposition to the two-year federal debt and spending bill. In the dead of night, Senate leadership gathered the 60 votes needed to stop Sen. Paul’s filibuster and proceed to legislation raising the debt ceiling and breaking the spending caps promised in the Budget Control Act of 2011. Since coming to Washington in 2010, Sen. Paul has been an ardent opponent of Washington’s continued, reckless spending. Furthermore, Sen. Paul was opposed to any deal that gave the President an unlimited debt limit increase. After cloture was invoked, Sen. Paul concluded his filibuster with a one-hour speech against the unholy alliance of right and left. At the end of his final speech, he raised a budget point of order that the bill violates Senate budget rules adopted earlier this year that protect the Social Security trust fund, ensuring we meet our obligations to seniors and not take that money to spend elsewhere. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill did exactly that. With this point of order Sen. Paul was appealing to his colleagues to remember our obligation to seniors. Unfortunately, Senators voted 64-35 to waive their own rules adopted earlier this year and proceed with spending the money. A transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks prepared for delivery and clips of his floor speeches are available below. SEN. PAUL SPEAKS AGAINST BUDGET DEAL SEN. PAUL SPEAKS AGAINST BUDGET DEAL PRIOR TO CLOTURE VOTE SEN. PAUL SPEAKS AGAINST BUDGET DEAL POST CLOTURE Transcript: Sen. Paul: The number-one threat to our country’s future is our debt. The number-one threat to our national security is our debt. This deal gives the president the power to borrow unlimited amounts of money. This deal represents the worst of Washington culture. The left and the right have come together in an unholy alliance to explode the debt. The left gets more welfare. The right gets more military contracts. And the taxpayer is st… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-floor-speech-sen-rand-paul-speaks-out-against-budget-agreement/ | FLOOR SPEECH: Sen. Rand Paul Speaks Out Against Budget Agreement | 2015-10-29 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul delivered the following remarks on the U.S. Senate floor today regarding his opposition to the two-year federal budget agreement. For a point of clarification: after Sen. Paul announced his filibuster of the debt bill earlier this week, Senate Leadership moved to end the filibuster by filing cloture. Cloture is the mechanism in the rules to end debate, and thus end a filibuster. If 41 Senators vote with Sen. Paul, the filibuster will continue. Below is video and transcript of Sen. Paul’s remarks. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. PAUL’S REMARKS ON THE SENATE FLOOR TRANSCRIPT Sen. Rand Paul: I rise today in opposition to raising the debt ceiling. I rise in particular in opposition to raising the debt ceiling without getting any sort of spending reform or budgetary reform in return. In fact, it will be completely the opposite. We will be raising the debt ceiling in an unlimited fashion. We will be giving President Obama a free pass to borrow as much money as he can borrow in the last year of his office. No limit, no dollar limit. Here you go, President Obama. Spend what you want. We do this while also exceeding what are called budget caps. We have been trying to have spending restraint in Washington. It hasn’t worked very well, but at least there are some numbers that government is not supposed to exceed. These include spending caps for military spending as well as domestic spending. When I first arrived, I was part of a movement called the tea party movement. We came into prominence and I was elected primarily because I was concerned about the debt, worried about the debt that we were leaving to our kids and our grandkids, worrying that we were destroying the very fabric of the country with debt. We came here in 2010 and we negotiated and negotiated, and the president said, President Obama said I won’t negotiate with you. He says I won’t negotiate with a gun to my head. The media all said you just always have to raise the debt ceiling. It’s irresponsible to use that as lever… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/9-m-awarded-water-sewer-environmental-protection | $9 m. awarded for water, sewer, environmental protection | 2015-10-26 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | $9 m. awarded for water, sewer, environmental protection Oct 25, 2015 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a total fiscal year 2015 award of $9 million to the Northern Mariana Islands this week. The consolidated grant includes $6.7 million to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation for water and sewer projects and $2.3 million to the Commonwealths Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality for environmental programs. The water and sewer money reflects the increase in funding that began after the Northern Marianas obtained representation in Congress and the funding formula was increased. The Commonwealth has received an additional $41 million as a result. That money is responsible for the achievement of having the public water supply system provide 24-hour service to 95 percent of its population up from 25 percent in 2006, according to EPA. This year the money that Congress has appropriated will be used for water storage tanks, waterline replacements, improvements to the sewer system, and work to make water and sewer infrastructure more able to withstand storms, like Typhoon Soudelor. Congratulations to CUC and BECQ. