Copyright guampdn
For decades, Guam's political status has been debated, yet no proposal has proven more practical, secure or beneficial than maintaining our current territorial relationship with the United States. However, it is equally clear that our continued placement under the Department of the Interior has become a barrier to progress. Guam’s best political future lies in maintaining the status quo as a U.S. territory while seeking a more direct and effective partnership with the federal government. All the equal rights and benefits we have today as U.S. citizens were not the result of Interior’s generosity, but the product of our people’s persistence and patriotism. The Department of the Interior has long held a stranglehold over Guam’s affairs, offering oversight without accountability and authority without advocacy. Time and again, when we needed federal representation, the Interior stood silent. As I mentioned in my earlier paper, "Guam’s Economic Perspective” and as echoed by Ginger Cruz in her congressional platform, both emphasized the urgent need for Guam to break away from the Department of the Interior’s administrative control and establish a direct federal relationship with the Executive Branch. Cruz recognized, as I do, that the Interior’s outdated structure has failed Guam time and again, stifling our progress, delaying our benefits, and treating our people as second-class citizens under the same flag we defend. Our situation has been one of neglect, not defiance, and this neglect has too often been excused by unfair comparisons to Puerto Rico’s fiscal crisis. Yet the truth remains Puerto Rico’s greatest economic achievements came only after it freed itself from Interior’s oversight and engaged directly with federal agencies as an equal partner. Puerto Rico’s economic collapse was not caused by its decision to leave the Interior, but rather by decades of political corruption, fiscal mismanagement and excessive public borrowing that eroded the prosperity it once enjoyed. In fact, Puerto Rico’s greatest economic success, transforming from an agrarian society into a world leader in pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and high-end industries came after it broke away from Interior and gained direct access to the Executive Branch. That success proved what strong federal integration can accomplish when combined with sound local leadership and accountability. Guam, by contrast, remains tethered to a system that has failed to adapt to our modern realities. The Department of the Interior has neglected its responsibilities to our island, from the loss of Compact Impact funding that once partially reimbursed the cost of providing essential services, to the lost opportunities caused by unreasonable federal restrictions that continue to stifle development, investment and economic diversification. The exclusion of Guam’s residents from the Supplemental Security Income and the delayed justice of war claims further reveal a pattern of disregard that has cost our people billions and denied us our rightful place among the territories. This is not the fault of our status as a U.S. territory; it is the fault of an outdated administrative structure that treats Guam as a colonial dependency instead of a vital partner. Breaking away from the Department of the Interior does not mean separation from the United States; it means equality within it. It means direct representation before the Executive Branch, where decisions affecting our economy, health care, education and defense are actually made. Our loyalty to the United States is unquestionable. Guam stands as the “Tip of the Spear” in defense of the free world, yet we continue to be treated as an afterthought in domestic policy. The same federal government that depends on our strategic location must also respect our civil rights and economic development. Today, Guam lives in what I have described as a false economy, one driven almost entirely by the temporary flow of military construction spending. This illusion of prosperity masks the deeper reality that our private sector, tourism, and housing industries are collapsing under the weight of federal imbalance. The Department of the Interior did nothing to assist us as the military buildup exhausted almost all our resources, making our recovery from the pandemic and Typhoon Mawar nearly impossible. Our local industries have been left behind while non-taxable federal projects dominate, creating an unsustainable economy that benefits few and leaves many struggling. If Guam is to achieve a truly balanced and sustainable future, we must remove the bureaucratic middleman that has done nothing but hold us back. By breaking away from the Department of the Interior and reporting directly to the Executive Branch, Guam can finally engage in direct policy decisions that affect our future, not as subjects of oversight, but as partners in progress. Our best political status is not to change who we are, but to change who we answer to. We must remain a proud U.S. territory, but one that no longer bows to the inefficiency and neglect of the Department of the Interior. Only then can we rebuild an economy that is real, balanced, and fair, one that truly reflects the strength and dignity of the people of Guam.
