by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - In his failed presidential bid in 2008, Senator John McCain didn't have a problem with supporting the Guam military buildup. "Guam remains critical to the national security of our great nation…and has evolved into America's first line of defense in the Pacific," he said at the time.

Nowadays, McCain today said, "We simply cannot afford to carry out the plans as they were originally envisioned."

On the Senate floor today Senator McCain said he found it incredible the Senate Appropriations Committee included a $33 million appropriation for the Guam buildup and Marines relocation from Okinawa to Guam. The $33 million appropriation would fund the DoD's end of the bargain in complying with what was contentious debate over the 2010 Programmatic Agreement - the PA essentially bounds the Department of Defense to ensure Guam's historical artifacts are protected and preserved as a result of the buildup. The $33 million also ensures work is done outside the military's fences - as part of this Team Guam approach to the Marines relocation.

McCain, however, sees it differently, saying, "The Appropriations Committee put a premium on buying school buses and artifact repository and a mental health clinic in Guam. That's not anybody's idea about defense priorities…now, I know the Marines will enjoy being on Guam; I'm not sure that its absolutely necessary for them to have a repository for cultural artifacts."

Here at home, Guam military buildup chairperson Senator Judi Guthertz says McCain's statements were "irresponsible and suggest that his memory is failing". Guthertz noted, "This was an agreed upon initiative because of the recognition that the military buildup obviously is going to be disturbing land areas that contained artifacts and remains and historical cultural objects that are important to the people of Guam."

Senator Guthertz added that McCain's sniping at the construction funds for the mental health facility was particularly outrageous since the EIS process made it quite clear that the arrival of the marines and their dependents envisioned in the original buildup plans would push present mental health facilities in Guam past the breaking point, saying, "this item shouldn't even be controversial".

In Washington, Guam delegate Madeleine Bordallo says Senator McCain's views are out of step with the Department of Defense, the House and the State Department and are not consistent with his previous stance on infrastructure funding for Guam. Bordallo adding the buildup in Guam is an absolute necessity for the United States to ensure regional stability and that Congress must provide the resources necessary to ensure that is a win-win for both our military and Guam's civilian community.

It's this win-win vision Senator McCain shared when he was running for president. "This increase in U.S. military presence will translate into an improved quality of life in Guam and the entire Western Pacific," he stated in 2008.