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/apply-today-nomination-us-service-academy | Apply today for nomination to a U.S. Service Academy | 2015-10-26 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Young women and men from the Northern Marianas, interested in a high quality education and committed to serving our country, can apply now for a congressional nomination to a U.S. Service Academy. At this time, there are two openings available: one at the Merchant Marine Academy and one at the Naval Academy. The first step in applying for a nomination is to fill out the form at https://sablan.house.gov/serving-you/academy-nomination-form. At the same time, applicants should open an application at their academy or academies of choice: the Merchant Marine Academy (https://www.usmma.edu/admissions) and/or the Naval Academy (https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/index.php).More information and nomination applications are available at https://sablan.house.gov/serving-you/academy-nominations and at the district offices on Rota, Saipan, and Tinian. While Members of Congress make nominations, the final selection from among nominees is made by academy admission officials.They look for strong grades in high school, high SAT or ACT scores, physical ability, and leadership potential. Requests for nomination are due December 11, 2015. Deadlines for completing academy applications are March 1, 2016 for the Merchant Marine Academy and January 31, 2016 for the Naval Academy. Those interested are strongly encouraged to start now. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-october-23-2015 | THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - October 23, 2015 | 2015-10-26 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | In this issue: ________________________________________________________________ Apply today for nomination to a U.S. Service Academy. Young women and men from the Northern Marianas, interested in a high quality education and committed to serving our country, can apply now for a congressional nomination to a U.S. Service Academy. At this time, there are two openings available: one at the Merchant Marine Academy and one at the Naval Academy. The first step in applying for a nomination is to fill out the form at https://sablan.house.gov/serving-you.... At the same time, applicants should open an application at their academy or academies of choice: the Merchant Marine Academy (https://www.usmma.edu/admissions) and/or the Naval Academy (https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/inde...). More information and nomination applications are available at https://sablan.house.gov/serving-you... and at the district offices on Rota, Saipan, and Tinian. While Members of Congress make nominations, the final selection from among nominees is made by academy admission officials. They look for strong grades in high school, high SAT or ACT scores, physical ability, and leadership potential. Requests for nomination are due December 11, 2015. Deadlines for completing academy applications are March 1, 2016 for the Merchant Marine Academy and January 31, 2016 for the Naval Academy. Those interested are strongly encouraged to start now. $9 m. awarded for water, sewer, envonmental protection. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a total fiscal year 2015 award of $9 million to the Northern Mariana Islands this week. The consolidated grant includes $6.7 million to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation for water and sewer projects and $2.3 million to the Commonwealths Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality for environmental programs. The water and sewer money reflects the increase in funding that began after the Northern Marianas obtained representation in Congress and the funding formula was increased. The Commonwealth h… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-dr-rand-paul-uncovers-156-million-spent-free-community-college-foreign-students/ | Dr. Rand Paul Uncovers $15.6 Million Spent on Free Community College for Foreign Students | 2015-10-26 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the latest edition of “The Waste Report,” an ongoing project cataloguing egregious examples of waste within the U.S. government. The latest edition draws attention to the Community College Initiative (CCI) Program that is administered by the United States’ State Department Office of Global Educational Programs at the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA). This fiscal year, the CCI program is slated to spend an astounding $15.6 million to bring foreign students to America to attend community college for free. For comparison’s sake, the same amount of money is enough to pay for approximately 2,330 semesters at an average-priced community college. The latest edition of “The Waste Report” can be found HERE or below. For millions of Americans, community colleges offer an affordable and convenient opportunity to begin a college career or to gain a competitive edge in the job market. But it turns out the federal government thinks community colleges should not be limited to, well, the community. Thu, it is planning to spend $15.6 million to bring foreign students to America to attend these institutions for one year.