Today, the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held a legislative hearing on two bills that address long-standing issues facing Americans in Guam and American Samoa. Subcommittee Chair Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) issued the following statement in response:

"H.R. 6062 and H.R. 6273 are the vehicles for issues of importance to two of our territories in the Pacific - American Samoa and Guam. I am grateful to all of my colleagues on the committee for the robust conversation on these two bills, and I want to again thank both sponsors, Ms. Radewagen and Mr. Moylan, for their dedication to those they represent."

Background

H.R. 6062, introduced by U.S. Rep. Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa), would repeal Section 12 of Public Law 98-213 (48 U.S.C. § 1662a), granting the president of the United States, and subsequently the Secretary of the Interior, the power to approve amendments to the American Samoan Constitution without congressional approval. Of the other U.S. territories with a local constitution, American Samoa is currently the only territory that must go through Congress to institute changes voted by their own citizens.

H.R. 6273, the Guam Host Community Compensation Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. James Moylan (R-Guam), would reauthorize Compact Impact Grant authority through Fiscal Year 2043 while removing Hawaii’s eligibility to receive the grant funding. The total grant funding would be $600 million over 20 years. The bill also seeks to address the public safety and other associated expenses of hosting migrants from the Freely Associated States.