Amata Urges Continued USPS Service to the Freely Associated States

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is one of a bipartisan group of 12 Members of Congress, an effort led by Representative Ami Bera (D-CA), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation, that wrote a letter jointly to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young to express support for the OMB’s efforts to continue U.S. Postal Service servicing to the Freely Associated States (FAS)—the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia—within the wider negotiations to renew the Compacts of Free Association (COFA).

The letter comes amid ongoing discussions between the United States and the FAS to renew the Compacts, through which the FAS receive U.S. economic assistance, grants, and key federal services, and the United States the rights to operate military bases on FAS soil and make decisions that affect mutual security. One of the outstanding issues is ensuring the USPS continues to provide postal services to the FAS.

"As Members with a deep interest in the U.S. relationship with the Freely Associated States (FAS)—the Federates State of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau—we appreciate your work to ensure the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) fully participates in the negotiations to renew the Compacts of Free Association (COFA, or Compacts),” the Members state. “We support your office’s ongoing efforts to engage USPS and facilitate a mutually agreeable solution to address reported concerns related to the cost of continued postal services to the FAS—such as by adding consistent funding aligned with the terms of the renegotiated Compacts to future presidential budget requests."

The letter highlights the history and deep relationships between the U.S. and these sovereign countries, including during World War II; acknowledges the challenges and costs that the USPS faces; recognizes the services to the FAS provided by 60 U.S. agencies; and emphasizes the importance of shared diplomatic and security interests in the Indo-Pacific.

They conclude, “The United States has a strategic interest in maintaining robust connections with the FAS, which view continued postal services to be a crucial component of Compact renegotiation. We strongly support any efforts by your office to work with USPS to devise and include a mutually agreeable funding level in future presidential budgets to ensure continued mail services to the FAS.”

Click here for the complete July 28 letter.

The signing Members of Congress are as follows:

Ami Bera, M.D.

Steve Chabot

Ed Case

Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen

Andy Barr

Brian Fitzpatrick

Raúl M. Grijalva

Ted W. Lieu

Katie Porter

Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan

Michael F.Q. San Nicolas

Dina Titus

Steve Womack

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