Aumua and House Pass Long Term Funding Bill

Washington, D.C. –Friday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata, and the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Omnibus", long-term funding bill this morning, which finances government operations through the end of the fiscal year, next September.

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"In the past decade, Congress has had a hard time negotiating on the funding of our government, even leading to a government shut down in a few cases. I am proud that we were able to set aside many political differences and come to this agreement and ensure the continuance of government operations, as well as include some provisions that are critically important to our island," said Amata.

The bill, which includes the tax extenders package, is a result of negotiations between leadership on both sides of the aisle, and includes expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit, all important provisions to the island. Most importantly for American Samoa, and thanks to discussions between Congresswoman Amata and leadership in the House and Senate, the legislation extends the American Samoa Economic Development Tax Credit, which was targeted for expiration at the beginning of the year. The American Samoa Economic Development Tax Credit provides a great incentive for U.S. corporations to invest in the island, and is one of the driving forces for future development.

The legislation also provides over $22.7 million to fund American Samoa Government(ASG) operations through the end of the fiscal year, and an increase to many of the competitive grant programs that American Samoa is eligible for.

"I would like to thank the leadership for their wisdom in extending this tax incentive that is so important to our island, and I appreciate them working with me to see it included in the package" said Amata. "While there are others who would like to see this credit expire, I will continue to fight to ensure that it remains, and will do all I can to see that it is made permanent. I will also continue to work to ensure that our island receives funding that is on par with its needs. For far too long American Samoa has had to do more with less, however, it seems that things may be changing, as evident by the increase in education funding our island will see beginning in 2017," concluded Amata.

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