Barnett: "I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve had an acting governor or acting lt. governor."
By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Sen. Chris Barnet has sent a FOIA request to the Department of Administration asking for travel documents for Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio and “any and all accompanying travelers, regardless of agency funding the travel.”
"Granting access to pertinent information about how GovGuam leaders are spending the people’s money empowers them, especially given the recent increase in government travel involving the governor and lt. governor. Their travel has resulted in noticeable absences from their positions," said the chairman of the committee on rules.
Last month, the governor flew to Hawaii, where she attended the Festival of the Pacific Arts in June. On July 3, she went to Saipan to meet with CNMI Gov. Arnold Palacios.
In May, she went to Palau, where she joined Col. Michael Cruz, adjutant general of the Guam National Guard, to sign a declaration formalizing the nation’s newest state partnership between Guam and Palau.
In December, the governor took a trip to Washington D.C., where she met with Kurt Campbell, National Security Council coordinator. She went to Honolulu in October 2023 for the Pacific Defense Contracting Summit.
"I’ve lost track of how many times we’ve had an acting governor or acting Lt. governor, but what I do know is our people deserve accountability and transparency from all the branches of government that serve them. Calling for anything less looks like a political attack," Barnett added.
Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio this month traveled to Washington D.C. to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Guam pillar of the World War II Memorial and to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Guam.
The FOIA request was sent to Administration Director Ed Birn and autonomous agency heads.
While seeking travel reports from the administration, the legislature has disclosed all travel authorization and expenditure reports for each senatorial office on its website.
"The People's House has always prioritized transparency in government. To uphold this commitment, I have made public all travel authorizations and expenditure reports for every senatorial office. These documents were already available to anyone who asked for them," Barnett said.
"Calls for heightened transparency and accountability in government-funded travel activities raises valid concerns for all branches of our people’s government, including autonomous agencies of the government of Guam," he added.
“I think this information will show why it’s important not to single out any one branch of government over the other when it comes to transparency. I think this information will also give our People a little context for comparison. If we want to talk about travel, let’s put all the cards on the table,” Barnett said. “It’s also my intention to amend any bill that addresses travel transparency either in committee or on the floor to reflect this.”
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