Amata Highlights Foreign Affairs Committee Work in 2023

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is highlighting the past year’s legislation as part of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), one of her three committees, and related international work.

“It was both humbling and an honor this year to receive a rare waiver allowing me to serve on a third Committee this Congress, and especially to be selected for the Foreign Affairs Committee, and I want to thank Chairman McCaul,” said Congresswoman Amata. “My first year on the committee has been a whirlwind with increased travel requirements and the renewed U.S. focus on the Pacific region. Our region is now a priority and American Samoa’s position in the South Pacific can only become more important to U.S. Pacific commitment in years to come.”

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HFAC Chairman McCaul, Congresswoman Amata, Members of Congress and Leaders throughout the Pacific

Within the Committee, Amata serves on the Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific as Vice Chairman, and the Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.

In January, Amata started the year with a five-day trip through Micronesia, meeting with Pacific leaders at stops in Guam, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Majuro.

In March, as the year’s HFAC committee work began in earnest, Amata emphasized fishing issues in a hearing of the Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, entitled, Renewed U.S. Engagement in the Pacific: Assessing the Importance of the Pacific Islands.

Also in March, Amata cosponsored bills, including:

• Original cosponsor of the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act, H.R. 1273. Amata served as a Peace Corps staffer in the Northern Mariana Islands 1967-1968, and one of her daughters, Kirsten, is a returned Peace Corps volunteer who served in Bulgaria.
• The sole original cosponsor with Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA) of H.R. 1149, to establish certain reporting and requirements relating to telecommunications equipment and services produced or provided by certain entities.
• H.R. 1093, introduced by Chairman McCaul, and passed by the committee, to direct the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a report on implementation of the advanced capabilities pillar of the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• H. Res. 90, led by Chairman McCaul, demanding that the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Communist Party of China immediately release Mark Swidan, an American businessman wrongfully detained for years.

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Congresswoman Amata speaking with Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley earlier this year

In April, Amata congratulated the state of Israel on the 75th anniversary of becoming an independent state, recalling fondly her visits to the Holy Land’s cherished sites.

In May, Amata took part in roundtable on the plight of Afghan women following the U.S. chaotic withdrawal and airlift in 2021, who lost basic freedoms. Members of Congress heard directly from former Afghan Ambassador to the U.S. Roya Rahmani, former Afghan diplomat Hadeia Amiry, and former Kabul Deputy Governor Hanifa Girowal discussing their suffering and ongoing efforts to provide hope.

• She also took part in a hearing to examine Pacific policy to build stronger Defense alliances among the AUKUS member nations.
• Took part in a hearing examining US government and private efforts to bring home abducted children.
• Welcomed a response by the U.S. Coast Guard, clarifying a policy so U.S. Nationals from American Samoa are now encompassed by the term U.S. Citizen in all matters governing merchant mariner credentialing, vessel manning, and vessel documentation.

In June, Amata was part of a bipartisan 10-Member Congressional Delegation for the 86th Inter-parliamentary Meeting of the Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue (TLD) in Stockholm, Sweden, with eight select members of the European Parliament.

In July, Amata took participated in a two-day bipartisan Congressional delegation to Trinidad and Tobago joining U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government Conference upon its 50th anniversary and met with Trinidad and Tobago officials for discussions of security, economic growth, climate, and energy issues.

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Reps Amata and Neal Dunn meeting with Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Elias Wohengu, in Papua New Guinea, to discuss diplomatic and economic cooperation

Also in July, as an original cosponsor, she helped with reintroduction of the bipartisan Boosting Long-term U.S. Engagement in the Pacific (BLUE Pacific) Act with Rep. Ed Case (D-HI).

That month the Committee passed these Amata-cosponsored bills:

• H.R. 1776, End Tuberculosis Now Act, To prevent, treat, and cure tuberculosis globally;
• H.R. 4619, AUKUS Submarine Transfer Authorization Act, To authorize the sale of Virginia Class submarines to Australia in support of the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and for other purposes;
• H.R. 4716, KOALA Act, To amend the Arms Export Control Act in support of Australia and the AUKUS partnership;
• H.R. 4715, BRITS Act, To amend the Arms Export Control Act in support of the United Kingdom and the AUKUS partnership;
• H.R. 3152, Fight CRIME Act, To impose sanctions with respect to countries, individuals, and entities that engage in any effort to acquire, possess, develop, transport, transfer, or deploy Iranian missiles and related goods and technology, including materials and equipment, and for other purposes;
• H.Res. 578, Calling for the immediate release of Eyvin Hernandez, a United States citizen and Los Angeles County public defender, who was wrongfully detained by the Venezuelan regime in March 2022.

In August, with Congress out of session, in addition to prioritizing time in American Samoa, Amata traveled with Congressional Delegations to Australia, Papua, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, South Korea and more, discussing points of mutual interest with the United States.

In September, she welcomed the US-Bahrain C-SIPA Signing for regional security and prosperity.

On October 7th, following news of horrific surprise attacks on Israel, Amata issued a statement of support for the people of Israel.

• That month she cosponsored the House Resolution officially supporting Israel and condemning the terrible attacks by Hamas terrorists.
• Also, in October, she took part in a bipartisan, bicameral letter led by U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), urging Congress to preserve the Building Chips in America Act.

Amata honored the life of Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State, who passed in November at 100 years of age, after a lifetime of public service and expertise in foreign policy.

In December, the Committee passed Amata’s bill, H.R. 6606, shoring up U.S. policy for export controls to protect American trade.

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