Speaker’s Address: June 8, 2011

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This week the Guam Legislature and the Office of the Governor of Guam demonstrated that we are able and willing to make the critical comprises that we need so that we may arrive at a destination that benefits the People of Guam.

Granted, we may have started off in different places, but ultimately we were headed in the same direction of ensuring that your health benefits and our people’s government operations are funded for the remainder of this fiscal year.

As the Speaker of the Guam Legislature, I assure you that the debate we had on the floor was not just about a few numbers, and it certainly was not about politics. Our debate on the supplemental budget was about priorities.

The Guam Legislature shall continue to ensure that our basic government operations are not compromised, at any time and under any circumstances. At no point were your paychecks at risk. The supplemental budget was about allowing the governor to pay increased healthcare insurance premiums that were signed by the previous governor.

My dear People, I want to reassure you, as evidenced by our budget and all the numbers available to us, all agencies payrolls are fully funded through the end of the year. Our shortfall was in the health insurance payment. And of course, each time we come to an impasse like this, as your Legislature has many times before, we can rearrange our obligations— like we all do in our household budgets at times, when we have one bill due before the next— to make sure that the power stays on, that our people are paid, and that we can get the healthcare we need.

Governor Calvo and Senator Ben, I agree with you both. Let us come back to working in the spirit of inafa’maolek in order that we may not lose in our way in improving the lives of all those here on Guam. This requires that we communicate openly, honestly, and directly with each other at all times and when addressing matters such as this—however urgent and contentious. Let us continue in healthy debate and dialogue but always in a respectful and deliberate manner with the best interest of the People of Guam foremost in mind and at all times.

Si Yu’us Ma’ase for working to ensure that we sustain payments for health care, continue to deliver much needed government services to the people of Guam, and in budgeting for critical payments to our retirees.

Biba Guåhan!