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After 10-year absence, Guam opens DC office
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Posted on May 08 2009
Gov. Felix P. Camacho announced Tuesday the opening of the Washington D.C. Office of the Governor of Guam at the Hall of the States. Guam now joins government offices from 30 states in the 225,000 square foot facility on 444 North Capitol Street.
“This office brings the voice of our people and the needs of our island to the doorsteps of the federal government,” said Camacho. “I thank the State Services Organization for their assistance in re-establishing our presence during this critical time for Guam.”
The office is expected to advance an aggressive Executive Branch agenda and serve as a liaison between the government of Guam and key Washington officials.
Camacho’s deputy chief of staff and director of Guam’s Washington D.C. Office, Shawn Gumataotao, began the first day by meeting with White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, deputy director Shaun McGrath. The two discussed the status of the upcoming Fiscal Year 2010 Federal Budget submitted by the Office of Management and Budget to Congress.
The remainder of the week will be spent meeting with Obama Administration officials to discuss Guam’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
“This is an exciting time for our island and a great opportunity to extend the voice of Guam in our nation’s capitol,” said Gumataotao. “An important talking point of this office will be what Governor Camacho has made clear from the Pentagon to Capitol Hill; that all federal policies concerning Guam must have a corresponding federal commitment to its execution on our island.”
The D.C. Office of the Governor will coordinate its activities with the Office of Guam’s Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives and the Camacho Administration.
The established presence of the Guam office will also assist Camacho during an oversight hearing before the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife scheduled for May 19, 2009. The hearing will cover the implementation of Public Law 110-229 to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.
The Governor of Guam Liaison Office was first established in Washington D.C. in 1983. [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]
