Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, left, and first lady Wella S. Palacios, center, with relatives Becky Cruz, right, Becky Lynn C. Lizama, second left, and her husband, Wilfred Q. Lizama, second right, during a family gathering at the Civic Center on Sunday.
GOVERNOR Arnold I. Palacios has yet to receive a reply from President Joe Biden regarding the CNMI’s request for Covenant Section 902 consultations.
Section 902 of the Covenant allows the CNMI and the U.S. to designate special representatives to discuss issues affecting the relationship between the two governments.
Late last month, the governor sent Biden a letter officially informing him of the CNMI’s desire to hold 902 consultations with the president’s representatives.
In an interview on Sunday, the governor said the White House had not replied to his letter, but his office was following up on it.
The White House “won’t telegraph their response, but it will respond one way or another,” Palacios said.
He said he is expecting a reply from the White House “anytime soon.”
For the 902 talks, the governor wants to discuss direct financial assistance from the U.S. government under Section 702 of the Covenant, tourism and transportation infrastructure, and access to skilled labor.
In his letter to Biden on April 26, the governor noted that Section 702 of the Covenant used to provide nearly $28 million annually in direct financial assistance to the CNMI for its economic development.
However, U.S. Public Law 104-134 redistributed funds intended for the Commonwealth to other insular jurisdictions.
