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Boonie Tails

By Grace Keilbach

Hafa Adai from D.C.

This past week, I had the honor of sitting down with Congresswoman King-Hinds in D.C. to learn more about what it means to be a representative of a commonwealth. Now more than ever, it is important to understand how our government works and that includes learning about places like the Northern Mariana Islands that are often left out of the history books. If you’ve been following Boonie Babies, by this point, you probably already know significantly more than the average American, so let’s keep that streak going as I introduce you to our Congresswoman.

Congresswoman King-Hinds

When I emailed Congresswoman King-Hinds requesting to sit down with her and her team immediately got back to me, sharing her enthusiasm to make it happen. I arrived to her office and the first thing she said to me was, “hi, I’m Kim”. I continued referring to her as “Congresswoman” but I share this to highlight how approachable and down to earth our representative is. If you’ve ever had the honor of meeting anyone from the CNMI, you know that this did not come as a surprise as the island hospitality is truly unmatched.

Born and raised on Saipan’s neighboring island Tinian, Congresswoman King-Hinds is the first woman to represent the CNMI in Congress and also the proud mom of a Boonie dog. She is focussed on addressing the pressing challenges the Northern Mariana Islands face, including strengthening public health, improving infrastructure (you have no idea how often the power goes out), advancing education, increasing access to affordable transportation options, and advocating for economic development. Here’s what we discussed:

• The 902s

In the CNMI, the 902 talks have recently been a hot topic, so what does “the 902s” mean? 902 refers to Section 902 of the Covenant that established the CNMI in political union with the United States. Section 902 specifically established a formal consultation process between the CNMI and the U.S., requiring both governments to designate representatives meet and discuss issues. This ensures an ongoing dialogue so that the voices of the CNMI will be heard in regards to issues affecting them. In the most recent 902s last week (which Congresswoman King-Hinds attended of course), the discussion focus on the proposition of deep sea mining near the CNMI.

• Deep Sea Mining

You’ve probably already heard about the push for deep sea mining in the CNMI’s backyard, or as Congresswoman King-Hinds says, “in our kitchen”. Deep sea mining is more than an environmental concern, it’s a sovereignty issue and one that the CNMI faces much more closely than the mainland. The Congresswoman has been working hard here in D.C. learning about what this would look like, what can be done about it, and voicing the CNMI’s strong opposition to the project. She did note that she does not expect to see deep sea mining moving forward anytime soon, but that it is a major concern and topic both in D.C. and the CNMI.

• Voting

Just like citizens of the CNMI can’t vote for president, as a representative of a commonwealth, Congresswoman King-Hinds can’t vote on the House floor. However, as I learned speaking with her, she can vote in committees. A congressional committee is a specialized, smaller group of members in the U.S. House of Representatives or Senate tasked with examining, drafting, and managing legislation within specific policy areas. These groups conduct hearings and oversee federal agencies as well. Voting in committees allows the CNMI a small window with which to pass through all of its desired changes and policies. To that end, the Congresswoman serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs, and Small Business Committees, along with a host of subcommittees and caucuses. This keeps her as busy as any of her other colleagues in the House.

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Boonie of the Week

Aloka arrived in D.C. with the monks February 10, completing the 15 week walk and bringing joy to all he met along the way. It’s incredible to see a rescue once living on the streets now loved and respected not only by his own humans, but by thousands of others around the world too. There is truly no one better to be the face of peace than a stray dog who will never take it for granted.

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