US House passes measure strengthening oversight of Guam military buildup

[B]WASHINGTON, D.C.[/B]—The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed H.R. 5658, the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009” by a vote of 384 to 23. The bill authorizes defense spending and policy for 2009, and contains several provisions sponsored by Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo that will strengthen congressional oversight and accountability of the ongoing military buildup in Guam.

“This military buildup and the realignment of military forces to Guam is very important for our community and our nation. Its success will require very close cooperation between federal agencies and GovGuam, and Congress supports strengthening this partnership,” Bordallo said. “For this reason, I worked with my colleagues in the House Armed Services Committee to include provisions in the bill this year to establish a framework for appropriate congressional oversight and accountability for the military buildup process.”

The bill authorizes $531.4 billion in budget authority for the Department of Defense and national security programs within the Department of Energy. It also authorizes an additional $70 billion for ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It reflects a commitment from the Congress to provide servicemembers with substantial investment and policies to enhance their readiness. In particular, the bill authorizes an additional $800 million for equipment for the National Guard. The bill also provides men and women in uniform with a 3.9 percent pay raise, which is .5 percent more than requested by the President, and includes provisions strengthening TRICARE and supporting military families.

The bill also contains many provisions of significant importance to Guam. Some of the provisions will enable greater federal assistance to Guam as the community prepares to improve critical infrastructure in support of the buildup.

During debate on the bill, the House of Representatives considered and passed by voice vote an amendment offered by Bordallo that authorizes the Maritime Administration under the U.S. Department of Transportation to assist the Government of Guam in making improvements at the Port of Guam. The amendment, which was adopted on the House floor, specifically authorizes the creation of a federal account that the Maritime Administration will use to consolidate funding and though which certain port modernization and expansion projects can be executed per a memorandum of understanding between the Maritime Administration and the Government of Guam. The amendment enables necessary improvements to begin at the port under this arrangement.

“This amendment is important to enabling the Maritime Administration and GovGuam to execute their memorandum of understanding,” said Bordallo. “If the capacity at the Port is not soon increased we face the possibility of a chokepoint hindering the success of the buildup. The Maritime Administration has a solid track record of assisting local governments with port improvements, including work in Alaska and Hawaii, and that is why we seek their assistance and experience for improvements at our Port.”

The National Defense Authorization Act passed by the House of Representatives also authorizes $180 million in military construction funding for Guam.

The United States Senate is expected to debate and consider its version of the National Defense Authorization Act in June, and both versions will need to be reconciled in a conference committee of the two chambers before it can be sent to the President for his action or signature into law. [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]