U.S. Senate Passes Amata’s Amendments Bill

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming final passage of her bill for American Samoa, H.R. 6062, which will now be sent to President Biden to be signed into law. The bill streamlines the enactment of amendments that have been approved by the people of American Samoa. Congresswoman Amata is congratulating Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga, as this was a priority for his administration, and sending special thanks to Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i), who offered the bill up and spoke on the Senate floor for it. The bill passed by Unanimous Consent with no objections.

“I’ve been in conversation with so many congressional leaders and influential senators this week to ensure a vote on our bill, and I want to thank each of them, but especially a heartfelt thanks to Senator Hirono who got our bill over the finish line,” said Congresswoman Aumua Amata. “Thank you in advance to President Biden, as we anticipate the bill will be signed into law sometime over the next ten working days.”

In addition to Senator Hirono’s essential help, numerous other Senators and Congressmen were supportive along the way. These included cosponsors Congressman James Moylan of Guam and Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan of CNMI. In the House process, Amata received support in the Natural Resources Committee from Chairman Bruce Westerman and Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva, Subcommittee Chair Harriet Hageman and Ranking Member Teresa Leger Fernández, as well as Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and others. 

The effort in the Senate was boosted by Chairman Joe Manchin, who recently stopped in American Samoa; Vice Chairman John Barrasso; Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, another senior senator and longtime friend; Subcommittee Chairman Ron Wyden; Vice Chairman James Risch, and others. Several key senior staff professionals for leading senators were also consistently helpful and involved.  

This self-determination bill, which fulfills the unanimous request by a Fono Resolution and Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga to remove unnecessary steps, reaffirms the principle supporting American Samoa's right to self-determination. Under the change, the Interior Secretary can approve American Samoa’s constitutional amendments now and in the future without extra steps that other territories do not have.

Amata spoke on the House floor on July 9, when it was passed by the full House, and visited Senate proceedings throughout the effort. As a noncontroversial bill, it passed by unanimous consent every step of the way through committees and the House and Senate.

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