House Passes Amata-Cosponsored Bill for Island Veterans to Advise VA
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming bipartisan House passage Wednesday by a vote of 420-4 of legislation she cosponsored to establish a new committee of Veterans from the islands to advise the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) and the VA Secretary on Veterans’ issues affecting them. These advising Veterans would be from the five U.S. Territories and the three Freely Associated States to provide direct input about VA services to the insular areas.
The bill would create the VA Advisory Committee on the U.S. Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States. This Advisory Committee will be made up of Veterans from American Samoa, CNMI, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
“The VA will be able to serve island Veterans better with the help of their direct advice and input, and this will improve communication and services for our Veterans,” said Congresswoman Amata. “These Veterans on the Advisory Committee will provide their insight while they personally experience how the VA provides services to the islands. We have a lifelong commitment to our Veterans, and I’m so pleased to see the House pass the bill, and to be an original cosponsor.”
This file photo shows Congresswoman Amata speaking and on screen with Congressman Sablan (center)
H.R. 3730 was sponsored by Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, CNMI, with the following key original cosponsors upon introduction: Rep. Aumua Amata Radewagen, American Samoa; Rep. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, Puerto Rico; Rep. Michael San Nicolas, Guam; Rep. Stacey Plaskett, USVI; Rep. Julia Brownley, CA-26; Rep. Kaiali’i Kahele, HI-2; and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raul Grijalva, AZ-3.
“I appreciate how all the representatives from the territories worked together to strengthen our Veterans’ communities throughout our various islands,” continued Amata. “Thank you again to my friend, Congressman Sablan, for his leadership of this bipartisan legislation.”
This advisory committee will advise the VA Secretary on the availability and accessibility of services and benefits within the insular areas, and take part in discussions regarding how to improve that distribution of services and resources in these areas.
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