I appreciated the opportunity to attend the reflagging ceremony for the THAAD and to welcome the soldiers of Echo Battery to Guam. I thank the men and women of Bravo Battery, who served the homeland defense mission bravely during their time here, and I appreciated their commitment to being engaged community partners. This changeover is a critical step in establishing the THAAD permanently on Guam, as Echo Battery will be the first permanently stationed THAAD unit on Guam. Since 2013 I have led efforts to permanently base THAAD on Guam, which is critical to defending our island against ballistic missile threats from the reckless North Korean regime. I will continue to work with the federal government to ensure the process moves forward as efficiently as possible.

I appreciate Governor Calvo’s support for my social security bill which would give GovGuam flexibility to extend the social security program to new government employees. The Governor’s support ensures that we have a “One Guam” approach to this bill which includes support from the Legislature earlier this year. The Governor's support of this legislation will be helpful as I continue to work with Congressional leadership to pass this bill which is important to the financial stability of the GovGuam retirement system.

I am pleased that Guam, through Guam Bureau of Statistics and Plans and the University of Guam has received this funding from NOAA for coral reef conservation. Coral reefs are essential to our island and our way of life.These funds will help keep UOG at the forefront of coral reef research in the region and improve our resilience against climate change. I advocated for strong funding for NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program during this year’s appropriations process. I commend our local stakeholders for securing these funds and look forward to the research and work that will be done for our community.

I was honored to attend today's silent witness ceremony in honor of Family Violence Awareness Month. The stories of family violence on Guam are heartbreaking and unfortunately family violence affects far too many families in our community. If you or someone you know is a victim of family violence, I encourage you to please speak up. You will find help and our community stands with you.

I wish the men and women of the 368th Military Police, Detachment 5 Godspeed as they deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel. I was proud to join local leaders and their families in wishing them well during today's deployment ceremony. I am so proud and grateful of their service and we look forward to their safe return home.