Press Releases
Washington, D.C. – Friday, Congresswoman Aumua AmataAmata is delighted to congratulate a student, Serenalia Iona, upon acceptance to one of the nation's prestigious service academies. Congresswoman Amata was notified that Serenalia Iona has been offered an appointment by the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado, pending final medical review.
Washington, D.C. – Thursday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata is welcoming a $2,553,194 CARES Act grant for coronavirus relief for American Samoa's fishermen.
The news is part of a national announcement by Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross allocating $300 million in fisheries assistance. Congress provided this funding in Sec. 12005 of the CARES Act, to States, Tribes, and Territories with coastal and marine fishery participants who have been negatively affected by COVID–19.
Washington, D.C. – Thursday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata joined Rep. TJ Cox (D-California), who led the effort, and Dean of the House Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) in a letter to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza urging the SBA to continue making improvements to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that fully include small businesses, remote communities and their lenders.
Washington, D.C. – Thursday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata is welcoming $45.6 million in CARES Act federal funds supporting education in American Samoa through the Education Stabilization Fund.
Washington, D.C. – Wednesday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata is releasing the following statement of congratulations to the Territorial Bank of American Samoa:
Washington, D.C. – Wednesday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata is welcoming a CARES Act grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) of $266,229 through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
HUD, led by Secretary Dr. Ben Carson, was also the first federal agency to announce CARES Act funding in American Samoa right after that major legislation became law on March 27, freeing up over $801,685 in two coronavirus-related assistance grants at that time.
Washington, D.C. – Tuesday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata is welcoming a grant for the American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) of over $1.2 million through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
This award provides $1,200,749.98 in federal funding for the replacement project resulting from the destruction of the Satala Operations Building from 2009 tsunami damages (FEMA-DR-1859-AS Earthquake, Tsunami, and Flooding https://www.fema.gov/disaster/1859.)
Washington, D.C. – Monday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata is welcoming news of 61 successful CARES Act assistance loans for employers in American Samoa through the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program.
Washington, D.C.—This week, Congresswoman Aumua Amata is welcoming President Trump's signing into law a bill she cosponsored helping student Veterans whose educations have been interrupted by the pandemic. The bipartisan Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, H.R. 6322, introduced in late March in the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs is now law. This Act provides new assistance to student Veterans during and after the COVID-19 delay in their academic plans.
Washington, D.C. – This week, Congresswoman Aumua Amata took part in a historic moment in the U.S. House of Representatives, as the Committee on Veterans' Affairs held the first-ever bipartisan virtual forum.
Congresswoman Amata took part in the remote forum from American Samoa's congressional office, which included many of the usual procedures led by the Chairman. The forum was titled Coronavirus Pandemic Response. It examined the impact of economic and health services, with a particular focus on homeless Veterans.