[1] The FY2016 Community College Initiative (CCI) Program that is run by the State Department’s Office of Global Educational Programs at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) plans to target poor students from several countries including India, Brazil, Indonesia, and Pakistan.[2] India’s inclusion in the CCI is particularly interesting. Last year, the University Grants Commission of India (something of a national board of education) approved the creation of 98 new community colleges across India.[3]Meaning, American community colleges will now be in competition with Indian community colleges for students. Even more shocking about the Indian case is that earlier this year the State Department issued a $70,000 grant opportunity to put on a traveling photo exhibition of American community colleges throughout India.[4] It seems I… | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/cms-open-enrollment-begins | CMS Open Enrollment Begins | 2015-10-25 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | CMS Open Enrollment Begins Oct 25, 2015 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Medicare Open Enrollment period for 2016 is open through December 7, 2015. If you are satisfied with your current coverage and feel it will meet your needs for 2016, you do not need to do anything. However, individuals who need to enroll or need additional information regarding their Medicare Part D prescription drug plans in the Northern Marianas can visit www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) TTY 1-877-486-2048. You may also view the 2016 Medicare & You handbook online at: www.medicare.gov/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/farm-service-agency-continues-helping-farmers-and-ranchers | Farm Service Agency continues helping farmers and ranchers | 2015-10-25 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Farm Service Agency continues helping farmers and ranchers Oct 25, 2015 The Farm Service Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports this week that 32 farmers and ranchers have now contacted the Agency for recovery assistance. 21 have requested FSA loan applications and a team of loan officers arrived on Saipan Monday to continue taking applications and process the requests for loan assistance. The team is on island through November 10. Call 670-234-0896 to schedule an appointment or e-mail Doreen Rivera at doreen.rivera@pb.usda.gov. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/increase-nmi-highway-funds-passes-house-committee | Increase in NMI highway funds passes House committee | 2015-10-25 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Increase in NMI highway funds passes House committee Oct 25, 2015 This week, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 which includes an increase in federal-aid highway funding for the Northern Mariana Islands of $1.2 million over the next six years. H.R. 3763 also reauthorizes transit and highway safety programs worth another $1.2 million to the NMI annually. Authorization for surface transportation programs expires on October 29, next week, so the House is expected to move quickly on the Committee-approved bill so that negotiations can begin with the Senate, which passed its own version of a six-year transportation bill in July. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/insular-delegates-protect-close-funding | Insular Delegates: protect Close Up funding | 2015-10-25 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Insular Delegates: protect Close Up funding Oct 25, 2015 Congress funds the Close Up program in order to bring young people a real experience of how their government works and to gain a deeper understanding of our national history. So, insular area Delegates were concerned to learn that the Office of Insular Affairs at the Department of Interior has notified the Close Up Foundation that it will need to compete for federal grant funds this year. This is a change from what the Department proposed in its budget justification submitted to Congress earlier this year. In response, insular area Delegates have requested that the Department reconsider its action and maintain funding for Close Up at the $1.1 million amount specified to Congress. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/reminder-library-congress-online-conference-teachers-next-week | Reminder: Library of Congress online conference for teachers next week | 2015-10-25 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | The Library of Congress first online conference for teachers is slated for October 28-29, 6am to 10am CHST (October 27-28, 4pm 8pm EST), and educators in the Northern Marianas and across the nation are invited. This free, two-day conference will equip teachers to enhance student learning through the use of primary sources in the classroom, drawing on the Librarys extensive collections. For more information and to register for the conference, visit https://www.loc.gov/teachers/professionaldevelopment/webinar/online-conference-2015.html. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://sablan.house.gov/press-release/cw-cap-call-more-us-workers | CW cap is a call for more U.S. workers | 2015-10-22 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Northern Mariana Islands Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan says that todays announced cap of 12,999 on the number of foreign, CW workers who can be permitted in the Northern Mariana Islands this fiscal year means that employers must continue to find more ways to hire U.S. workers, if growth is to continue. