Guam port receives $50 million in Defense funds

Guam port receives $50 million in Defense funds U.S. House approval of a defense spending bill included $50 million for work on Guam's commercial port.
   The $531.4 billion Defense and Energy departments bill allocated $50 million to complete the extension of Kilo Wharf at the island nation's commercial port.
   While the bill did not contain any of the federal government's estimated $15 billion in costs for the planned move of thousands of U.S. military personnel from Okinawa to Guam starting in 2010, the bill did contain a provision for additional Congressional oversight of the impending military buildup project.
   'The bill contains an important provision that authorizes the Maritime Administration ' under the U.S. Department of Transportation, to assist the government of Guam in making critical improvements at the Port of Guam,' said Guam Congressional Delegate Madeleine Bordallo’s office said in a press release.
   'The provision will allow the (Port Authority) of Guam to partner with MarAd and to use MarAd’s expertise and capabilities as outlined in a memorandum of understanding signed in May,' said Bordallo’s release.