THE House of Representatives on Tuesday adopted House Resolution 21-39 expressing strong support for the passage of the updated version of Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act or H.R. 8406 in the U.S. Congress.
In June last year, House adopted House Joint Resolution 21-10 supporting H.R. 6800 or the earlier version of HEROES Act.
Authored by Rep. Tina Sablan, H.R. 21-39, calls for the support of its updated version which allocates $1.02 billion to the commonwealth government.
This, the resolution said, “would allow the commonwealth to continue providing the full range of public services to the people of the Marianas at a time when local revenue estimates in fiscal year 2020 plunged from $233 million to $150 million, a drop of 35.5%, with little prospect of quick recovery.”
HEROES Act also provides an estimated $14 million to Rota, Tinian, Saipan and the Northern Islands to allow the local governments to continue providing essential services to the people of each island. The measure also provides a significant increase to the Nutrition Assistance Program in the amount of $14 million that will ensure families in NMI remain in the program and benefits will not be reduced.
HEROES Act also builds on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Education Stabilization Fund with an estimated $160 million for schools. Moreover, the bill sets aside $25 million for Marianas and other insular area K-12 school facilities repairs, including HVAC and ventilation and an estimated $20 million for Northern Marianas College and an extension of the CARES Act’s suspension of student loan payments through September 2021.
Sablan told her fellow House members that it is helpful to garner the support from local elected leaders for the updated version of HEROES Act which really would result and translate into more tangible benefits that NMI need so desperately in this very challenging times.
