MHS forum engages delegate candidates on CNMI's future

Marianas High School Student Council president Jim Solis said the Oct. 15 U.S. delegate candidates forum was organized to give students an opportunity to hear directly from those seeking to represent the CNMI in Washington, D.C., and better understand issues affecting the Commonwealth's future.

Speaking before a jam-packed MHS cafeteria, Solis said the forum was also intended to encourage young people to become more involved in the democratic process.

“We are often told that we are the future. But I believe that preparing for the future starts with what we choose today,” he said.

Solis said students should take advantage of opportunities to question candidates, listen to different perspectives, and make informed decisions rather than simply recognize names on a ballot.

The student-organized forum featured incumbent Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds and challenger Dr. Galvin Deleon Guerrero, who fielded six questions on the CW-1 program, interisland transportation, healthcare, disaster assistance, deep-sea mining, and military infrastructure.

On the CW-1 program, King-Hinds highlighted her proposed CNMI Labor Stabilization Act, which would extend the foreign worker program for another 10 years, eliminate the touchback requirement, and provide additional funding for local workforce training.

The incumbent also asked students to raise their hands if they were children of CW workers or had foreign workers in their households, emphasizing that the program affects families as well as businesses.

Deleon Guerrero, however, called for a more comprehensive overhaul of the program, which is scheduled to expire in 2029.

“This is more than just an economic issue. It's a human rights issue. The CW program has failed all of us,” he said.

He proposed either substantially reforming or replacing the program with one that provides greater federal investment in education, apprenticeships, and workforce development while recognizing longtime foreign workers and their families.

On interisland transportation, Deleon Guerrero proposed restoring the CNMI's eligibility for the federal Essential Air Service program, increasing airline competition, and exploring traditional seafaring transportation through organizations such as 500 Sails.

King-Hinds countered that she had already introduced legislation addressing Essential Air Service and co-sponsored legislation seeking an exemption from federal cabotage restrictions to allow greater airline competition.

She also cited legislation intended to make the CNMI eligible for federal ferry funding, which could help restore affordable transportation between Saipan and Tinian.

The candidates also differed on deep-sea mining.

King-Hinds said she shared environmental concerns but defended her proposed legislation providing for revenue sharing and consultation with local institutions on the potential environmental impacts of seabed mining.

She described the measure as a contingency should federally authorized mining activities proceed.

Deleon Guerrero maintained his opposition to deep-sea mining and proposed amending the Submerged Lands Act of 1953 to give the CNMI greater control over surrounding waters.

“The ocean should not be up for sale,” he said.

On military infrastructure, Deleon Guerrero proposed amending the National Defense Authorization Act to ensure that federal defense investments also improve civilian utilities, ports, and roads outside military installations.

He said military expansion should translate into greater investments in the Commonwealth's economy and public infrastructure.

King-Hinds, however, cautioned that additional military investments could also require the CNMI to give up more access to its land and facilities.

She cited a recent visit to Tinian with congressional staff to examine utility and port improvements, including discussions about military investments that could require leasing the island's dock.

“And the question that we have to answer is how much more do we want of military? Because pretty soon, we're gonna give it all up,” she said.

On healthcare, King-Hinds cited efforts to secure additional Medicaid funding and strengthen the economy to improve residents' ability to afford medical services. Deleon Guerrero proposed lifting the CNMI's Medicaid funding cap and expanding home-based care and telehealth services.

Both candidates also called for improving federal disaster assistance, with King-Hinds highlighting existing relief efforts and Deleon Guerrero proposing fewer bureaucratic requirements and easier access to recovery loans for small businesses.

In their closing statements, both candidates praised the students for organizing the forum and encouraged them to remain engaged in issues affecting the CNMI.

King-Hinds urged students to enjoy their high school years despite the economic challenges confronting their families, while Deleon Guerrero, a former MHS teacher, said public officials must consider how government decisions affect students' lives today, not just their future.

A separate gubernatorial candidates debate scheduled for Oct. 16 by the same student organizers was canceled due to Typhoon Champi.