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Amata named to Congressional Western Caucus leadership team

Congresswoman Uifa’atal Amata
Source: Uifa’atali Amata’a Washington D.C. office press release

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus,  Dan Newhouse (WA-04) has named the Congressional Western Caucus Executive Committee Members for the 118th Congress with Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata as a Vice Chair on the Executive Committee and part of the leadership team of the 80-Member Western Caucus.

The Western Caucus is ready to get to work in the 118th Congress to unleash American energy, cut bureaucratic red tape, and support our farmers and ranchers,” said Chairman Newhouse. “I am honored to have so many experienced leaders on my Executive Committee to help advance the Caucus’ priorities both in Washington, D.C. and across the country. With their help and expertise, there is truly no limit to what we can achieve for rural America.”

 “American Samoa is about as far to the West as one can go before crossing the international dateline, and I’ve been a part of the Western Caucus since joining Congress,” Amata said. “I represent a territory that has twice experienced a massive contraction of our traditional fishing waters, and worse, it was done without true local input, and without a vote of the Congress. I appreciate that the Western Caucus Members are the first to understand that this issue correlates to Caucus priorities elsewhere of preventing executive overreach, protecting indigenous waters, and ensuring Congress and the people have a voice.” –the newly minted Vice Chair Uifa’atali Amata said.

She is one of 17 members of the caucus executive committee which helps shape the direction and focus of the Western Caucus and represents the Caucus on a national level

COMPACTS OF FREE ASSOCIATION

Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata has expressed her pleasure that U.S. negotiators last week reached initial understanding with the governments of the republics of Palau and the Marshall Islands on general financial terms to extend the Compacts of Free Association for the next 20 years.

"Importantly," said the Congresswoman, who is co-chairman of the Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus, "these MOUs are not final commitments, but instead are milestones marking forward movement, in order to sustain momentum in negotiations that were on diplomatic life-support a year ago.  Along with my colleagues in Congress, there will be many questions I will have about what to expect as terms are worked out leading to final agreements."

Noting that the MOUs will provide Congress with a window into the understandings reached that will inform the work Congress will need to do between now and October, when the financial provisions of the Compacts are set to expire, Amata went on to say that, "if the Administration expects the Compact renewal package to be approved by that time, I would urge the State Department to provide the MOUs to the leadership of the committees with jurisdiction over Compact affairs without further delay."

"The reports I was hearing about recent progress in the Compact negotiations were most encouraging, and consistent with the steady improvement we have been monitoring in these crucially strategic negotiations," she said.  The Congresswoman added, "There has been a long overdue trend in more productive negotiations since all parties moved off previous positions and began to resolve issues that had impeded agreement on core issues over the past three years."

"The more open communication there is about Compact renewal between the Administration and Congress now, the more productive the oversight hearing can be on the President's budget and legislative proposals to implement the Compact renewal agreements that need to be expedited in order to take effect before expiration of current core Compact provisions that sustain our strategic alliance at the end of this fiscal year."

Consistent with the Department of Interior's shared role with State Department in managing Compact funding as well as serving as the U.S. government's policy focal point for U.S. flag territories, Amata was happy that Interior Assistant Secretary Carmen Cantor was present for the signing ceremony with Yun, RMI Foreign Minister and Chief Negotiator Kitlang Kabua and Palau Foreign Minister and Chief Negotiator Kaleb Udui.