By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Guam Del. James Moylan has introduced a measure that would authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency to scrounge funds for the reconstruction of Guam infrastructures damaged by Typhoon Mawar.
Moylan said he filed H.R. 6478, the "Typhoon Mawar Reconstruction Act," in the U.S. House of Representatives after discussions with both FEMA and the Department of Defense.
“If enacted, the measure would provide FEMA with innovative authorities going forward to provide a range of aid, which would include allocating existing federal funds and resources to address infrastructure damages resulting from Super Typhoon Mawar,” according to a press release from the Guam delegate’s office.
Packed with damaging winds, Typhoon Mawar barreled through Guam on May 24, leaving a trail of destruction, cutting off power and communications and causing damage to private and public facilities including Guam Memorial Hospital.
The bill would address repairs to the hospital, electric grid and transmissions, communications, water and wastewater, cybersecurity and other infrastructure.
“These are equally critical needs for both the island community as well as for the various military installations to be mission ready. This measure is indeed our office's priority, and something we will work toward making various approaches with, as load shedding is unacceptable," Moylan added.
"The enactment of this measure would provide the FEMA administrator with the authority to seek out and allocate funds from various accounts and resources. This would be unprecedented in Guam's history with disaster recovery and assist in funding resiliency efforts in Guam's infrastructure, which were adversely impacted by Mawar,” Moylan said.
The delegate said one funding option is the utilization of the Disaster Relief Fund. “I originally co-led a measure with Rep. Moskowitz to replenish, of which $14 billion was included in former Speaker McCarthy's continuing resolution," Moylan said.
H.R. 6478 has been referred to the following three House Committees: Transportation and Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Judiciary.
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