A non-partisan congressional report has recognized work directed through the federal Honoring Our Pact Act as having brought to light deficiencies in veteran healthcare in Guam, the other U.S. territories and the Freely Associated States.
These deficiencies identified by the Government Accounting Office come with recommendations for Congress to take actionable steps to solve many of the longstanding issues Guam’s veterans have struggled with regarding their health benefits.
The Honoring Our Pact Act was passed during the tenure of Michael San Nicolas. The former congressman, who is running for Guam’s delegate seat to the U.S. House of Representatives this August, released the following statement:
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A recently released report by the GAO (highlights follow) has outlined key deficiencies in veteran Healthcare in Guam, U.S. Territories, and the Freely Associated States, and further advised on actionable steps to remedy such deficiencies.
“We were so grateful for the support of our colleagues to include this GAO study on veteran care in our territories when we passed the Honoring Our Pact Act during my time in the Congress, where we also passed landmark legislation to recognize Agent Orange use and Veteran eligibility on Guam,” Michael San Nicolas said.
“With this formal recognition by the GAO, the Congress is now armed with the data necessary to secure solutions for our veterans that have been long outstanding, and we are humbled to have been able to deliver this for those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom,” Mr. San Nicolas continued.
“It is our belief that the same solution’s-oriented leadership that achieved this breakthrough is once again needed in the halls of Congress, and we are hopeful that our island veterans and their families will give us a chance to keep pushing these milestones through for them,” Mr. San Nicolas concludes.
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(Screenshots of the highlights of the GAO report follow)