Congressman Jim Moylan's bill would do three things: First, restore compact impact aid, but restrict it to insular areas such as Guam and the CNMI.

This is because a separate bill by Hawaii Congressman Ed Case, the Compact Impact Fairness Act (CIFA), already resolved issues for states.

The bill would also require the Federal Bureau of Prisons to foot the bill for incarcerated COFA migrants, who now make up 17% of Guam's prison population. And finally, it would require FAS citizens intending to stay on Guam to prove that they're either getting a job or getting an education.

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and Mayors Council President Jesse Alig were in Washington to support the bill.

They repeated a long standing plea by Guam leaders regarding FAS migrants: help us, help them.

Leon Guerrero said, “The cost of expenses to provide services to these migrants have been increasing tremendously since my administration, from fiscal year 2019 to 2022. We now see a total of $424-million dollars of total expenses to include Public Safety, Education and so forth with only a $54-million dollar reimbursement…and so the impact is greater to our local funds then what CIFA is meant to address.” 

“I do believe, and many of us mayors and vice mayors on Guam believe that every migrant coming to Guam must have a plan…However, we do understand that some have, there may be some contentious idea behind it, and that we are willing to support that whatever extra funding that we get we support their migration to guam by fully educating them and providing them opportunities for employment and for health care,” She added. 

Congressman Moylan grilled Interior Department Insular Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Keone Nakoa on certain Biden Administration positions regarding compact aid.

Moylan said, “The federal government can find $2-billion dollars for these other programs that we're not involved with but they can't find $30-million a year that would cause to expand and provide SSI to Guam.”

Nakoa responded, “In general the President's budget has to cover the entirety of the federal government. Provisions that are not specific in nature are meant to benefit the entirety of the United States. So that’s the only thing I would comment on that.”

“Again, per the Governor's comments, it's not acceptable,” Moylan responded. 

Moylan did, however, invite DOI officials to come to Guam this year for a town hall and to meet with the people.

He said, “Hear the stories that we're referring today and see with your own eyes why we need this funding. And you will understand our perspective.”

In a statement  afterward, Moylan said he will be working to identify a funding source, which is required in order to advance the bill.