The Northern Marianas government's proposed budget has reached a deadlock as the legislature and the Senate wait for an opinion on the legality of setting funds aside for the Marianas Visitors Authority.
If it is not resolved and the government does not submit a budget within 20 days then the territory risks a government shutdown.
The impasse is over 2.5 million US dollars earmarked for the Visitors Authority, which the Senate hopes to re-appropriate to buy an X-ray machine for the Customs department and pay a portion of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation's debt to the Utilities Corporation.
Both houses have sought a legal opinion from the Attorney General's Office.
They have also adopted a budget sum of $145,829,375, after the deductions of earmarked funds.
