DELEGATE-ELECT MOYLAN MEETS WITH HAWAII CONGRESSMAN ED CASE

DELEGATE-ELECT MOYLAN MEETS WITH HAWAII CONGRESSMAN ED CASE 

(Washington D.C.) This morning, Delegate-elect James Moylan met with Congressman Ed Case of Hawaii to discuss the Compact of Free Association (COFA) and the financial constraints it provides to host communities. Delegate-elect Moylan is preparing to introduce similar legislation (HR 6819) as Delegate Michael San Nicolas introduced in the 117th Congress. The measure would waive matching requirements on those federal grants which Guam and other communities obtain. Congressman Case has agreed to co-sponsor the bill.

For decades, COFA hosts such as Guam, Hawaii, and jurisdictions have faced inequities when it comes to federal reimbursements provided to host communities. Currently a pool of $30 million is provided and shared between Guam, Hawaii, American Samoa, and the CNMI. This is a pin drop when considering the amount Guam must fund from local monies when it comes to healthcare, education, public safety and other aspects of being a COFA host community.

If enacted, this measure would provide millions of additional dollars on an annual basis to the government of Guam, which would assist in providing additional funds for GMH, GDOE, and our Public Safety agencies, among others. Delegate San Nicolas’s HR 6819 was co-sponsored by Congressman Case and former Congressman Kai Kahele, also of Hawaii. Delegate Moylan intends on continuing these efforts and identifying additional co- sponsors on his measure.

“I would like to thank Delegate San Nicolas for paving the way with this outside the box concept. My intentions are to not only continue the efforts of moving the legislation forward, by building some momentum on it. I will be seeking bi-partisan co-sponsors, including Congressman Case and the Hawaii Delegation, representatives from host community districts, members of my freshman class, and of course I will be discussing this with my conference leadership, and seeking their support”, stated Delegate-elect Moylan. “The reality is that this measure does not require additional federal funding, as the objective is to waive what Guam and other host communities must match when it comes to federal grants. With the Republican leadership’s intention of reducing spending, this concept makes so much more sense”, added Delegate-elect Moylan.

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