U.S. Senate Panel Cuts Guam Buildup Budget By 70%

"Raises doubts about the prospects for the relocation plan"

Guam - In Washington Thursday, a U.S. Senate panel cut 70% of the funding in the 2011 Defense Authorization Act that was meant to help pay for the transfer of more than 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam.

The Senate Appropriations Committee voted to cut out some $320 million from the relocation budget in the 2011 Defense Authorization Act that covers military spending from this October to September of 2011.

The move follows a similar cut by a U.S. House Subcommittee which on Wednesday decided to reduce the re-location expenditure by 61 % , slicing off $279.2 million from the bill.

3 of 4 Congressional panels involved in screening the budget for the Marines relocation have now decided to cut back on the appropriation, and according to a Kydodo report, that raises doubts about the prospects for the relocation plan.

Read the Kydodo Report

Kyodo quotes congressional sources as saying the cuts have been made because of delays in the preparations for creating an environment to host the Marines on Guam, as well as the delay in procuring the necessary land. .pacificnewscenter.com Written by Kevin Kerrigan