Amata-Requested Funds Pass House in Major Appropriations
Boosts ASG Operations Budget, Preserves Previous Increases
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming House passage Wednesday of her requested funding increase, a $1 million boost in new federal funds for the American Samoa Government Operations Fund, as part of a major appropriations package. This increase for American Samoa will be the sixth straight yearly increase based on Amata’s requests, accumulating to growth of over $5.3 million ($5,368,000) since 2017, following many years of level funding.
The appropriations package comprises six appropriations bills for a combined $400 billion that fund numerous U.S. Departments and their federal agencies, including Interior, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, Energy, and Transportation. The legislation provide for increased grant programs in those Departments, either distributed by formula over the next fiscal year or by competitive applications.
“These funds have passed the House, and I’ve discussed our priorities with key Senate leaders,” said Aumua Amata. “This would be the sixth straight yearly increase, each time maintaining the past increases, so the Operations fund growth will be over $5.3 million in that time.”
Amata in Committee work on Thursday.
American Samoa’s operations funds must also be passed by the Senate, or reconciled with a Senate bill, and Congresswoman Amata has already discussed these funding needs of American Samoa with key U.S. Senators. Negotiations over appropriations could once again lead to a temporary Continuing Resolution at current funding levels to allow negotiatiors more time, as Senators are raising concerns about inflation.
The House-passed bill includes the following: “American Samoa Operations Grants.—The Committee recommends $28,120,000 for American Samoa Operations, $1,000,000 above the [FY ‘22 ] enacted level and $3,500,000 above the [Administration] budget request.”
Last year’s $2.5 million increase (for the current fiscal year 2022) was the largest ever for the ASG Operations fund. The House-passed bill maintains that funding as well as earlier yearly requests, dating back to 2017 to accumulate year by year for growth of $5.3 million.
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