Congresswoman Amata attends a U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing last week.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Office of the American Samoa Congressional Delegate) — U.S. Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata took part in a busy week of activities in her three committees, including multiple hearings and votes.
House Foreign Affairs Committee: A hearing of the full committee or HFAC examined the administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan with testimony from General Mark A. Milley (retired), former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. (retired), Commander of United States Central Command, which includes Afghanistan. A video clip of Congresswoman Amata’s Q and A with the Generals is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7aW6YCqTeM/.
An HFAC markup considered nine foreign policy bills, including a bipartisan bill, H.R. 6727, which would establish the United States Foundation for International Conservation, which Amata cosponsored, to promote long-term management of protected and conserved areas through public-private partnership, as well as emphasizing the economic and environmental costs of Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
In a hearing of the HFAC Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, on which Amata serves as Vice-Chairman, she emphasized the need for the U.S. to be more involved in the construction of infrastructure in the Pacific Islands region. The hearing was titled “Commerce as Statecraft: Better Leveraging U.S. Business to Advance our Economic and National Security Goals in the Indo-Pacific.”
Also last week, the full committee held a hearing titled “Countering China on the World Stage: Empowering American Businesses and Denying Chinese Military Our Technology.”
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee: The full committee held a legislative hearing examining the Toxic Exposure Fund Improvement Act of 2024, a bill to update the Toxic Exposure Fund and ensure transparent funding in delivering benefits to toxic-exposed Veterans under the PACT Act, which is already law.
The HVAC Subcommittee on Health, on which Amata serves, held a legislative hearing for the initial examination of 12 legislative proposals, each addressing aspects of veterans’ healthcare.
The HVAC Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, on which Amata serves, held a separate legislative hearing on nine VA oversight and policy bills.
House Natural Resources Committee: The Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries, on which Amata serves, held a legislative hearing on four bills to enhance marine life and habitat. Additionally, two bills from the Natural Resources Committee were passed by the full House of Representatives, both aimed at keeping fuel from further price increases by preventing unnecessary energy restrictions.
