Torres concerned for employees over shutdown

4:55 pm on 22 January 2018

Northern Marianas Governor Ralph Torres says he hopes the US government shutdown is resolved soon as he's genuinely concerned about its effects on employees in the territory as well as all over the country.

The governor of the Northern Marianas, Ralph Torres.

The governor of the Northern Marianas, Ralph Torres. Photo: CNMI Republican Facebook

He said many in the CNMI would be furloughed including those working in vital agencies like the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality and the Department of Lands and Natural Resources.

He said men and women in the military reserves were also affected.

The governor said many of the territory's agencies and offices that rely on quarterly allotments would not be able to process federal drawdowns to essential services in a timely manner.

He said he hoped the shutdown wouldn't persist longer than it should "in the best interests of all ... affected federal employees in the Marianas".