Lydia
Lewis, RNZ Pacific presenter/bulletin
editor
US Pacific territories and affiliated states
are watching Washington D.C. closely after the US government
entered shutdown.
The US government began shutting
down after midnight Wednesday (local time) as lawmakers and
President Donald Trump failed to break a budget
impasse.
The measure will stop work at multiple
federal departments and agencies, affecting hundreds of
thousands of government workers.
The developments in
Washington D.C. has dealt a financial blow to the
Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas where the
administration has informed cabinet officials about
austerity measures that will go into effect next week amid
the Commonwealth’s revised budget forecast.
The
economy of the Commonwealth benefits substantially from
financial assistance from the United States and
tourism.
RNZ Pacific’s Northern Marianas correspondent
Mark Rabago said the first austerity measures announced are
in the form of work hour cuts for Executive Branch
employees.
He said the measures were announced, then
news of the US federal shutdown, describing both as “a
double whammy”.
“The federal employees not only expect
delay in payments, but they also have to endure work hour
cuts.” Rabago went on to say that on top of the federal
shutdown, the CNMI had also been facing a budget
crunch.
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“Our budget for 2026 is US$23 million less,”
Rabago said.
Guam and American Samoa are also on alert
after the news out of Capitol Hill,
Washington
American Samoa’s representative in
Congress, Uifa’atali Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen took to
social media following the shutdown.
“First of all, I
absolutely opposed this needless government shutdown. The
best scenario for American Samoa is steady, secure federal
funding that preserves our services. That said, I am always
optimistic, and I remain optimistic that this interruption
will not last long. Negotiators will continue to work, and I
will monitor closely and keep our people
informed.
“It’s important to remember that we’ve
endured these partial shutdowns before, and we live by
faith. The good news is critical services continue,
including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans’
services, national security, weather forecasts, and disaster
aid. However, delays can affect our grants, passports and
visas, and long-term projects.”
In Guam, Governor Lou
Leon Guerrero issued the following statement regarding the
federal government shutdown:
“The scope and severity
of the impact on Guam’s local government and our community
will depend on both the length of the shutdown and the
availability of prior-year funding that allows some federal
programs to continue operating as normal.
“In
anticipation of this shutdown, I instructed all line
agencies to review and prepare contingency plans to ensure
the continuity of critical government functions and minimize
disruptions to our personnel. As we receive clearer guidance
from our federal partners, we will provide timely updates to
the people of Guam. At this stage, the situation remains
fluid.”
The Republic of Palau, the Federated States of
Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands
(RMI) have Compacts of Free Association with the US,
international agreements.
Under the agreements, the US
government provides guaranteed financial assistance over a
15-year period administered through its Office of Insular
Affairs.
Marshall Islands correspondent Giff Johnson
said he’s been told by the US Ambassador in Majuro there
will be no disruption to compact funding.
“So, on the
assumption that that’s correct, then that’s literally
hundreds of millions of dollars that are being transferred
into the Marshall Islands, FSM and Palau now, or certainly
within the next, next couple of days,” Johnson
said.
There could still be issues though, with eyes
peeled for any shut down of federal agencies or moving to a
skeleton staffing situation which may affect some federal
programs.
The ABC reported Trump saying he and
his budget director will look at which Democrat agencies to
cut as the government shutdown goes into a third
day.
Republicans and Democrats are continuing to blame
each other for the shutdown which came after Congress failed
to reach a a deal on a new spending bill.
Trump has
told the American One News Network that federal
workers could be fired and projects cut if the shutdown
continues.
The last US federal shutdown, during
Trump’s first presidential term, lasted a month.
Is
the US a reliable partner?
Giff Johnson said a wider
issue is the Trump administration’s actions and
policies.
“The real challenge is that the United
States has made a very strong pitch about security, defense
and stability in the region,” Johnson said.
But when
it comes to the Trump administrations actions and policies,
Johnson said that is where questions loom.
“[Its]
Policies have really undermined its [the US] relations in
the region. And, you know, you just can’t see the US as a
reliable partner in the way.
“Everything about
Washington’s policy toward the Pacific Islands is based on
its competition and relationship with China and that’s not a
nuanced policy position.”
He said it does not take
into account concerns of the Pacific.
“The Trump
administration, for example, has simply flicked off climate
change off its agenda when that’s the primary security issue
in the Pacific,” Johnson said.
“They have their own
interests. They’re sovereign countries, and you know,
they’re not just going to salute to Washington.
“This
kind of monolithic attitude towards China as the sole
concern of the US and the Pacific really undermines its
ability to to have nuanced relationships in the [Pacific]
region.”
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