PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT

Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center
With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai‘i

Unites States Representative Neil Abercrombie

October 28

WASHINGTON - Congressman Neil Abercrombie hailed today’s House of Representatives passage of legislation which doubles federal aid to Hawaii and U.S. Pacific territories to offset the cost of services to migrants from the Freely Associated States (F.A.S) of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia. 

The increase was included in a bill (House Joint Resolution 63) which extends until 2023 the Compact of Free Association between the U.S. and the F.A.S. 

Last month, the House Resources Committee approved an amendment offered by its Chairman, Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), to increase to $30 million the annual amount of Compact impact aid, double the $15 million figure proposed by the Bush Administration. 

The funds will partially reimburse the costs incurred by Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for services (primarily education, health, and human services) provided to F.A.S. migrants. 

The State of Hawaii spent more than $32 million for services to F.A.S. migrants in calendar year 2002 and has incurred more that $140 million in expenses since 1997. 

Currently, Compact impact aid is appropriated on a year-by-year basis.  Hawaii received $3 million for fiscal year 2003. 

Abercrombie, a senior member of the Resources Committee, thanked Pombo for his leadership. "I give a lot of credit to Chairman Pombo and Ranking Member Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) for this achievement," he said.  "It’s a difficult issue, but they maintained open minds and worked with us to craft this legislation.  We in Hawaii and the Pacific territories have good reason to be grateful for this bipartisan approach. 

"Clearly, Hawaii and our sister territories deserve a much higher level of Compact impact aid, but this legislation is a huge step forward.  It raises our payments and for the first time establishes a steady funding stream.  It’s a good starting point for further efforts to raise the reimbursement to reflect actual costs."

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