Washington, D;C; — Congresswoman Uifaatali Amata said thank you to Governor Pula’ali’i for his testimony Wednesday, June 17, 2026 on behalf of American Samoa before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, along with the Governors of Guam, CNMI, Puerto Rico, and the USVI.

Amata offered the following remarks about the hearing:

I sent my senior legislative staff to be there for the hearing. Governor Pulaali’i gave the Senators a clear explanation of American Samoa’s needs, priorities and all of the governors gave testimony that is helpful to the territories as we work together.

Chairman Lee was particularly interested in the great expense associated with flying from the Pacific territories to the mainland. I have already informed him I would be happy to introduce companion legislation in the House to correspond with any Senate proposal he makes to help alleviate the high costs of flying for all the Pacific territories.

The territories all expressed an interest in being more integrated to Medicaid by lifting the Medicaid caps for each territory.  Congress made permanent for the small territories both an increase in our FMAP rate to 83 percent federal, which was a huge legislative success for my colleagues and myself, improving it from the 55 percent we had been capped at for years.

In fact, it’s the best rate in the nation, better than any of the 50 states. Since then, Congress also made our 83 percent match rate permanent, so we don’t have to fight for it every few years!

But Puerto Rico's expires next year and the Senate has showed interest in both more permanently extending their program like ours and lifting the caps, so that will be a focus over the course of the year by working together in bipartisanship with all the Governors and Representatives of the territories towards these goals.

We all seek to build on those past successes and have our Medicaid caps removed for more equality with the States.

Governor Pulaali’i highlighted our fishing and port priorities and how U.S. prior neglect to our unique needs cost us one of our canneries years ago and a reduced fleet over time.

The Pacific Governors had a united front against deep sea mining, and of course, myself and my fellow Pacific Representatives in the House wholeheartedly concur.

I greatly appreciated Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski’s probative questions and how she emphasized “we don’t know what we don’t know” on what the effects of this mining could be.

I look forward to working with her and other Senators who are contemplating crafting some form of "pause" legislation for a couple years to ensure in-depth environmental review on possible effects to our ecosystems.

Senator Murkowski understands the need for both meaningful scientific review of possible effects, and consultation with the territories on any plans to move forward, including how it might impact our fishing. She’s been a good friend to American Samoa in the Senate.