House Joint Resolution 17-28 urges Sablan to introduce a bill in the U.S. Congress that will allow the CNMI to use $25 million in unexpended CIP funds for operations, at least temporarily.
The resolution also requests Sablan to ask the U.S. Congress to reinstate an “indefinite, permanent appropriation” for the islands’ CIP funding amounting to $27.7 million annually.
Senate Joint Resolution 17-11 has a similar intent, but the Senate incorporated it into H.J.R. 17-28 which it then adopted.
The Senate version of the resolution wants Fitial to cooperate with Sablan in requesting the U.S. Congress to allow the CNMI to use CIP funds for government operations.
The Fitial administration earlier said that some CIP funds are unexpended due to environmental surveys and other federal requirements that the CNMI has to meet.
