Media

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata welcomes the bipartisan passage of government funding through mid-March, including disaster relief for hurricane flooded areas of the U.S., and an extension of Farm Bill policies with added agricultural support. The 119th Congress beginning in January will take up the needed appropriations bills for the rest of the year. 

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.

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming the announcement of $2.1 million for American Samoa’s broadband and digital accessibility from the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), as part of over $60 million nationally for Digital Equity Plans.

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 119^th 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.