CNMI residents got $1.9B in pandemic relief

Residents of the Northern Marianas received $1.9 billion in COVID-19 relief, which is the most funding per capita than residents of any other insular area.

Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (D-MP) disclosed in his e-kilili newsletter over the weekend that according to the U.S. Government Accountability on Tuesday, as of last February, the CNMI got $1.9 billion in COVID-19 relief, $39,100 per capita, 50% more than American Samoans and more than double the funding for each resident of Guam, or the Virgin Islands.

GAO disclosed that the CNMI, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands received more than $32 billion in COVID-19 relief funds over 100 programs.

American Samoa got $1.3 billion, Guam $2.7 billion, Puerto Rico $24.8 billion, and U.S. Virgin Islands $1.5 billion.

Sablan said GAO stated that the COVID-19 relief, which exceeded the Northern Marianas’ 2019 pre-pandemic gross domestic product, helped the economy stay afloat.

The federal funds also allowed the CNMI to continue government operations and provide health care, infrastructure improvements, and other essential public services during the pandemic.

GAO reported that Commonwealth officials faced challenges dealing with the massive funding, including insufficient administrative capacity, unclear allowable uses for the money, narrow time frames for spending, and meeting reporting requirements.

Sablan said the CARES Act, Public Law 116-136, one of six funding laws the U.S. Congress enacted in response to COVID-19, required GAO to track spending related to the pandemic.