Blas urges DOI to commit or face suit

by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - Either come to the table and discuss what is owed to Guam or prepare for a lawsuit - that's the message Senator Frank Blas, Jr. sent to Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today. The Republican minority leader analyzed a provision in the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act that determined that the federal government may have admitted liability to the un-reimbursed costs to Guam that is estimated to be more than $500 million.

"There are people that have stated that the United States has sovereign immunity with regards to this. When you look at the public law, this is not something that we've conjured up this is something they've actually placed in law and sorry for their legal minds for not recognizing that they've caused this upon themselves," he said.

Blas has been working with governor's chief policy advisor Arthur Clark and Vice Speaker B.J. Cruz on the possibility of filing a lawsuit against the federal government for failing to pay Guam what it's owed. The senator says a lawsuit may not be necessary if there is a prioritized and committed effort to address the matter.