by Sabrina Salas Matanane
Guam - Funding for $120 million in civilian infrastructure projects for Guam that was included in the Consolidated and Continuing Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2013 has now been eliminated. Sen. John McCain introduced the amendment today to remove the funding for the Guam projects. The amendment passed by voice vote. On the Senate floor yesterday Sen. McCain asked why funding for a public regional health laboratory and civilian waste water improvements on Guam was included in the Continuing Resolution. He called it egregious that funding for projects such as these were included in the 587 page bill in light of sequestration. Reacting to the amendment's passage, Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo says she is appalled that Sen. McCain continues to use funding for Guam projects as an example of pork barrel spending. "Senator McCain blurred reality in his statements on the floor of the Senate and muddled the importance of this investment. Moreover, Senator McCain insisted on an earmark to CSIS to develop an independent assessment of the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region. That very report he so strongly advocated for urged the DoD to support certain civilian infrastructure projects and the authors further amplified this point at a hearing last summer. The authors of the CSIS report indicated there was a historical basis for supporting civilian infrastructure. During a hearing on this report, the authors highlighted the need and precedence for investing in civilian infrastructure projects in places where significant base realignments are expected to occur," Bordallo stated. This amendment removes important authorization language that would have allowed the Department of Defense to transfer the civilian infrastructure funds to Guam. I am deeply disappointed that this amendment was included in the Senate's Continuing Resolution, and I am committed to working with my colleagues to secure authority to transfer these funds that would ensure the Guam and Pacific realignments are prioritized as we consider the defense bill for Fiscal Year 2014," commented Bordallo.
