Committee Receives Governor Lemanu’s Testimony on Budget
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Aumua Amata took part in a Wednesday hearing of the Natural Resources Committee that received testimony from the governors of the territories, including Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga of American Samoa. The hearing was part of the Committee’s examination of the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request for the Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs.
Governor Lemanu testified on budget to Congressional Committee.
The governors each testified regarding federal funding, and highlighted their territories’ needs. Governor Lemanu emphasized priorities including LBJ hospital funding, the current COVID effort, connectivity, shipyard, climate change, general assistance and infrastructure, and countering China in the South Pacific. Governor Lemanu’s remarks are available here.
Congresswoman Amata also gave a brief statement, emphasizing the need for Operations appropriations along with highlighting climate change funding. She also took part in the Q and A, addressing the DOI witness, OIA Director of Budget Jonathan Dunn. Video of the Congresswoman is available here.
Amata’s statement is transcribed below:
“Thank you, Vice Chair Sablan, Ranking Member Gonzalez-Colon, for holding this hearing today. Talofa Lava, Hafa Adai, and welcome to the Governors and members of the panel; I would especially like to recognize Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga for his dedication and hard work for the people of American Samoa. Thank you for taking the time and waking up early to provide your testimony today.
“Climate change continues to be an existential threat to the territories. Rising sea levels threaten to completely cover some islands in the near future. Every small Pacific Island country says that climate change is their biggest national security concern, and to that end I appreciate OIA’s efforts to advance the energy independence of the insular areas. As I’ve stated to this committee many times, there is no one size fits all solution to the territories’ energy needs, and I encourage OIA to continue working with our Governor and local officials to ensure that any funding provided is used effectively and helps us move away from a reliance on expensive imported oil and gas.
“Beyond just reducing emissions, it is important to recognize that this is not only an environmental concern for our territories but also a political and economic issue. Inflation disproportionately affects remote areas like the territories. If we do not invest in the Pacific and ensure that our territories become self-sufficient, then someone else will. As Governor Lemanu said, China continues to make bold investments in the region. China is increasingly making their presence felt – in neighboring Samoa they’ve invested in building a dual use airport – less than 80 miles from American Samoa!
“I want to shift over to my other main concern – and that is healthcare access in American Samoa. COVID-19 has highlighted another funding issue faced by our home in healthcare infrastructure. Last year we were able to secure $2.5M for our Operation Account to be used towards planning a replacement for LBJ hospital. However, as highlighted in Governor Lemanu’s testimony, continued funding for this account to offset inflation and OIA’s continued involvement in this project is crucial to our island’s well-being.
“To conclude, robust funding and oversight of OIA programs is one of our best tools to maintain our presence in the Pacific and push back against the threats to the region. I look forward to working with everyone here to that end.”
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