releases: https://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-december-13-2019
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://sablan.house.gov/week-congress-december-13-2019 | THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - December 13, 2019 | 2019-12-16 | 2019 | 2019-12 | Democrat | House | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | In this issue: Project PROA funding source fixed MHS scores app challenge win Indigenous languages supported Update on school recovery Stonewalled on student loans $2M more for Tinian recovery $1.3M more to Ports Authority 2020 Defense bill benefits Marianas Insular reps fight for Medicaid Lower drug prices for all Climate change threat to coastal areas Looking out for American workers Beware Social Security scam Kilili Time Capsule Opportunities __________________________________________________________________ Project PROA funding permanent The funding source for Project PROA, which offers Marianas high school juniors and seniors and first-year NMC students free tutoring, mentoring, counseling, and access to a computer center, becomes permanent under legislation the House and Senate passed on Tuesday. The President must now sign H.R. 5363 into law. The FUTURE Act, Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education Act, makes $225 million available each year for Minority-Serving Institutions. Northern Marianas College uses its share of the money for Project PROA, incorporating elements of Chamorro and Refaluwasch culture, and improving student success rates. H.R. 5363 also increases funding for Pell Grants by $50 million over the next two years to ensure there is enough money for all qualified students. I cosponsored the FUTURE Act as H.R. 2486, which the House had to replace with H.R. 5363 this week for parliamentary reasons, after the Senate added language. Indigenous languages supported Funding that supports Chamorro and Refaluwasch language immersion classes at PSS is extended in legislation the House cleared for the President's signature on Monday. S. 256 includes the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Programs Reauthorization Act, which I cosponsored. The Act authorizes $13 million each year for indigenous language education programs nationwide, including in the Marianas, and lengthens grant awards from three to five years. Currently, PSS is working under a three-year grant from the Administration for Native Americans awarded in 2016. The grant called for at least 500 hours of instruction for 50 Chamorro and Carolinian students, so they could engage in conversation and better understand their cultures. $2M more for Tinian recovery $1.3M more for Ports Authority The Federal Emergency Management Agency has obligated another $3,224,339.69 to the Commonwealth government. According to information provided to the congressional office, $1,969,644.60 is to be used to replace the Tinian Public Market, damaged in Super Typhoon Yutu. FEMA obligates the money to the Commonwealth, which, upon receipt of appropriate documentation, is responsible for reimbursing the Tinian Mayor's Office for the reconstruction costs. Another $1,254,695.09 is for emergency protective measures taken by the Commonwealth Ports Authority to prevent storm damage. The Tinian funds are a 90 percent reimbursement of costs. CPA's are 100 percent. Together, these obligations bring total FEMA funding reported to the congressional office to almost $142 million (see chart above). 2020 Defense bill benefits Marianas The conference report to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 passed the House Wednesday with several provisions beneficial to the Northern Marianas. These include: $45 million authorized for Air Force divert field projects on Tinian. The funding is part of a larger authorization of $316 million that will be used over several years $109 million for a parking apron, $98 million for phase one of the airfield development, and $109 million for fuel tanks with a pipeline/hydrant system. The Armed Services Committees believe the Air Force can spend $45 million on the projects in FY2020. An amendment that I offered in the House NDAA allowing students in associate degree programs to apply for a new technology and national security fellowship. The paid fellowships will place college STEM students in Defense or congressional offices. Language I cosponsored in H.R. 3428, extending to the Marianas a provision now in law that lets federal agencies double the value of a contract awarded to a Puerto Rico business for purposes of small business contracting goals. 12 weeks of paid parental leave for all federal employees in the case of birth, adoption, or fostering. I also successfully blocked language in the House-passed bill that only allowed American-owned or -operated companies with a national security waiver to be awarded telecommunications contracts for Defense facilities in the Pacific territories. The provision would have placed well-established, reputable businesses in the U.S. Pacific territories at an unfair disadvantage and stifle competition for DoD telecommunications services and equipment contracts across the Pacific, I told the Armed Services Committees in an August 29 letter. The unnecessarily restrictive language was removed from the conferenced bill. The $738 billion Defense bill also increases pay for service members by 3.1 percent and improves housing and other contributors to quality of life at military bases around the world. The NDAA conference report now heads to the Senate. Insular reps fight for Medicaid The Marianas Medicaid program has run out of federal funds as of this month. And other insular areas are no better off. But we continue to negotiate a deal. All the insular representatives signed off on my letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy this week, reiterating the Medicaid predicament in our areas and the need for a fix. There does seem to be movement towards agreement. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) put forth a proposal last Friday similar to, but less long-term than, the bipartisan REACH Act the House Energy and Commerce Committee already agreed in July. The solution is not cheap. But without more Medicaid funding for the insular areas, lives could be lost. Lower drug prices for all Democrats followed through on our pledge to pass legislation lowering drug prices on Thursday. The Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate each year what the federal government pays for up to 250 of the most expensive drugs, including insulin products. Current law bars negotiating for cheaper prices. Giving the federal government this new market power will drive down costs for everyone who buys these drugs. And the Cummings Act invests the significant savings to the federal government by giving Medicare patients2,538 in the Marianasaccess to dental, vision, and hearing benefits for the first time. The 370 people in the Marianas who are enrolled in the Medicare drug benefit, Part D, would have their annual out-of-pocket cost lowered to $2,000, and pay nothing thereafter. And the 568 enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid would have their Part D premium lowered. The savings would also be used to increase access to the popular and effective Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. More than 293 people in 147 Marianas households are in the program. Looking out for American workers When it comes to workers who depend on tips, the Marianas has stronger legal protections than many states where employers can pay their tipped workers less than the minimum wage. Based on that Marianas standard, I sent a formal objection to a proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Labor that would allow employers in those states to pay subminimum wage even when workers were not earning tips. Our Commonwealth law protects Marianas workers from this abuse, but I, as a member of the Education and Labor Committee, I have a responsibility to think about workers everywhere in America. Beware of Social Security scam Beware of fake Social Security calls. The Social Security Administration warns that phone scams are on the rise. Scammers are pretending to call from Social Security in an attempt to trick you into giving them your personal information and money. In some cases, the caller ID may even look like it is coming from an official government number. They may ask you to give them personal information or even tell you to pay a fine in order to avoid arrest. Do not be fooled. If you receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from the Social Security Administration, please do not give them any personal information or money. Instead, hang up immediately and report the scam to the Social Security's law enforcement team at https://oig.ssa.gov/. Be vigilant and share these additional tips with your family and friends. OPPORTUNITIES Scholarships/Fellowships President Harry S. Truman Scholarship (Due 2/24/20) Senator Barry Goldwater Scholarship (Due 1/31/20) President James Madison Fellowship (Due 3/1/20) Pacific Territory Fishery Capacity-Building Grants Conservation Collaboration grants ReConnect Pilot Program Public Comments LEGISLATIVE HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK S. 737 - Building Blocks of STEM Act (passed by voice vote) H.R. 4761 - DHS Opioid Detection Resilience Act of 2019 (passed, 393-1) H.R. 4727 - Department of Homeland Security Mentor-Protg Program Act of 2019 (passed by voice vote) H.R. 4713 - Department of Homeland Security Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Authorization Act (passed by voice vote) NEXT WEEK H.R. 4183 - Identifying Barriers and Best Practices Study Act H.R. 2548 - Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act H.R. 4229 - Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |