Moylan Brings Congressional Delegation to Guam to Advance Education & Workforce Priorities

(Hagåtña, Guam) - Congressman James Moylan welcomed members of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce to Guam for a congressional delegation (CODEL) visit focused on strengthening education, expanding workforce opportunities, and ensuring Guam's priorities are represented in federal policymaking.

The delegation included nine members of Congress:
• Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI)
• Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)
• Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT)
• Rep. Michael Rulli (R-OH)
• Rep. James Moylan (R-GU)
• Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO)
• Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC)
• Rep. John Mannion (D-NY)
• Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ)

The visit included two stakeholder roundtable discussions that brought together leaders from Guam's education community, workforce agencies, labor organizations, the private sector, and local government.

"I want to sincerely thank Chairman Tim Walberg and my colleagues on the House Committee on Education and Workforce for making the trip to Guam and taking the time to engage directly with our community," said Congressman Moylan. "Their presence here demonstrates a recognition of Guam's importance and a commitment to ensuring our island's perspectives are included in the conversations taking place in Washington. Too often, decisions that affect Guam are made thousands of miles away without the benefit of hearing directly from our local community, and while I make it a point to bring Guam's story to Washington in every conversation, there is no substitute for seeing our island firsthand and hearing directly from our people."

Chairman Tim Walberg expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to visit Guam and emphasized the importance of ensuring that federal policies account for the island's unique needs as a U.S. territory.

"We're delighted to be here on Guam, in the home and District of Representative Moylan. Representative Moylan never lets us forget the various aspects of the specific needs here in Guam," said Chairman Walberg. "What you've made very clear is that Guam is a unique entity because you're an island, you're a territory, you're unto yourself in many ways, but you're also part of the United States, and there ought to be some flexibility in that, so we'll keep working at that."

During the education roundtable, participants discussed classroom infrastructure, teacher recruitment and retention, student achievement, and opportunities to strengthen collaboration between local educational institutions and the federal government.

Participants stressed the importance of maintaining a strong partnership with the federal government while ensuring Guam has the flexibility to tailor programs and funding to meet local needs. Chairman Walberg echoed that perspective and requested additional information identifying areas where Guam could benefit from increased flexibility in federal education funding and how those resources could be better aligned to support the island's priorities.

Following discussions surrounding Guam's aging school facilities, Rep. Adelita Grijalva requested additional information regarding the island's infrastructure needs, including estimated funding requirements and proposals aimed at creating a more unified educational system.

The workforce roundtable focused on preparing Guam's workforce to meet the demands of a changing economy while creating opportunities that extend beyond defense-related industries. Participants emphasized the importance of investing not only in projects, but also in the people behind them through workforce training, apprenticeship programs, career and technical education, and policies that create long-term economic opportunities for local residents.

Stakeholders also emphasized that addressing Guam's workforce challenges will require sustained federal partnerships and policies that reflect the realities of a small island economy. Discussions highlighted the importance of strengthening apprenticeship and workforce training programs, expanding opportunities across emerging industries, supporting key federal initiatives such as the H-2B program and the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, and identifying policies that will help build a stronger, more resilient, and self-sufficient economy.

"This visit reaffirmed what we've always known: Guam's challenges are unique, but so are our opportunities," said Moylan. "I thank Chairman Walberg and my fellow colleagues for valuing Guam's voice and recognizing that the best policies are developed by listening directly to the people they affect. By bringing members of Congress to our island, we've created an opportunity for meaningful dialogue that will help shape the policies impacting our students, our workforce, and our economy. I look forward to turning those conversations into meaningful action and strengthening the partnerships that will help move Guam forward."

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