Press Releases
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is hailing the pay raise for the military in the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025, passed Wednesday by the House with a vote of 281-140. Under the bill, following negotiated Senate-House agreement, Congress raises pay for all military by 4.5 percent, and for junior enlisted the raise is a substantial 14.5 percent.
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming the announcement of Congressman Brian Mast (R-FL) as the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) in the 119th Congress starting in January. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX) is term limited under Republican rules after six years of leading the Committee as both Chairman and Ranking Member.
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming notice of a grant of $100,036 from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for the American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency (CJPA) led by Director Mariana Timu-Faiai. These formula grant funds are for the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention program, with four years remaining in the project period.
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming notice of $470,821 for the American Samoa Department of Public Safety from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
This State Electronic Data Collections (SEDC) crash data grant will support Island Wide Traffic Safety Information System (ITSIS).

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is congratulating American Samoa Community College (ASCC) upon receiving notice of a federal grant of $282,335 for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This Community Facility Disaster Grant is to replace equipment and furniture damaged during July 2022 flooding.
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming a nationwide announcement by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) that restores $30,382 in funds to recipients in American Samoa.
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming House passage by a vote of 378-25 of the bipartisan Lahaina National Heritage Area Act, H.R. 8219, of which she is one of seven cosponsors.
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming House passage of a bipartisan bill she co-introduced, the FISHES Act, H.R. 5103.
This effort was in cooperation with a dozen cosponsors at introduction, including sponsor Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) with Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), and original cosponsors Congresswoman Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (American Samoa), and Congressman James Moylan (Guam).

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata took part in a ten-member Congressional Delegation (CODEL) to Barbados, following Thanksgiving Day, at the invitation of Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, in which Members of Congress joined the people of Barbados in commemorating their 58th Independence Day, and honored the legacy of historic Barbadian-American Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm on what would have been her 100th birthday.
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata released the following statement in celebration of Thanksgiving Day 2024:
Psalm 69:30 ~ I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
“This brief verse in the book of Psalms is one of many special thanksgiving verses in the Bible, and it reminds me so much of our people, who dearly love to sing from early childhood and all through life. We are grateful for our beautiful islands, which are a touch of paradise.