Republican Senator Telo Taitague is calling out eight fellow senators for delaying action on her Bill 05-35 which proposes the establishment of a task force to develop plans for a new public hospital to replace the aging Guam Memorial Hospital.
During session this week, Sen. Amanda Shelton suggested delaying action on the bill until after the Army Corps of Engineers completes its assessment of the structural integrity of GMH which will provide some guidance on whether the public hospital should be renovated or torn down and replaced.
In a news release issued Thursday morning, Taitague names Speaker Tina Muna Barnes, and senators Amanda Shelton, Regine Biscoe Lee, Kelly Marsh, Joe San Agustin, Jose Terlaje, and Mary Torres. Taitague accuses of “failing to address the safety of our hospital” after they voted to send her bill back to committee.
In her release, Senator Taitague asked “what harm is there in having a task force in place while we wait for an assessment from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers?
Taitague maintains that her bill offers an organized approach to pursuing rehabilitation or replacement plans for GMH.
The speaker’s office has not yet responded to a request for comment.
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