Local Republican Party Chairman Jerry Crisostomo says the island's GOP stands ready to assist Guam's Democratic congressman in his effort to win passage of a bill authorize the release of war claims to Guam's manåmko'.
Del. Michael San Nicolas wrote to Crisostomo on Tuesday asking for support to help win passage of H.R. 1365, which would authorize the U.S. Treasury Department to release checks to survivors who have already won reparation awards from the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission.
In his letter, San Nicolas said GOP support is critical because the war claims correction bill needs to win approval in the Republican-controlled Senate.
In his response to the congressman Thursday, Crisostomo wrote that the Guam GOP has "already been engaged with the (Republican National Committee) in working with key Republican senators to be able to advance this measure successfully in the U.S. Senate."
"We believe this longstanding issue is larger than our partisan differences," wrote Crisostomo. "The Republican Party of Guam is glad to assist with this effort."
The Foreign Claims Settlement Commission has already awarded over $5 million to more than 500 survivors of the Japanese occupation during World War II. However, none of the checks have been released because former Guam Del. Madeleine Bordallo neglected to include a provision to authorize the U.S. Treasury Department to make the payments in the bill she originally introduced.
H.R. 1365 would correct that deficiency and authorize Treasury to issue the checks to Guam's war survivors.
The funding to pay out the war claims is coming from the Section 30 reimbursements already owed to Guam. Section 30 funds are the income tax payments made to the IRS by federal and military personnel who work on island, which the federal government gives back to Guam.
