The current Trump impeachment issue in Congress may overshadow H.R. 1365 which is now pending in the U.S. Senate.
H.R. 1365 seeks to make technical corrections to the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act so that funds can finally be disbursed for Guam war claims. It is now in the U.S. Senate after it was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio has been leading lobbying efforts by a Guam delegation in Washington D.C.
In an interview with the Patti Arroyo show on NewsTalk K57, Tenorio said it is important to get U.S. senators thinking about Guam’s war claims because the Trump impeachment issue is dominating congressional attention.
“Moreover, if an impeachment action goes to the U.S. Senate, it will go to the judiciary committee, which is the same committee that will handle H.R. 1365,” Tenorio said.
Congressman Michael San Nicolas has criticized Adelup’s decision to send Tenorio and Adelup Chief of Staff Tony Babauta to Washington to lobby for the passage of H.R. 1365.
But the lieutenant governor said now is the time for an all-hands on deck lobbying for H.R. 1365 because the impeachment issue is getting most of the mind share in Congress.
In addition, Tenorio said November is coming up and that is the time when Congress discusses budgetary issues and given the political situation, threats have been made about a government shutdown.
Tenorio said they have met with the chief investigator of the judiciary committee who will play an important role in H.R. 1365.
He added that many of the lawmakers they met had to be educated that the money was there already for Guam’s war claims and that this was not new money that had to be appropriated.
While traveling through the mainland, the lieutenant governor also asked overseas Chamorros to write their congressional leaders to lobby for Guam war claims.
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