Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata welcomed bipartisan House passage Saturday of a 45-day government funding bill to prevent a shutdown. The Continuing Resolution (CR), passed by a vote of 335-91, maintains current fiscal year 2023 funding at the start of the new fiscal year on October 1, 2023, providing another month and a half to negotiate and pass the major appropriations bills necessary for each federal department of the administration. It also supports disaster relief, and ensures our military gets their paychecks, but leaves additional Ukraine funding to the ongoing appropriations process.

Just in time to prevent the shutdown the legislation was sent to the Senate where it also gained approval and it was then signed into law by Presdient Joe Biden.

The bill, called the Continuing Appropriations 2024 and Other Extensions Act, preserves current federal support for American Samoa and the rest of the U.S. Most Veterans’ services were already secured, but the CR passage ensures normal VA services without a gap, and current federal Medicaid support continues.

“I’m pleased that federal funding will be secure through mid-November at 2023 levels, and our troops will be paid,” said Congresswoman Amata. “Disagreements were fiercely debated this time, but the House worked to the last day of the fiscal year and got it done, and I appreciate that the end result is bipartisan. During these 45 days, the remaining appropriations bills must be passed and then be reconciled with the Senate to become law. I will report back on funding news for American Samoa.”

RECENT GRANT NOTICES

• •          U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office on Violence Against Women, $750,000 in federal support for the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program of the American Samoa Alliance Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Inc.
• •          U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), for the American Samoa Department of Homeland Security, $133,844, in federal funding for their Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness project.
• •          U.S. DOJ, Office of Justice Programs, $20,429, a discretionary grant to American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency, led by Director Mariana Timu-Faiai, alleviating some of the student loans of attorneys in exchange for their services to American Samoa.
• •          U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS), for Intersections, Inc., $403,293 in federal funding for their Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Program.

“Thank you to the application efforts that went into each of these grants, especially Jennifer Tofaeono for her work on the $750,000 Violence Against Women program grant, and each of the others taking part in either qualifying for these funds, or helping implement these efforts so our territory has these services,” said Congresswoman Amata.