| <home> -- <press releases> -- <April 12, 2003> CONGRESS PROVIDES $37.3
MILLION FOR ANDERSEN AFB, GUAM IN THE EMERGENCY WARTIME SUPPLEMENTAL
APPROPRIATIONS BILL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 12, 2003 – Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-Guam) announced today that the U.S. House of Representatives passed the conference report making emergency wartime supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2003 (H.R. 1559). Included in the conference agreement for this $79 billion appropriations package is $35.5 million in military construction funds for a new aircraft maintenance hangar at Andersen Air Force Base (AFB) and $1.8 million to repair family housing units also at Andersen AFB which were damaged by Supertyphoon Pongsona. “All along I’ve stressed that it was important for the conferees to not just recognize but actually act on the damage wrought by Supertyphoon Pongsona to our bases in Guam and I am proud to say that at the end of the day they did act. I am grateful for their support of our servicemen and women on Guam and their recognition of the urgency in recovering from Pongsona. Their agreement to fund construction of a new hangar in particular underscores their understanding of the role Guam plays in projecting U.S. force in the Asia-Pacific region and in protecting U.S. national security interests,” said Bordallo. Supertyphoon Pongsona struck Guam on December 8, 2002 with sustained winds of over 150 miles per hour and gusts in excess of 180 miles per hour. Earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force deployed B-52 and B-1 bombers to Guam in part because of growing tension on the Korean peninsula. Bordallo contacted and wrote to appropriators as well as spoke out on the House floor urging the inclusion of funds in this wartime supplemental legislation for a new aircraft maintenance hangar to bed down bomber, tanker, surveillance and fighter aircraft at Andersen AFB. Presently, only one of the three hangers at Andersen AFB is fully operational, a situation which Bordallo described as an “emergency.” “This new reinforced concrete aircraft hangar will be typhoon proof,” said Bordallo adding that it will feature state-of-the-art climate control, an important element given Guam’s tropical climate conditions. “Overall, these two military construction projects are good for our economy, good for jobs, and good for our military growth,” said Bordallo while also adding that she will continue to fight for increased military activity in Guam and further federal funding for Guam in the regular fiscal year 2004 appropriations process. Bordallo thanked the leadership of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and Andersen AFB in making the securing of these funds possible. “Both the PACAF and Andersen staffs were very supportive of this effort to fully and quickly recover from Pongsona and I want to commend General Begert and Colonel Mudd for the outstanding job they continue to perform for our nation.” Additionally, Bordallo stated that Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) and Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) were important allies to this cause as well as Congressman David Obey (D-WI) and Congressman C.W. Bill Young (R-FL). Following approval by the U.S. Senate, the legislation will sent to the President for signature and is expected to become law within the next few days. ###
Contact: Neil Weare
in Washington, D.C., at (202) 225-1188 or Joaquin
Perez in Guam at (671) 477-4272. |
