Amata Emphasizes Congressional Intent for $3 Million ASCC Funding She Requested
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is emphasizing Congress’s intent that $3 million go to American Samoa Community College (ASCC) out of the yearly ASG Operations Fund from the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA), which receives $29 million for American Samoa from Congress through Interior Appropriations.
Group picture at ASCC with educators and congressional staff
These funds have been secured for fiscal year 2026, and Congresswoman Amata has testified about these funds, requesting an overall increase, for the upcoming fiscal year 2027 appropriations process.
For the past three years, at Congresswoman Amata’s request, $3 million of the Operations Fund is to be allocated to ASCC, as passed by Congress. The fund is currently $29 million, so the remaining $26 million of the fund is still an increase of several million over past funding. The fund has been boosted by Congress most years since fiscal year 2018, due to Amata’s yearly efforts.
“I greatly appreciate Chairman Tom Cole of the Appropriations Committee ensuring that our ASCC report language was included, and accompanies the final version passed into law,” said Congresswoman Amata. “This expresses clear congressional intent, worded in the manner common to Washington legislative report language, conveying the spending instructions and expectations of the Appropriations Act.”
“I know our college personnel and faculty are doing good work with their limited resources,” continued Aumua Amata. “These funds should make a visible difference for our campus, classrooms, equipment and scholarship efforts – all to help our students take their next step.”
“In making these funding requests to influential Chairmen and senior Members of Congress, I always emphasize our islands’ record of service, our population of veterans and military families, and the realities of our island economy, and these considerations are the underlying basis for this appropriation to benefit our college,” said Aumua Amata. “ASCC is a major priority as accessing college education can be a real financial and geographic challenge for our students.”
“What better way to make use of operations funds than by investing in our territory’s college and students?” Amata concluded. “We want to empower every high school graduate with achievable options to consider here in our own islands.”
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