Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifaatali Amata is hailing House passage of the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act, H.R. 1456, on which she is one of the seven original co-sponsors. Notably for the Pacific region, the bill includes a requirement for a Peace Corps report to Congress on the presence and planning of the Peace Corps in the Pacific Islands, along with a strategy and proposed timetable for expanding to more places in the Pacific, and consultations with these nations.

The bipartisan bill, endorsed by the National Peace Corps Association, is led by Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and Congressman Garret Graves (R-LA), co-chairs of the Peace Corps Caucus, with Congresswoman Aumua Amata (American Samoa), Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY), Congressman Dean Phillips (D-MN), Congressman Ed Case (D-HI), and Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ). Since their introduction of the bill, it gathered the public support of over 100 additional Members of the House.

Congresswoman Amata was a former Peace Corps staffer (Northern Mariana Islands 1967-1968), and the interest later extended to her family, as one of Amata’s daughters, Kirsten, is a returned Peace Corps volunteer who served in Bulgaria. 

Congressman Garamendi (Ethiopia 1966-1968) is a returned Peace Corps volunteer.

The Peace Corps Reauthorization Act provides additional federal funding and resources to advance the Peace Corps’ mission around the world and better support current, returning, and former Peace Corps volunteers, covering the next several years. Among the key improvements are an increase of 60 days of health insurance following service for returning volunteers, along with expanded whistleblower protections.

 “The Peace Corps is a wonderful program, and I’m delighted to see a reauthorization pass the House,” said Aumua Amata. “The volunteers learn so much and often look back on those two years as some of the most important of their lives, and the program benefits people wherever these volunteers serve.  Congratulations to Congressmen Garamendi and Garret Graves upon passage. I am hopeful that reauthorization and increases lead to continued restoration of programs in the Pacific.”

In July, Congresswoman Amata with a group of U.S. Senators and Representatives advocated for expanding and renewing Peace Corps efforts in the Pacific region. In a letter to the Director of the Peace Corps, Carol Spahn, the Members of Congress affirmed support for reopening in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu. The region once included 13 Peace Corps programs, including those four, and previous efforts in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federates States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

The lawmakers stated: “Peace Corps volunteers everywhere play a key role in strengthening the people-to-people ties between the United States and their host countries. The renewal of and return to in-person programs can be a starting point for greater Peace Corps presence in the Pacific Islands, which promotes a strong, vibrant, and resilient region.”

AMERICAN SAMOA CANCER COALITION GRANT

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a research grant for the American Samoa Community Cancer Coalition in the amount of $6,186,533. The grant will fund research into the prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias in American Samoa for a period of three years. The grant was awarded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), which is part of HHS.

 “I congratulate Va’atausili Tofaeono and the amazing staff at the Cancer Coalition for their tireless efforts to win this grant,” said Aumua Amata. “Our community has not been spared from the heartache of diseases like Alzheimer’s and other dementias. This grant allows the folks at the Cancer Coalition and our local health and government leaders to understand just how much our community is impacted. Once we understand the extent of the problem, we can better target out efforts against these diseases.”

 “I thank HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, NIA Director Dr. Richard Hodes, and the staff at HHS and NIA for their support for American Samoa and their recognition of important issues in the territory.”