Stimulus bill packs ‘tens of millions’ for territories—Kilili

The CNMI will receive tens of millions of dollars as part of the economic stimulus package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday, U.S. Rep. Gregorio “Kilili” Sablan (I-MP) said.

The House passed the $819 billion American Recovery and Investment Act by a vote of 244 to 188. None of the House’s 178 Republican members voted yes. The bill now heads to the Senate where it is expected to undergo considerable changes.

For the CNMI, the package increases Medicaid caps by 20 percent, increases funding for food stamps and adds infrastructure projects.

Together, the territories will receive more that $4 billion through numerous federal grants such as State Fiscal Stabilization, Technology, Pell Grant awards, Low Income Energy Assistance and Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grants.

The more than $500 million allotted to the territories is spread throughout several federal agencies, providing less flexibility, Sablan said. Because the money is spread throughout the agencies, it is difficult to tell exactly how much the CNMI will receive but there are millions of dollars available, he said.

The territorial delegates had hoped that Department of the Interior money would be distributed to the Office of Insular Affairs for the territories. Money is allocated to other offices within Interior but not to OIA, the delegates noted in letters sent earlier to several lawmakers.

“Unfortunately, because the bill was packaged in a certain way, that didn’t happen,” Sablan said. He added that the territorial delegates would work to see what changes they can make with the Senate version of the bill.

The delegates’ proposal was one of 200 amendments made in the House, of which only a handful was approved, he added.

House Natural Resources Committee chair Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), in a Jan. 16 letter to Rep. David R. Obey, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, said the already-struggling territories are hampered in their ability to fund basic needs due to the economic downturn.

“Our U.S. territories, some of the most scenic, beautiful, and environmentally diverse areas under the American flag, will continue to face obstacles to development due to their remoteness,” he wrote. “A separate funding stream dedicated to addressing many other critical and immediate needs would be most beneficial, and I look forward to working with the Committee to garner the support needed to help their growth and expansion.”

In another letter, dated Jan. 22, Rahall wrote to House Committee on Appropriations chair Dave Obey and ranking member Jerry Lewis expressing concern than no separate funding was allotted for OIA. Letters were also sent to Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Sen. Thad Cochran, chairman and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Sablan, Guam Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo, U.S. Virgin Islands Delegate Donna Christensen and American Samoa Delegate Eni Falcomavaega signed the letters as well.

The stimulus package will also help fund education, something families need as the cost of higher education continues to increase, said Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, during a teleconference with reporters before the House vote.

“So we’re trying to offset those costs so those family under very serious pressure…are able to keep people in college,” Miller said. “We believe this investment is critical, and it’s critical in how we emerge in this economic downturn.”

Pell grants will increase by $500 to a maximum of $5,350 in 2009 and $5,550 in 2010, under the House-approved package.

The Head Start program will receive $2.1 billion to provide development services for an additional 110,000 children. The AmeriCorp program would also receive $200 million to place approximately 16,000 additional members in national service, helping vulnerable populations and communities during the recession.