GOVERNOR Ralph DLG Torres on Friday said the Commonwealth would appeal the rejection by the Federal Emergency Management Agency of his request to waive the local match requirement for Covid-19-related grants.
He said he has recently spoken with Patrick Guerrero, his authorized representative for the Covid-19 disaster, regarding the appeal.
The governor said the CNMI has a good working relationship with FEMA acting Administrator Robert Fenton Jr. who is well aware of the challenges that the Commonwealth faces.
He said Fenton knows exactly what the CNMI is going through, noting that the FEMA official had visited the Commonwealth a few times in the past.
The governor added that a FEMA team helped the CNMI on the ground following Super Typhoon Yutu and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Torres believes that the CNMI’s success rate will be a good justification for the appeal.
“I am optimistic that once we send our appeal letter, it will be taken into consideration,” he added.
“We need to do what we need to do. We understand [the process]. So we’ll highlight our successes and our challenges as well,” Torres said.
Regarding the cost share requirement, Secretary of Finance David DLG Atalig said his department is on standby while the Commonwealth submits its appeal to FEMA for consideration.
“We do not have the budget or the resources to give everybody that extra 25% or $100 per week and per recipient,” he said.
He said as soon as the CNMI receives an approval, payments could be made retroactive for those who fall within the categories of unemployment for the lost wages assistance, or LWA, program.
“We are optimistic that our appeal will be heard and hopefully we will get a positive response,” Atalig said.
He added that the LWA has not been requested for drawdown.
“We have not requested funds. We do not have that in our bank account. Until we are approved, we cannot draw down [LWA funds]. We must know the numbers and we must provide them to FEMA to justify the amount we’re requesting,” Atalig said.
The governor submitted a request for waiver to FEMA in March last year.
“The additional burden of paying the non-federal cost when current locally expended resources in response to Covid-19 have already exceeded the CNMI’s available operating capital will result in curtailment of critical public services,” he said in his letter.
These could include the possibility of defunding the police, as well as cutting funding for Medicaid, the hospital, the judiciary, the Legislature, and payment for utility services to government facilities, Torres said.
In response to Gov. Torres, FEMA acting Administrator Fenton wrote: “Based on our review of all of the information available, it has been determined that the increased level of funding you have requested is not warranted. Therefore, I must inform you that your request for a cost share adjustment for this major disaster declaration is denied.”
