CONGRESSMAN URGES COST-OF-LIVING RELIEF AT IGIA PLENARY SESSION

(Washington, D.C.) - Affordability for Guam families who are struggling with the high cost of living is what Congressman James Moylan urged the Interagency Group on Insular Areas (IGIA) to focus on during the recently concluded 2026 Senior Plenary session. The IGIA convenes senior federal officials and territorial leaders each year to coordinate policies impacting U.S. territories.

"I encourage all stakeholders to focus on what matters most for Guamanians,"said Congressman Moylan, "that's lowering the cost of groceries, fuel, housing, and healthcare."

In opening remarks at the session, the Congressman emphasized that federal transportation, shipping, and energy policies directly shape the prices Guam families pay every day. He urged support for a series of measures and policy recommendations that he has advanced to address these critical issues.

The Congressman also urged support for his Pacific Islands Flight Alternatives Act, introduced last year, that would provide a limited exception to the air cabotage laws and allow allied foreign air carriers to stop in Guam and the CNMI while flying to and from the States. The bill is meant to help drive down airfares "that would allow families to visit loved ones in the States and our sister islands to the North, access medical treatments that are not available in our islands, and promote domestic and foreign tourism in the Marianas, stimulating our economy and strengthening American influence in the Western Pacific."

"In Congress, I am leading and co-leading seven measures to provide targeted relief for the Jones Act," Moylan said, "To be clear, I am not recommending we abolish it entirely. Rather, we should have policies that make sense for the 21st century." For example, Congressman Moylan has sought targeted waivers that would allow for the transport of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) from the U.S. through Guam, Hawaii and other non-contiguous areas.

"Allowing these ships to stop in Hawai'i and Guam would benefit the American energy sector, supporting the President's vision for energy dominance, drive down costs for ratepayers, and enhance energy resiliency,"Moylan said. "The cost of materials driven up by outdated maritime policies continues to be a source of pain for everyone on our island,"he added.

He also noted that the Department of Defense is in the early stages of standing up an Economic Adjustment Committee, following a joint request with Governor Leon Guerrero to better coordinate federal support amid ongoing defense-driven growth.

Moylan invited IGIA planners to convene future sessions in the territories so federal leaders can better understand the realities Guam and other island communities face. "Without focusing on the core issues, we risk failing to fulfill the mandate for IGIA,"he added. "I'm hopeful, really hopeful for the continued progress that we can make."

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