Hegseth: Guam housing, workforce support, power support set in department’s budget plan

Admin
8 hours ago
3 min read

By Jayvee Vallejera

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has assured Guam that the Department of Defense fully intends to address several priorities affecting the island.

In a six-hourlong hearing conducted last week by the House Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill, Hegseth said the department is committed to providing the workforce housing allowances for its civilian employees in Guam.

He said the proposed budget for next fiscal year also has provisions to help ease the pressure on Guam’s housing market and makes available support for the island’s power grid.

Hegseth gave the assurances in response to questions Guam Del. James Moylan raised at the House Armed Services Committee hearing that delved largely into the Trump administration’s $1.5 trillion military budget proposal for 2027.

Moylan’s top-of-mind concern was the implementation of the expanded living quarters allowances for the department’s civilian employees on Guam. This tax-free allowance, which covers housing and utility costs of federal employees, is authorized under the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

Hegseth reaffirmed the department’s commitment to implementing the provision according to the previously announced timeline.

“We need to stick with it. We are committed to that,” he said at the hearing.

Earlier news quoted the department as saying that the guidance for the allowances will be coming out this May. “That’s been our pledge,” he said.

A day earlier, Moylan wrote Hegseth to urge the department to start implementing the provision on the expanded Living Quarters Allowance.

Moylan said the escalating cost-of-living pressures on Guam continue to affect recruitment, retention and overall readiness across the department.

He told Hegseth many of his constituents have been asking him about it.

He pointed out that the Department of Navy already implements this provision of the NDAA.

“Limiting application to Department of Navy employees risks undermining both the spirit of the law and the operational effectiveness it is meant to enhance,” Moylan wrote in his letter.

Another subject Moylan raised during Wednesday’s hearing is the increasing demands on Guam’s power grid as military activity ratchets up.

In response, Hegseth pointed to department investments in energy, including $450 million for small modular reactors to strengthen preparedness at forward locations such as Guam.

Moylan also raised concerns about housing affordability for local families as the influx of military personnel and their families continues on island.

Hegseth noted the department’s request for $4.5 billion for family housing in the proposed FY2027 budget.

In identifying Guam as the United States’ most strategic location globally, Hegseth emphasized Guam’s important role in defense. He cited “almost a billion for the Guam defense system” as part of broader investments strengthening the Indo-Pacific defense umbrella.

Moylan said Guam deserves no less because of its strategic responsibility for the nation.

“We deserve strategic support in return," said Moylan. "As Guam continues to play a central role in our nation’s defense posture in the Indo-Pacific, it is critical that federal planning keeps pace with the realities facing our community.”

A news release from Moylan’s office also said that Moylan raised with Hegseth the topic of recognizing three Guam servicemembers for the Medal of Honor.

Hegseth appeared on Capitol Hill on Wednesday and Thursday before the House and Senate Armed Services committees. It was his first appearance in Congress since the start of the war in Iran.

Hegseth and other Pentagon officials told lawmakers the department needs $1.5 trillion for the next fiscal year so the U.S. military could buy more drones, missile defense systems and warships.

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