James C. Moylan

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable milestone for the island of Guam and for one of the most strategically important pieces of infrastructure in the United States Indo-Pacific territory-- the Guam Waterworks Authority. This year marks the 30th Anniversary of GWA's establishment, and I am proud to bring this occasion to the attention of the United States House of Representatives.

Guam is not just an American island--it is America's forward post in the Pacific. As the westernmost territory of the United States, Guam is home to some of the most significant military installations in the Indo-Pacific region: Andersen Air Force Base, Naval Base Guam, Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, and the headquarters of Joint Region Marianas. The ongoing U.S. military buildup on Guam--one of the largest in the Pacific since World War II--is reshaping the island's strategic landscape and will bring thousands of additional military personnel, families, and civilian workers to our shores in the coming years.

That buildup depends entirely on one thing: water. Clean, reliable, abundant water. And that is precisely what the Guam Waterworks Authority provides.

GWA was established on July 31, 1996, by the Guam Legislature through Public Law 23-119, creating an autonomous, self-supporting public corporation to manage the island's water and wastewater infrastructure. Since commencing operations on February 1, 1997, GWA has served not only the 160,000 residents of Guam but also the United States military installations that depend on GWA's water systems for operational readiness.

The federal government has recognized this reality--and invested accordingly. The Department of Defense provided $55.3 million in August 2016 and an additional $117.9 million in November 2017 through the Office of Economic Adjustment, helping to finance the upgrade of the Northern District Wastewater Treatment Plant to full secondary treatment, completed in August 2022. That upgrade was completed ahead of the opening of Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz--the first new Marine Corps base established since 1952, activated in October 2020, and officially opened in January 2023, located in Dededo and named in honor of Brigadier General Vicente T. ``Ben'' Blaz, Guam's own son and the first person of an ethnic minority to reach general rank in the U.S. Marine Corps. Camp Blaz is home to approximately 1,300 permanently stationed Marines, with another 3,700 rotating through on temporary deployments--all of whom depend on GWA's water and wastewater infrastructure. This partnership--GWA and the United States government working together--is a model of what the One-Guam Initiative represents: the proposition that Guam's security, readiness, and sustainability cannot be separated.

The One-Guam Initiative, formalized through a 2010 memorandum of understanding between GWA and U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, expanded by the 2016 MOU, deepened by the 2022 Memorandum of Agreement for co-management and protection of the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer, and anchored by a 10-year Intergovernmental Support Agreement executed in July 2023 following Typhoon Mawar, is now a cornerstone of Guam's utility strategy and the military's long-term infrastructure planning. Protecting the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer--the primary source of drinking water for northern Guam and the military installations that rely upon it--is both an environmental imperative and a matter of national security.

GWA has not waited for the federal government to solve its challenges. Beginning with an inherited crisis--more than $25 million in accumulated debt and federal lawsuits for water quality violations-- GWA undertook a sustained, twenty-year transformation. It filed its first rate petition in 2004, entered the bond markets in 2005, achieved debt service coverage compliance for the first time in Fiscal Year 2012, and has since built a capital program of $898.8 million for the period 2025 through 2029. The 2025 Interim Water Resources Master Plan calls for approximately $1.892 billion in infrastructure investment through 2037--a commitment that will shape Guam's water security for decades.

The scale of that investment reflects the scale of what Guam is becoming. Camp Blaz is receiving thousands of Marines relocating from Okinawa, Japan--a realignment that is decades in the making that makes Guam the centerpiece of America's forward-deployed Marine presence in the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. military buildup is not just a national security deployment--it is an economic and demographic transformation for our island. GWA is planning and investing now so that Guam's water and wastewater infrastructure will meet not only today's demands but the demands of a larger, more strategically vital Guam for the next generation.

I also want to acknowledge something that often goes unsaid in this chamber: the federal government has an ongoing responsibility to the people of Guam. We are American citizens. We serve in the United States military at extraordinary rates--among the highest per capita of any state or territory. We pay federal taxes. We abide by federal laws and federal environmental mandates. GWA's 2024 Partial Consent Decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency commits GWA to a 10-year wastewater collection system improvement program--a federal requirement that comes with a price tag. Congress can and should continue to support Guam's utility infrastructure as part of its broader commitment to the Indo-Pacific strategy and to the constitutional obligation owed to all American citizens, wherever they live.

As GWA celebrates its 30th Anniversary, I include in the Record each of the General Managers who has led this Authority since inception:

Richard A. Quintanilla, Herbert J. Johnston, Jr., Gil

Shinohara, David E.R. Craddick, John Benavente, Dr. Leonard

Olive, Martin L. Roush, Thomas F. Cruz, Mark G. Miller, Greg

P. Cruz, and current General Manager Miguel C. Bordallo.

Their leadership--and the work of every GWA employee--has kept water flowing to the homes, schools, hospitals, and military installations of Guam through typhoons, drought,

pandemic, and the rapid changes that come with being at the forefront of America's Pacific presence.

