Governor Apatang to visit D.C. for 902 talks

08/27/2025 - CNMI Governor David M. Apatang will be in Washington, D.C., next week for several critical meetings with federal officials.

In an interview with Marianas Press on Tuesday, Governor Apatang said he will be in the nation’s capital in a few days for an Interagency Group on Insular Areas (IGIA) meeting and for 902 talks.

“For a few days I will be spending [it] with the IGIA, and we are not actually sure yet for the right date for the 902,” he told MP. When asked what the main objectives are for the 902 talks, Apatang said they will reflect the initial asks of the late Governor Arnold Palacios.

The late governor discussed his priorities in his last State of the Commonwealth Address earlier this year. Palacios said in May 2025, “...the issues we needed to address—like 702 funding, Medicaid sustainability, and economic resilience—were too important to delay. I made it clear that even if these negotiations did not wrap up before the change in administration, it was critical to put our concerns and our priorities on record and on the table.”

On Tuesday, Apatang told MP, “We are just carrying forward, making sure that we are moving in the right direction.” He acknowledged that the economy remains top of mind for 902 talks.  Apatang said former Judge Wesley Bogdan and Mike Sablan are two members of the core negotiating team who will help craft the discussions. 

Report by Thomas Manglona II.