A war of words between the Governor’s Office and Senator Shawn Gumataotao over the decertification of a secure room used by the Marianas Regional Fusion Center.

The Governor’s Office says the Department of Homeland Security memo does not place blame, question Guam’s preparedness, or point to failures in emergency planning or public safety. Instead, the administration says the directive simply requires the secure room to be closed and relocated to a facility that meets updated federal standards — adding that standards evolve as threats and intelligence risks change.

The Governor’s Office says it is working directly with DHS to bring a compliant facility online and criticized what it called attempts to politicize national security.

But Senator Gumataotao says the decertification confirms longstanding concerns raised by his committee, warning that Guam currently lacks the ability to store, process, or discuss classified national security information. He’s urging the governor to immediately mobilize resources to relocate the secure room and restore access, warning that delays could jeopardize Guam’s ability to detect and respond to emerging threats.

Both sides agree the secure room must be relocated — but sharply disagree on how the issue should be framed, and who bears responsibility as that process moves forward.