Mr. Speaker, GWA Year runs from July 31, 2026, through July 31, 2027. February 1, 2027, will mark thirty years of continuous utility operations as a self-supporting public corporation. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this milestone, recognizing that a stronger GWA means a stronger Guam, and a stronger Guam means a stronger United States in the Pacific.

God bless the people of Guam, and God bless the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a woman whose life embodies the values of duty, perseverance, and selfless service-- Sergeant First Class Annkatherine Carlos of the United States Army.

Raised on the island of Guam, Sergeant First Class Carlos has carried the strength and spirit of our island with her throughout a distinguished military career spanning nearly two decades.

In 2006, shortly after graduating from high school, she made the decision to answer our Nation's call by enlisting in the United States Army.

Throughout her military service, Sergeant First Class Carlos has taken on increasingly demanding assignments across the globe. From South Korea to Iraq, from Qatar to Afghanistan, and today serving on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, she has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and professionalism in some of our Nation's most critical missions.

With every new assignment came greater responsibility. Whether serving overseas, supporting combat operations, or advising senior military leaders, she has consistently earned the trust of those around her.

She has supported Operations Iraqi Freedom, Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation

Allies Refuge, and Operation Allies Welcome--missions that required courage during some of the most challenging moments facing our Armed Forces. In every role, she has demonstrated the professionalism and resolve that our servicemembers exemplify every day in defense of our Nation.

As a Human Resources professional, her work may often take place behind the scenes, but anyone who has served in uniform understands that mission success depends on the Soldiers who ensure our forces are supported and cared for. Sergeant First Class Carlos has dedicated her career to taking care of America's warfighters, allowing them to focus on accomplishing the mission. It is often said that leaders take care of people first, because people accomplish the mission. Sergeant First Class Carlos has lived that principle throughout her career.

Her remarkable record of achievement reflects that commitment. She has earned two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, five Army Commendation Medals, multiple Joint Service and Army Achievement Medals, a Combat Action Badge, and numerous other decorations recognizing both her leadership and her service in combat and joint operations.

Yet what makes Sergeant First Class Carlos truly exceptional extends beyond the medals she wears.

She has continued to invest in herself through higher education, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Post University and completing Yale University's Connected Leadership certification. She has also completed extensive military professional education throughout her career, demonstrating that true leaders never stop learning and never stop striving to improve.

Leadership is not measured simply by rank or responsibility, but by the willingness to invest in others. Sergeant First Class Carlos has embraced that responsibility throughout her career, mentoring fellow Soldiers and helping pave the way for future generations of women in uniform. Through organizations such as the Women's Veterans Memorial, Sisters-in-Arms, and the Special Operations Spartan Women's Leadership Initiative, she continues to inspire others to lead with purpose. Her influence extends well beyond her own assignments and will continue to be felt through the many servicemembers she has encouraged and mentored.

Behind every Soldier is a family that shares in the sacrifices of military service. Sergeant First Class Carlos is also a devoted mother to her two children, Aliyanah and Tyler. Like so many military families, they have experienced frequent moves, long separations, and the unique challenges that accompany a life of service. Their support has been an essential part of her success, and they deserve our gratitude as well. And of course, no family would be complete without mentioning their beloved dog, Tofu.

For the people of Guam, Sergeant First Class Carlos represents something deeply meaningful. Our island has long answered our Nation's call to serve. Despite our small size, Guam has consistently produced men and women who have answered the call to defend our Nation with unwavering dedication. Across every generation and every branch of service, the people of Guam have proudly worn the uniform, making sacrifices far beyond what many realize. Sergeant First Class Carlos proudly carries on that proud tradition. From the villages of Guam to the Pentagon, she has represented our island with distinction and serves as an inspiration to young people who aspire to wear the uniform and serve something greater than themselves.

On behalf of the people of Guam, I offer our heartfelt gratitude for her faithful service to our Nation. We are immensely proud to call her one of Guam's own, and we thank her for representing our island with honor, integrity, and distinction.

May God continue to bless Sergeant First Class Annkatherine Carlos, her family, the men and women of our Armed Forces, Guam, and the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6955, the Main Street Capital Access Act.

When the people of Guam set out to enterprise new business ventures, we turn to our community banks to raise capital. However, much of America's financial system is not designed with small businesses in mind. While big banks have the resources to cut through red tape, small community ventures often struggle to comply with a regulatory regime that never had them in mind.

The Main Street Capital Access Act makes commonsense reform, tailoring regulations so small lenders can comply, while opening more resources to the new banks, small banks, and rural banks which serve communities like Guam. This bill will give the Guam business community a fair chance, and I thank the Financial Services Committee for their work on this legislation.