Population stabilization bill intro’d

The number of people living in the Marianas dropped by 12.2 percent between the 2010 and 2020 U.S. census. That means lower tax revenues for the Commonwealth government and fewer customers for our local businesses. To counter those negative trends I introduced on Thursday the Northern Mariana Islands Population Stabilization Act. The bill would encourage approximately 1,600 long-term foreign workers living in our islands since 2015 to remain here by offering them a permanent status.

Twenty-one foreign investors in the Marianas since before 2009 could apply for the permanent Marianas-only resident status, too. President Trump signed the laws defining who are long-term workers and establishing the Marianas-only status. The population loss in our islands and resulting loss of economic viability not only hurt all of us, but also have implications for the U.S. strategic position in the Western Pacific. With increasing competition for dominance from China, the United States needs to be strengthening our position in the region, not shrinking in significance. My legislation fits into that larger strategic imperative.