Guam senators race the governor for the remainder of Covid recovery funds

 By Pacific Island Times News Staff

Crossing party lines, nine senators have introduced a resolution urging the federal government to authorize the reallocation of the American Rescue Plan Act funds toward urgent infrastructure repairs at Guam Memorial Hospital.

The resolution, which seeks action from the U.S. Department of the Treasury,

launched a race between the legislature and Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero for the remaining $200 million in federal Covid funds.

The resolution stresses that the legislature is "not asking for new spending or additional taxpayer dollars, but only for the flexibility to use the existing federal funds already allocated to Guam to repair, stabilize, and safeguard the

current hospital."

Reprogramming the funds,' the senators added, "would represent true fiscal

responsibility, accountability, and the America First principle of prioritizing immediate health and safety over bureaucratic delays."

The resolution responds to escalating safety concerns following a recent electrical fire and HVAC failure in GMH’s Pediatrics Ward.

“When the governor refuses to lead, we will. Our job is to protect the people of Guam,” said Sen. Chris Dueñas, chair of the finance and governmental affairs committee.

"If reallocating these funds saves even one life, then it is not only justified, it will be the only responsible course of action. She may ignore the cries from our people, but we will not," added Duenas, who authored the resolution along with Sen. Jesse Lujan.

Duenas noted that GMH "is in crisis today, not 10 years from now," hence the need for urgent action.

The resolution is cosponsored by ⁠⁠Speaker Frank Blas Jr., ⁠⁠Vice Speaker Tony Ada, Sens. Sabrina Salas-Matanane, Vince A.V. Borja, Shawn Gumataotao, Chris Barnett and Sabina F. Perez.

The senators introduced the resolution following Leon Guerrero's submission of two bills, seeking emergency powers to address the needs of GMH and allow her to use the remaining ARPA funds, which must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026.

Guam received a total of $553.5 million in Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds under ARPA.

Leon Guerrero has set aside some $133 million of the unspent funds for her hospital project in Mangilao.

The resolution emphasizes that GMH is the island’s sole public hospital and a critical component of America’s health security in the Indo-Pacific. It highlights the hospital’s role in serving not only the people of Guam, but also migrants from freely associated states, U.S. military personnel, and their families.

“It is absolute nonsense to let our people and our visitors suffer in a crumbling hospital while millions of dollars sit tied up in bureaucratic red tape. This is not a complicated solution. It’s common sense,” Lujan said.  “We fix what’s broken now, we save lives now and we build for tomorrow when the time comes. Anything less is political theater at the expense of our people.”

The resolution calls for immediate upgrades to GMH’s electrical, HVAC, IT, and safety systems – areas identified as dangerously outdated and vulnerable.

“I agree we need a new hospital, but GMH is already in crisis. The new facility is years away, while our current hospital is one step from disaster. We must act now to repair the hospital that is saving lives today," Matanane said.

Once passed, copies of the resolution will be transmitted to President Donald J. Trump, key federal agencies, and Guam’s executive leadership.