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Biden lowers NMI’s cost share for typhoon funds
CNMI’s financial burden reduced by nearly $1M
Edith E. DeLeonGuerrero(
U.S. President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has reduced the CNMI’s financial burden by nearly $1 million by increasing the federal government’s cost-share in new disaster assistance to 90%. This effectively means the CNMI would need to only foot 10% of the amount in order to tap this new disaster assistance related to 2018’s Typhoon Mangkhut.
Gov. Arnold I. Palacios released the following statement: “We are thankful to President Biden for making additional federal disaster assistance to help recover damage caused by [Typhoon Mangkhut], which especially affected the island of Rota. The savings covered under this declaration, along with other federal aid, helps the CNMI address its financial challenges.”
Senate President Edith E. DeLeon Guerrero (D-Saipan) said that this development is absolutely the best news for the day. “We appreciate this financial relief from Washington,” she said.
Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell announced in a FEMA news release yesterday that Biden made additional disaster assistance available to the CNMI to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by Typhoon Mangkhut from Sept. 10 to 11, 2018. Typhoon Mangkhut caused widespread destruction on Rota in 2018.
Criswell said that Biden authorized the federal cost-share for Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation and Other Needs Assistance to increase from 75% to 90%. This action reduces the Commonwealth’s financial responsibilities by nearly $1 million, according to FEMA.
DeLeon Guerrero said that every penny less that the CNMI does not need to pay out or match is a huge help, most especially in the face of the CNMI’s current financial situation.
DeLeon Guerrero said they are working hard to validate and make sense of all the federal and local funds the CNMI has received and or generated, expended, got reimbursed, or pending reimbursement for.
“Pennies do add up to thousands and millions of dollars that the CNMI is desperately in need of to address the looming fiscal cliff,” she said.
In July 2022, Patrick Guerrero of the Public Assistance Office said the CNMI has been awarded $6.7 million in federal funds to help it recover from Typhoon Mangkhut.
Guerrerro also disclosed that the CNMI received under his watch $77.5 million for hazard mitigation projects related to Super Typhoon Soudelor in 2015, Super Typhoon Yutu and Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
