HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Members of the House Armed Services Committee made a stop on Guam while on their way to the Republic of the Philippines, according to the office of Guam Del. James Moylan.
The congressional panel has oversight of the Department of Defense. During the daylong visit, members of the congressional delegation had an opportunity to visit several military installations and meet with Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, according to Moylan’s spokesperson, Hannah D’Avanzo.
“This is just the beginning of congressional delegations to Guam; we expect several more to take place during the year,” D’Avanzo told The Guam Daily Post.
The governor took the opportunity to talk about skilled labor needs, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure and readiness in the Indo-Pacific region, said Adelup spokesperson Krystal Paco-San Agustin.
“In meeting with the visiting (delegation) on Monday afternoon, Gov. Leon Guerrero thanked members for their time, their attention and their commitment to learning more about our island, especially with Guam’s heightened role in national security and national sovereignty,” she told the Post.
D’Avanzo said the visit gave members of the Armed Services Committee the chance to see firsthand and get educated about the needs of the island. Photos posted to Moylan’s Instagram account show him and the delegation posing with service members set to repair a tin roof.
D’Avanzo said the visit to the Philippines and stopover on Guam are part of the committee’s support of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in the region.
She said the visit is not related to the recently formed congressional task force that Moylan sits on, which aims to counter the influence of China in the Mariana Islands. Leadership of the task force announced its intention to visit with leaders in the area when it was formed earlier this month.
However, the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party is planning a delegation that includes Guam as a stopover, D’Avanzo said.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, front left, and Guam Del. James Moylan, front right, pose with members of the House Armed Services Committee, including committee Chair Rep. Mike Rogers, standing behind Moylan, on Monday, June 26, 2023, during the delegation’s visit to Government House in Agana Heights.
