Nov. 16, 2017 (Hagåtña) — Governor Calvo is asking Sen. Rodriguez to help with the scheduling of a public hearing for the EXISTING bills that were submitted to the legislature and have languished for 4 months without a public hearing. The bills will modernize and fully fund the island’s only public hospital.
The Governor has been working with Sen. Rodriguez’s office to provide a solution to Guam’s healthcare needs. He signed the senator’s bill to authorize a pilot program that expands access to healthcare to more Guamanians. Now we need to ensure that we have a public hospital that is fully funded and has the facilities and equipment to provide that healthcare.
The Administration wants to make it clear that the time to collaborate on the bills is AFTER a public hearing so the voice of the community can be heard.
“While I thank Speaker BJ Cruz and Senator Rodriguez for their willingness to compromise, I’m asking them to first schedule a public hearing on the existing bills, and listen to the community with an open mind before they arrive to a conclusion,” Governor Calvo stated. “We must listen to the public first, to fully understand what should and should not be compromised.”
There are two senators who have the authority to schedule a public hearing — Speaker BJ Cruz and Senator Regine Biscoe Lee. Neither senator has scheduled a public hearing on these important lifesaving GMH bills for over four months.