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services lowered the cap for fiscal year 2016 by 1,000 from the 2015 limit of 13,999 in a pre-publication notice today. Todays moderate reduction by USCIS reflects the agencys understanding that the need for labor to develop the Northern Marianas economy may grow and that there continues to be a need for access to foreign workers to accommodate that growth and current economic activity, Congressman Sablan said. USCIS has taken a reasonable approach consistent with the requirement set out in the ConsolidatedNatural Resources Act that federal immigration be implemented in a way that minimizes adverse effects and maximizes the potential for future growth. Todays action, however, also reminds us that the number of CW workers will continue to decrease over the next four years and that everyone in the Marianas business, government, and the educational system will have to work overtime to replace this foreign labor with U.S. workers or with foreign workers who have some status other than CW. That means workers with H or other employment-based visas. That means workers from the Freely Associated States, who have the ability to immigrate to and live in the Northern Marianas. The Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 extended U.S. immigration law to the Northern Marianas and provided the special CW category of foreign workers for the islands during an initial transition period of five years. That initial period ended last December, but was extended through 2019 by enactment of Public Law 113-235 to allow more time for the program to be phased out. The CW program began with a cap of 22,417in 2009, based on the number of workers that had been permitted by the Com… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-sen-rand-paul-introduces-resolution-senate-review-upcoming-climate-agreement/ | Sen. Rand Paul Introduces Resolution for Senate Review on Upcoming Climate Agreement | 2015-10-21 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | Senate | KY | Rand Paul | P000603 | www.paul.senate.gov | paul | https://www.paul.senate.gov/news/ | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul yesterday introduced Senate Resolution 290, a resolution calling for the U.S. Senate to reassert its constitutional role in treaty review. Specifically, the resolution highlights the need for any agreement reached at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, France, to follow the past precedent for congressional review, established by the Senate’s call to review the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. “One of the most important duties as a Senator is to uphold and defend the Constitution. My resolution will reassert the Senate’s constitutional role in treaty review and protect the balance of power within our government,” Sen. Paul said. Earlier this week, Sen. Paul issued a Dear Colleague letter urging Senate colleagues to cosponsor Senate Resolution 290. Click HERE to read the Dear Colleague letter. To read the resolution in its entirety, click HERE. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T20:28:00Z |
| http://sablan.house.gov/%E2%80%98navy-order-supplemental-deis-small-victory-nmi%E2%80%99 | Navy order for supplemental DEIS small victory for NMI | 2015-10-19 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Independent | Senate | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | Saipan Tribune- Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) calls the U.S. Department of Navys recent decision to order a supplemental environmental impact statement for live-fire training and bombing on Tinian and Pagan a win for the Northern Marianas. Those are small victories, but one after another it helps, Sablan said in an interview last week. And thats why people who disagree with the NEPA process need to understand that the NEPA process is making all of this reviews and re-reviews and change of plans possible, he said. The Navy two weeks ago called for a second round of review for the CNMI Joint Military Training or CJMT plans. Without the NEPA process, the military doesnt have to explain any of its actions, Sablan said. Whether its the [Marianas Islands Training and Testing EIS], or the [Divert Airfield Project EIS], or the CJMT, he added, referring to other voluminous impact statements that the CNMI has been forced to review in recent years. Two years ago, I was allowed to sit in with the [U.S. House of Representatives] Armed Services Committee and we were talking about some of these environmental impact studies and my suggestion then was why are you having different environmental impact studies? Whether its MITT, or CJMT, or the Divertwhy dont you just have one? So [that] its easier for us in the Northern Marianas to addressinstead of these different parts. This divide and conquer thing is not in the best interest of the Northern Marianas, Sablan added. The CJMT is the fifth major military training project proposed for the CNMI in recent years, among others, like the U.S. Air Forces proposed divert airfield project, the U.S. Navys expansive bombing and sonar training projects, and the Guam Buildup EIS, which when first announced included Tinian in its scope. Each of the five projects has involved the preparation of an EIS, Dentons, a firm hired by the CNMI to review the CJMT project, has said. None of the five EIS fully evaluates any alternatives located outside the CNMI. Based on the documents we have… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |
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