Nmi Homes, Businesses Saved $73 M

Statement

The House voted to continue the important change in the funding formula for water and sewer projects that I first secured in 2010 and have kept in place ever since. The result has been $73 million in funding, which, CUC says, has made possible 24-hour water to 96 percent of Saipan. The provision is part of H.R. 6147, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019.

Before we had representation in Congress, the Marianas received only about $1 million annually from the Clean Water and Safe Drinking State Revolving Funds. After we had representation, we got the insular area set-asides for those two programs increased from 0.28 percent and 0.33 percent, respectively, to 1.5 percent, each. Annual funding increased to over $6 million, and Marianas homes and businesses saved $73 million on their CUC bills.

Source