The Official Website of Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo

Guam War Claims Legislation Clears First Hurdle
H.R. 1595 Reported Out by House Natural Resources Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—May 2, 2007–Washington, D.C–

The House Committee on Natural Resources today held a markup session, during which H.R. 1595, the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act, legislation that Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo introduced on March 20, 2007, was reviewed and agreed to by the Committee. The Committee, of which Congresswoman Bordallo is a member, voted by voice vote to report H.R. 1595 to the full House of Representatives for possible consideration during the 110^th Congress.

“I want thank Chairman Nick Rahall, Ranking Member Don Young, for their support for H.R. 1595. I look forward to their support and leadership to help move this bill through the rest of the legislative process.” Congresswoman Bordallo said. “Our progress to date was also made possible by the support and leadership of Chairwoman Donna Christensen, Chair of the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, and Ranking Member Luis Fortuño. The subcommittee leadership supported the bill and urged the full committee to take it up expeditiously.”

“The inequitable treatment of Guam after World War II has a strong history with this Committee, and I applaud the work my colleague, Madeleine Bordallo, has done to raise awareness of this issue,” Chairman Rahall added. “Today, we moved a step closer toward correcting a great injustice for those patriotic Americans who withstood a brutal occupation.”

The Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act recognizes the suffering and the loyalty of the people of Guam during the occupation of Guam during the Second World War. H.R. 1595 would direct the Secretary of the Treasury to make specified payments to survivors of the occupation who were injured, interned, or subjected to forced labor or marches. The bill also directs the Secretary to make payments to survivors of those who died during the occupation, as well as to survivors of residents of Guam who were injured or interned and who have since passed away. The bill is based on the recommendations of the Guam War Claims Review Commission.

H.R. 1595 has received strong support from several Members of Congress, in addition to Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Young, including Congresswoman Donna Christensen of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs; Congressman Luis Fortuño of Puerto Rico, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs; Congressman Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa; and Congressman Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii.

“All Guam Delegates to Congress contended that the people of Guam were not treated equally in federal legislation meant to address Guam’s suffering during Japanese occupation,” Congresswoman Christensen said. “This legislation makes right what has been wrong for way too many years.”

“We took another step forward today, and while we have a difficult job ahead, we will continue to work hard on this priority,” Congresswoman Bordallo said.

Congresswoman Bordallo succeeded in helping get a similar bill through Committee on Resources and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives during the 109^th Congress. That bill, however, was not considered on the floor of the House before the 109^th Congress adjourned.

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Contact: Joseph E. Duenas in Washington, D.C. at 202-225-1188 or Cathy Gault at 671-477-4272/4

joseph.duenas@mail.house.gov or cathy.gault@mail.house.gov

www.house.gov/bordallo

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