The following article appeared in The Guam Daily Post:
Guam Del. James Moylan is preparing to push several economic development initiatives when Congress reconvenes, from breaking up airline monopolies to attracting advanced manufacturing to Guam.
Moylan, who has been on Guam since early August and returns to the nation’s capital around Sept. 2, discussed his economic policy priorities during a recent interview with The Guam Daily Post, acknowledging the challenge of advancing multiple goals with limited congressional time.
“If you only have the ability to do one thing out of 10 things that you want to get, then at least we get one thing done,” Moylan said, describing the reality of legislative priorities in a body with over 400 members.
Airline competition battle
One of Moylan’s key focuses involves tackling the Cabotage Law, which restricts foreign airlines from operating domestic routes. The delegate sees this as crucial for both tourism recovery and military family welfare.
“Our airfare is quite expensive,” Moylan said, noting that while Guam has “a terrific current carrier,” competition is needed to bring down costs that can reach $2,000 for military families trying to get home for emergencies.
The push has gained unexpected support from the Department of Defense, which Moylan says is “very interested” because of the thousands of personnel coming to Guam for the military buildup.
“They’re going to have so many folks coming on over here. Some of their folks may need an emergency to get back home. They can’t wait for the hop,” Moylan said, referring to military transport options that may not meet urgent family needs.
The delegate believes combining Department of Defense support with Guam’s needs and maintaining “some competition” could help bring more tourists while reducing costs for residents and military families.
Manufacturing opportunities emerging
Moylan has been meeting with companies interested in establishing manufacturing operations on Guam, including the Applied Science and Technology Research Organization of America and projects related to the Guam Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Accelerator initiative, which focus on additive manufacturing for defense applications.
“They came to our office as well,” Moylan said, referring to meetings with ASTRO America representatives and Austin Shelton, director of the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, who is working on recycling and additive manufacturing projects. “We’re in discussions, and we’re glad they’re coming and they’re bringing it up to us because those are great things that we need.”The delegate highlighted how manufacturing could reduce dependence on imports, noting that recycled materials could be used to build needed items locally. “Let’s use, let’s provide sustainability and build these things that we don’t have to bring in and then find a way to dispose of in a sustainable manner,” he said.
Moylan also discussed promoting Guam’s tariff-free manufacturing advantages, saying a trade official in D.C. confirmed they are “promoting Guam too” for companies looking to avoid tariffs through local assembly.
“You do the majority of assembly on Guam. It’s made in the U.S.A. You don’t have to do the tariffs. You created jobs. You created new industries, so we’re not just military and tourism, but we have a stronger industry too,” he said.
Energy alternatives still elusive
On energy development, Moylan revealed that ocean thermal energy conversion was the subject of his graduate paper at the University of Guam nearly four decades ago.
“OTEC also … hot water. That was my graduate paper at UOG in 1986. I should have kept it. (That was) 1986, and we’re still trying to figure this out,” he said.
The delegate met with Guam Power Authority officials and plans to tour the new Ukudu power plant. He’s also working on grid coordination with Joint Region Marianas, including battery storage systems and potential GPA support for Navy power needs.
Environmental protection efforts
Moylan joined the fight against deep seabed mining proposals near American Samoa, arguing territories must have input before any permits are issued.
“I just said there’s no way. You must talk to the territories before you even consider such a thing,” Moylan said. “Using a giant vacuum down there (is) just creating a dust cloud that’s going to continue to kill our reefs.”
According to Post files, Moylan has been demanding territorial consent before any seabed mining permits are issued, arguing the practice threatens marine ecosystems that Pacific territories depend on.
Voting rights frustration continues
The delegate expressed ongoing frustration with territorial voting limitations, citing instances where delegate votes were excluded when they would have changed outcomes.
“At least five times I’ve seen when our vote counted and it didn’t go the way that the majority wanted, they just remove your votes, and then they revote without the territories,” he said.
Moylan has been pushing voting rights legislation alongside Virgin Islands delegate Stacey Plaskett.
With Congress resuming session in early September, Moylan said budget passage will take priority before other initiatives can advance.