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Appropriators Act to improve implementation of Compacts
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Posted on Jan 06 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Guam Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo has announced that the House passed H.R. 2055, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2012, by a vote of 296 yeas to 121 noes. The Senate is expected to pass the bill later to avoid a shutdown of the federal government.
This bill creates a new position within the Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs dedicated to working on Compact-impact issues. The bill also directs Interior to work with the Freely Associated States to develop a comprehensive plan to mitigate the costs of Compact migration. This plan seeks to better educate migrants and potential migrants that the primary purpose of the Compact migration benefit is to provide educational and employment opportunities to Freely Associated States citizens, not for migrants to develop an over-reliance on public services. The plan would also seek to improve Freely Associated States capacity to provide dialysis and other medical services to avoid the need for their citizens to seek treatment in Guam or other jurisdictions. It would also improve screening procedures to identify and restrict migration of individuals who have communicable diseases or who have been convicted of serious crimes.
These provisions were originally recommended to the Department of Interior in a March 2011 letter led by Sen. Daniel Inouye and Sen. Jeff Bingaman. Bordallo cosigned the letter expressing her support for the renewed focus on Compact-impact issues.
“The Compact provisions contained in this appropriations bill will, over time, help ease the financial burden placed on the Government of Guam, and other affected jurisdictions, moving forward,” said Bordallo. “Chairman Inouye has been a strong supporter of improving existing law to assist local governments affected by the Compacts, and I thank him for his leadership in including these provisions in this year’s Consolidated Appropriations Act. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and all stakeholders to ensure that we meet the U.S. obligations under the Compacts while addressing the burden on our local governments.” (PR)
