Media

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata voted Wednesday for the Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act, H.R. 4300, which was passed by the full Committee on Natural Resources with bipartisan support. Amata cosponsored the legislation to honor Veterans with free lifetime access to all U.S. National Parks, and other National Forests and public lands.

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata highlighted the introduction this week of legislation directing Medicaid funding to American Samoa for the next eight years. Congresswoman Amata is an original cosponsor of this key bill, which locks in the nation's best non-emergency federal matching rate, known as FMAP, at 83 percent for the next eight years. That rate is only higher at times for short-term emergency purposes. The bill is titled the Supporting Medicaid in the U.S. Territories Act of 2021, H.R.

Washington, D.C. – Saturday, Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata welcomed an agreement in Congress to move forward with legislation that would stabilize Medicaid funding for the Territories through an eight-year plan for American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, while Puerto Rico gains stable funding for five years.

Washington, D.C. – Friday, Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata highlighted the advancement of legislation that would lead to road improvements for American Samoa as the House passed H.R. 3684, the INVEST in America Act. This Act authorizes $343 billion for roads, bridges and safety measures, $109 billion for transit, $95 billion for passenger and freight rail, $117 billion for drinking water infrastructure resources and roughly $51 billion for wastewater infrastructure.

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata released the following statement in celebration of Independence Day:

"Happy Fourth of July! We are blessed to be part of the United States and celebrate the ideals of freedom together.

Washington, D.C. – Friday, Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata welcomes a recent action by the House Appropriations Committee to increase funding for ASG Operations by $2.5 million at Amata's request. This recommended increase would bring total grants for ASG Operations to $27,120,000 and builds on Amata's past requests to the Committee toward a fifth straight increase. Over the past four years, Amata has requested increases of $250,000, $718,000, $400,000, and $500,000.

Washington, D.C.- Thursday, Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata is a cosponsor of bipartisan legislation that honors Veterans with free lifetime access to all U.S. National Parks. The Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act is a bipartisan bill that honors the nation's service members, veterans, and Gold Star families as VIPs in National Parks and other public lands. The bill is led by Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata drew attention to LBJ in a Wednesday hearing of the full Natural Resources Committee in which Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland was testifying.

Amata once again pressed the message that LBJ Tropical Medical Center has major modernization needs as documented in a study by the Army Corps of Engineers. The oversight hearing was titled, Examining the Department of the Interior's Spending Priorities and the President's Fiscal Year Budget 2022 Proposal.