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Amata fights for Increased funding for ASG Operations

Congresswoman Amata testifies before the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee  [Courtesy photo]
Wants new number to reflect inflation growth
Source: Media release, office of Congresswoman Aumua Amata

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Aumua Amata, at a House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior fought for and requested a long overdue increase to the funding for American Samoa Government operations; citing the rise in the population, the departure of one its canneries and other factors for the increase.

“As it stands, the amount awarded in the first year of record (1974) for this account was $13 million… it is now 43 years later and that amount has increased to only $22 million annually. To give you an idea of just how thin this funding is currently being stretched, ASG operations funded under this program are basic Department of Education (DoE) operations; LBJ Tropical Medical Center operations; American Samoa Community College (ASCC) operations, and High Court operations,” stated Amata.

“If adjusted for inflation from that 1974 figure, the current amount would be $64 million annually. The good that this increase would do, cannot be overstated and would be utilized to improve the conditions at the only hospital on the island, as well as other much needed improvements to those entities I just listed,” continued the Congresswoman.

The House Interior, Environment & Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee holds a Member’s Day hearing every year, so that they can hear directly from the Members on exactly what their funding priorities are for their districts. It also allows the members to voice any additional concerns they may have with funding levels for the departments under the jurisdiction of the subcommittee.

To emphasize the great gulf in funding for American Samoa, Amata continued testifying, “Also to give you an idea of just how disproportionate the funding is not only between American Samoa and the states, but the other territories as well; just last week the Department of the Interior sent an adjustment to the U.S. Virgin Islands in the amount of $18.2 million for their Rum Excise Taxes for Fiscal Year 2016, bringing their total excise tax revenues to $231.5 Million for the year. It is of note that the U.S. Virgin Islands population is only double that of American Samoa, yet their excise tax benefits are currently 10 and a half times that of my home district… this adjustment is nearly equal to the full amount of funding American Samoa receives from the ASG operations account.”

In closing, Congresswoman Amata stated, “I want to thank both Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum for their time and efforts in getting this critical appropriation measure to the floor and I look forward to continuing to work with them to end the discrepancies in funding between American Samoa and our counterparts.”