Amata Takes Part in Historic Hearing in Guam on Pacific Islands’ Importance in Countering PRC
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata took part in an international field hearing of the Committee on Natural Resources on August 24th in Guam, led by Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), examining the importance of the U.S. Pacific Territories and the Freely Associated States (FAS) to the United States’ ability to counter the People’s Republic of China’s malign influence, and maintain national and allied strategic interests in the region.
Press conference with Chairman Westerman speaking
“We held this unique hearing in Guam as a committee because Guam and CNMI are Northern keystones in the free and open Pacific. We are determined to keep the vast Pacific free and open, as it has mostly been since 1945, even as we stood for decades against Soviet imperialism,” said Congresswoman Amata. “Now, standing together, we are facing the threat of the once-concealed, but now overt, velvet-gloved hand of PRC ambitions – that hides the iron fist of PRC totalitarian, communist imperialism. The United States is also part of the southern Pacific where American Samoa’s alignment with the U.S. is foundational to helping maintain this free and open region with our nation’s allies.”
Pacific Islands Hearing
Earlier this year, the committee formed the bipartisan Indo-Pacific Task Force with Chairman Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (American Samoa) and Co-Chairman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (CNMI) to examine Congress’s role in deterring the aggression of the People's Republic of China in the regions including the Pacific territories and FAS. As a part of the Task Force’s work, this week’s hearing elaborated on the robust discussions that have come up during these task force meetings.
The hearing, titled Peace Through Strength: The Strategic Importance of the Pacific Islands to U.S. Global Security, included the following expert witnesses testifying in two panels:
- The Hon. Lourdes “Lou” Leon Guerrero, Governor of Guam;
- The Hon. Arnold I. Palacios, Governor of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands;
- The Hon. Kaleb Udui, Jr., Minister of Finance, Republic of Palau;
- The Hon. Ricky Cantero, Acting Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs, Federated States of Micronesia;
- The Hon. Jack Ading, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Republic of the Marshall Islands;
- The Hon. Tina Muna Barnes, Vice Speaker, Guam Legislature;
- Ms. Irene Sgambelluri, World War II Survivor, of Talofofo, Guam.
During their time in Guam, Members of Congress met with Governor Lou Leon Guerrero, members of the Guam National Guard, and received high-level briefings from military officials on the island. Members also met with local officials and heard from local business leaders about the challenges they face. Recent actions by the PRC have shown increasing aggression in the Indo-Pacific. Guam has been targeted specifically as Chinese vessels come near its shores and the military installations face cybersecurity threats. The field hearing was a chance to hear from community stakeholders and local leaders in Guam about how their community, and the Pacific Islands, is uniquely at risk from PRC aggression. Members also learned from experts in the field on how America's military superiority can keep this aggression at bay.
“Guam's importance to America's national security cannot be overstated. Less than 2,000 miles away from here lies a threat to freedom and self-determination in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) under the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP not only seeks to challenge American leadership but is also aggressively working to undermine the democratic values and institutions that we hold dear. The recent PRC hacks in Guam show that Guam is on the frontlines of the fight against this threat. It was an honor to be here in Guam to hear from local leaders and communities and to celebrate America's unrivaled military strength in the Pacific,” said House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce
Westerman.
“This is certainly a historic moment for Guam, as we have not had a Congressional hearing on island for more than a decade. The fact that the House Natural Resources Committee has approved the request to conduct one is certainly significant, as it places Guam on the Congressional map when it comes to priorities. Our team has worked hard to ensure our issues are addressed, and having members physically see and hear our concerns first-hand will certainly go a long way. Guam’s proximity becomes even more valuable to the United States of America with the rise of concerns coming from the Chinese Communist Party. There have been numerous instances where they have tested their limits with Guam by hacking into the infrastructure of American military bases, operating their warships near our waters, and the illegal entry of Chinese nationals embarking on our shores from the CNMI. I want to thank my colleagues in Congress for recognizing Guam's importance and seeing us as a community, not merely an island with military installations,” said U.S. Rep. Jim Moylan (R-Guam).
Video of Congresswoman Amata’s statement and question is available HERE.
More Photos Here
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