| <home> -- <press releases> -- <April 3, 2003> Congresswoman Bordallo Announces Emergency Wartime Supplemental Funds for Guam FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 3, 2003 – Washington, D.C. - For Immediate Release – Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU) spoke on the House floor today in support of H.R. 1559, the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act. H.R. 1559 provides $1.8 million to repair family housing units on Andersen Air Force Base damaged by Supertyphoon Pongsona. The Act also recognizes the need to build a new storm proof hanger at Andersen Air Force Base. Congresswoman Bordallo wrote to Chairman Young and Ranking Member Obey urging that funds for the repair of military instillations on Guam be included in the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act. The Senate has also acted to provide funds for typhoon recovery (See Congresswoman Bordallo Announces $39.5 million for Andersen Air Force Base). Enclosed is Congresswoman Bordallo’s statement in support of H.R. 1559, her letter to Chairman Young and the language of H.R. 1559. ### Statement on the Emergency Wartime Supplemental,
H.R. 1559 Mr. Speaker: I rise today to thank the House Appropriations Committee for recognizing the damage caused by Supertyphoon Pongsona to our military installations on Guam. As this bill before us states, “Typhoon Pongsona struck Andersen AFB, Guam, on December 8, 2002, with sustained winds of 180 miles per hour.” Much damage was done to the family housing units at the base where our brave servicemen and women work around the clock to ensure our safety and security. On behalf of those servicemen and women and their families, I would like to thank the House Appropriations Committee, Chairman Young and Ranking Member Obey. Because of their hard work, this Bill provides $1.8 million to repair family housing and air conditioning units damaged by Supertyphoon Pongsona. It also identifies the need for a new aircraft hangar to bed down bomber, tanker, surveillance and fighter aircraft. Currently, only one of the three hangers at Andersen Air Force Base is fully operational. The new reinforced concrete high-bay aircraft hanger will be typhoon proof. The state of the art climate control within the hanger will ensure that B-2 bombers will be able to use the hangar for repairs and maintenance. I hope that in conference on this Bill, funds will be identified to begin the hangar’s construction. Once, again, thank you for recognizing the emergency damage caused by Supertypoon Pongsona to our military assets on Guam and for taking action to fund the repair of those damages. ###
Contact: Neil Weare
in Washington, D.C., at (202) 225-1188 or Joaquin
Perez in Guam at (671) 477-4272. |
