FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (October 20, 2018 – Hagåtña)

I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Master Sergeant Leroy Foster yesterday evening. Master Sgt. Foster’s relentless fight to expose the truth of Agent Orange use on Guam and obtain justice for his fellow Veterans and the people of Guam, was instrumental to the introduction of H.R. 809- The FOSTER (Fighting for Orange-Stricken Territories in Eastern Regions) Act, named in his honor by Representative Dennis A. Ross, R-Florida.

Master Sgt. Foster served at Andersen Air Force base in Guam during the Vietnam War, where he says he sprayed tens of thousands of gallons of Agent Orange in and around the base and along the fuel lines that run through the island from the Navy’s Sasa Valley Fuel Farm to Anderson Air Force Base. He was later diagnosed with five (5) different cancers and twenty-eight (28) autoimmune diseases that he attributes to his exposure to Agent Orange while stationed on Guam.

H.R. 809-The FOSTER Act would allow eligible Veterans who served in Guam, the Northern Marianas and American Samoa during the Vietnam War to receive expedited consideration for Department of Veterans Affairs benefits if they suffer from diseases the U.S. government has linked to the herbicide Agent Orange.

We owe him a great debt of gratitude for his courage to speak the truth and pave the way to achieving justice for our Veterans and our people. I send my deepest condolences to the Foster family during this very difficult time.

See the October 2, 2018 article in the Pacific Daily News regarding the debate on Bill No. 292-34 (COR) at the link below:

https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2018/10/02/lawmakers-could-change-guams-open-government-law/1494335002/

Terlaje, during debate, said the open government law was written to benefit the public, and not for the convenience of government board members.

“We’ve had lawsuits over whether these agencies complied with the open government law,” Terlaje said, and a uniform open government law, which applies the same rules to all agencies, was necessary to avoid more lawsuits.

Allowing boards and commissions to independently develop rules for public meetings involving video conferencing is a huge departure from the principle of open government, she said.

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (October 1, 2018 – Hagåtña)– Acting Speaker Therese Terlaje congratulates the Office of the Attorney General and AG Elizabeth Barrett Anderson on the win against the Department of the Navy’s motion to dismiss, in a lawsuit the Attorney General brought on behalf of the Government of Guam against the US Department of the Navy seeking to declare the Navy liable for environmental response costs incurred by the Government of Guam in closing Ordot Dump, and for future environmental related costs. In an Order dated September 30, 2018, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson denied the Navy’s motion to dismiss.

“This is a great victory for the people of Guam and allows us an excellent and most significant avenue to proceed in our longstanding quest for justice against environmental contamination,” Terlaje stated.

The complaint was brought under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, also known as CERCLA, a federal statute, which makes a “potential responsible party” liable for remedial action. In 1988 the USEPA determined that the Navy is a potential responsible party for the contamination found in Ordot Dump. The Navy owned and operated Ordot Dump before and after WWII.

For more information regarding the CERCLA case see: https://pacificnewscenter.com/guam-ags-office-one-step-closer-in-implicating-us-navy-over-ordot-dump/

(September 14, 2018 – Hagåtña) We are very sad to see Speaker BJ Cruz leave the Legislative Branch and thank him for his tremendous service to our people. During his work as a lawmaker over the years, Speaker Cruz led with a rare combination of vision, courage and compassion. We look forward to great things for our island community as he continues his service to our people as the newly elected Public Auditor of Guam.

During this transition, and in the three-and-a-half months remaining, we must continue to work hard and work together in the Legislature for the benefit of the people of Guam. I am committed to doing my best in whatever capacity that is necessary and to be forthright about what we are facing going forward.

In the interim as Acting Speaker, I kindly ask that all official messages for the Speaker or the Legislature be transmitted to my office at the Guam Congress Building to ensure the appropriate distribution of information to all senators and the public.

Mandated electronic transmittals of reports or official messages and communications should be sent to speaker@guamlegislature.org. Unless otherwise directed by the Acting Speaker, all official messages, reports, or other documents received at this email address for the Speaker or the Guam Legislature will be posted on the Guam Legislature website under Messages and Communication. (http://www.guamlegislature.com/34th_mess_comms.htm)

All electronic communication intended for the senatorial office of Senator Therese Terlaje or the Committee on Culture and Justice should be sent to senatorterlajeguam@gmail.com.

My office is located at Guam Congress Building, 163 Chalan Santo Papa, Hagåtña, Guam 96910. Please do not hesitate to call (671) 472-3586 if any questions or concerns.

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (September 7, 2018– Hagåtña)– Today Vice Speaker Therese M. Terlaje introduced Bill No. 345-34 (COR) to limit the terms of members of boards, commissions, heads of executive branch agencies and instrumentalities and public corporations to two years, in order to promote greater accountability in government.

Executive Branch agency heads and board and commission members are appointed for terms between three and six years. These lengthy terms represented an attempt to remove political pressure from the boards and commissions and directors, but have in fact insulated some agency heads, especially in autonomous agencies, from public scrutiny.

Per the Competitive Wage Act of 2014, most directors receive a minimum of $90,000 a year. Yet, acquiring pertinent and timely information from agencies is difficult, with senators resorting to FOIA requests for information that should be made readily available.

“Limiting terms to two years will require more frequent confirmation hearings on appointments to these positions of public trust, significantly increasing the opportunity for the public to comment on the performance of public servants and for legislative oversight to take place,” stated Vice Speaker Terlaje.