Guam and other territories often miss out on federal money because the majority of programs within the federal agencies do not collect data from the territories that are crucial to qualifying their populations for funds, or otherwise greater levels of funding. This finding by the Government Accountability Office has sparked an election-year disagreement between current republican Delegate James “Jim” Moylan, and democrat-nominee-seeking candidate Ginger Cruz.
“While there is nothing we can do Congressionally at this time to intervene, our office will reach out to the Office of Insular Affairs to see if there are grant options available for the local government to avail to obtain the resources needed to achieve the outlined objectives,” Mr. Moylan said.
But Ms. Cruz shot back, saying Guam’s delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives should absolutely be addressing the issue directly.
“Delegate Moylan’s response to the GAO’s report is a glaring example of missed opportunity and lack of decisive action,” said Cruz. “Claiming that ‘there is nothing we can do Congressionally at this time’ is not only defeatist but also a disservice to the people of Guam. Instead of passively waiting for grant options and relying on overburdened local government officials, we should be seizing this moment to demand robust federal action—not engaging in all-out surrender.”
She said, in a news release reacting to Mr. Moylan’s statements on the GAO report, that Guam’s delegate shouldn’t simply acknowledge that there’s a problem, then propose to talk about the problem more.
“I call for immediate legislative action to address this issue head-on,” Ms. Cruz. “At a minimum, we can leverage robust federal tools, training, and resources to create an environment where good data collection can be achieved. We should mandate that all federal agencies collecting data must include territories in their datasets and make this information publicly accessible. This isn’t just about filling gaps—it’s about ensuring Guam receives the federal support it rightfully deserves.”
The democrat, who must defeat Michael San Nicolas and Amanda Shelton in the August 3 primary election if she wants to square off with Moylan in November, is pointing to the incumbent’s failure to introduce and pass legislation that will deal with the issue. The “robust federal tools, training, and resources” she alluded to often come in the form of federally funded technical assistance, but only if Guam is included by Congress in qualifying for such grants.
She named five specific areas, where fixing the problems GAO found will help Guam:
- Housing: Understanding the true scope of housing needs and challenges.
- Veterans: Ensuring that our veterans receive the benefits and services they have earned.
- Tax Evasion by Military Contractors: Addressing potential financial abuses that cost the territory revenue.
- Immigration: Accurately counting immigrants to tailor services and policies effectively.
- Medicaid: Determining the share of funds going to non-U.S. citizens to ensure fair and adequate funding.
“Delegate Moylan’s approach is akin to giving Guam a placebo—an ineffective solution when what we need is a strong, actionable remedy,” said Cruz. “We cannot afford to be passive. The data we need is already within federal agencies, and it’s time we demanded access to it.”
1 Comments
Tony Rabon
05/26/2024 at 2:41 PM
For the past two years the Republiklans controlled the House of Representatives. Two years of no meaningful legislation to benefit the nation other than to cater to their “dictator-in-chief'”, Donald Trump’s whims and juvenile tantrums. Many lost opportunities for Guam. If the current delegate office holder really had the influence he proports, had the Republiklan majority really wanted to resolve this issue of capturing data to justify funding to the territories and insular areas, it would have and should have been addressed since the 116th Congress. Take the significant RECA (Radiation Exposure Compensation Act), the down-wind issue as an example, Moylan only recently expressed his support of the measure’s extension. Lagging behind other Congressional/Senate representative’s lead. DELEGATE MOYLAN should have been at the forefront of issues affecting Guam, THE DISTRICT he was ELECTED to represent. DELEGATE Moylan’s office was fully aware of the RECA’s impending expiry.
THAT he could have, would have, should have, is not an attribute of being proactive. Election grandstanding is disingenuous.
Mr. Moylan had his time to shine. Thank you for your service, sir.