Republican Minority Leader Telo Taitague today lashed out at Speaker Tina Muna Barnes in reaction to the Speaker’s postponing session and giving in to the Governor’s request for a ‘hands off’ approach addressing the pandemic that is crippling the economy and further threatening lives.
Republican Minority Leader Telo Taitague and Senators Louise Muna, James Moylan, and William Castro are shocked to learn that Speaker Tina Barnes cancelled the emergency session scheduled for today, March 31, 2020. This is the second time the speaker cancelled an emergency session.
“Tina Barnes is playing games by blaming Republicans for today’s cancelled session. This is not the case. She knows it and I want everyone else to know it,” says Senator Telo Taitague.
The first emergency session which was scheduled for March 23, 2020, one week before Guam’s first COVID-19 case. On March 16, 2020 the Republican caucus requested to postpone the session because of one or more senators’ recent travels was to known countries where COVID-19 was present.
The following statement is from Senators Taitague, Borja-Muna, Moylan and Castro:
“We are ready to pass legislation that prioritizes our people over politics.
“We’ve introduced bills that: provides relief to businesses and families; aids first responders; protects health care professionals, and that strengthens emergency response and critical infrastructure.
“We agree that internal legislative technical and procedural matters can be worked out but we also agree that the Guam Legislature is a separate and co-equal branch of government that should provide checks and balances and appropriate funds that reflect the priorities of the community.
“It is the Legislature and not the Governor of Guam that determines the funding priorities for the island. Let’s move forward and quickly, people’s lives depend on it.
(press release)
