The conference committee proceedings provide Guam one last shot at convincing the Senate to incorporate the war reparation bid into the Defense Authorization Act, but this effort requires a “united front” that represents the community, Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo said on Tuesday.
Bordallo managed to have H.R. 44, the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act, included in the House of Representatives’ version of the Defense Authorization bill. The war claims segment is not in the Senate version of the legislation.
Before the August recess, Bordallo said, Senate Democrats cleared the bill for full consideration on the Senate floor, but Senate Republicans have not acted on the majority’s request to bring the bill to the floor.
“We are at a critical juncture and we are within reach. The next two or three weeks may well decide the success or failure of this effort,” Bordallo said in a press release.
Guam legislators have been spewing out letters and lobbying with U.S. senators in Washington, D.C. to act Guam’s longstanding demand for the federal government to compensate those who suffered during the war.
“It has been a long journey for justice for those who endured the occupation, and while we are closer than ever before, we must make every effort in these next two weeks to convince the Senate to accept the House provision,” she added.
At the beginning of the 111th Congress, H.R. 44 received bipartisan support when it was presented as a stand-alone bill. The House of Representatives passed the bill in a recorded vote of 299-99.
H.R. 44 requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make direct payments to residents of Guam who suffered injury at the hands of the Japanese in World War II, or their surviving decedents. In addition, the bill would also authorize $5 million to establish a new program to make grants available for projects to memorialize the occupation of Guam by the Japanese during World War II.
The bill would authorize appropriations for victims and the survivors of victims, depending upon the severity of injuries. The awards range from $7,000 to $25,000.
