Amata Welcomes Farm Bill
Authorizes Grant Support and Five Years of Agriculture Policy
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming the introduction of the Farm Bill that authorizes U.S. agricultural policies for five years, promotes national food security, and grant efforts in American Samoa.
Congresswoman Amata meeting with Ag Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson who led an agricultural Congressional Delegation to American Samoa in 2017 (file photo)
“The Farm Bill is known for setting policy for the great breadbasket of U.S. food production, but it also applies to our islands in several ways, especially grant support, such as the Tropical Plant Health Initiative, the extension of the Aquaculture Assistance Program, and potentially invasive species research,” said Congresswoman Aumua Amata. “The Farm Bill also authorizes our nutrition program grant administered by ASG.”
Amata with farmers in Ta'u in the Manu'a Islands (file photo)
“Food security is national security, so I strongly support getting a five-year agriculture policy authorization in place, and I commend Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT’ Thompson,” continued Congresswoman Amata. “I appreciate the bill’s emphasis on ‘Buy American’ as that’s a subject I raise often that needs to be applied thoroughly across federal departments and better include American tuna purchases.”
Chairman Thompson, whose district is in Pennsylvania, led an agricultural congressional delegation to American Samoa in 2017 to better understand raising tropical fruits and vegetation in a rainforest area. The full title of this year’s bill is the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2024, and while early in the legislative process, the bill has been commended by numerous agricultural organizations.
2017 agricultural Codel to American Samoa, pictured between Chairman Thompson and now Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman.
In addition to the nutrition program, the Farm Bill opens the door to local grant support through a Tropical Plant Health Initiative, a five-year extension through 2029 of the Aquaculture Assistance Program, and the possibility of any needed invasive species research.
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