Deleon Guerrero: Too Little, Too Late— Our People Need Results, Not Promises

Statement from Dr. Galvin Deleon Guerrero:

I welcome any serious effort to lower utility costs, address the CNMI’s workforce crisis, and better leverage the military build-up in the Marianas. These issues affect every family and business in our islands, and they deserve urgent attention in Washington.

But there’s a big difference between introducing a bill and delivering results.

TOO LITTLE

Our people desperately need relief from high utility costs, especially as we recover from two super typhoons. But according to the proposed legislation, the funding would largely come from existing Covenant funds rather than a new federal appropriation. We should be fighting for new federal investments in the Marianas, not simply moving money around.

As for the CW program, it is clear that the program has failed to meet the needs of the CNMI, and kicking the can down the road will not be enough. Our businesses need certainty. Our economy needs workers. Long-term workers who have contributed to our community deserve certainty as well. But I believe, wherever possible, we should push beyond the CW program and start fresh with a better deal for the Marianas.

When it comes to the military build-up, it is not enough to fund yet another study and expand access to service academies for only three more students. We need concrete economic investments that provide more local jobs, support local businesses, and improve critical infrastructure. And considering that our islands have some of the highest per capita enlistment rates in the military, we should invest in programs that serve hundreds of students, such as the Army and Navy Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.

TOO LATE

We are approaching the end of the 119th Congress. Introducing major legislation immediately before and during the August recess may generate headlines, but introduction is only the first step. A bill still has to move through committee, build bipartisan support, overcome competing priorities in Congress, pass the House and Senate, and ultimately be signed into law.

All of this work should have started in the first 100 days of a term, not the last 100 days before an election.

Because the people of the Marianas cannot pay their CUC bill with a press release. Businesses cannot hire workers with a bill number. And families cannot build their futures around studies that go nowhere.

The measure of an effective Delegate is not how many bills they introduce. It is how effectively they can turn the priorities of our people into results that happen sooner rather than later.

That is the kind of representation I am running to provide. I won’t wait until the election year to bring relief to our people. I will fight on day one and never stop fighting for us.