Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)
Bills Designate $3 Million for ASCC, New Report on Pago Pago Port Improvements
Washington, D.C. –Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming advancement of four of her legislative priorities in two bills, as the House is moving forward another $1 million increase for American Samoa’s OIA Operations fund, at Amata’s request. Further, that same bill includes her requests to designate $3 million to ASCC, and to direct DOI to provide Congress with a federally funded report on Pago Pago Port improvements planning.
Congresswoman Amata with Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole
Another bill includes Amata’s additional $1 million earmark for the Port of Pago Pago for use in 2027 – separate from the report on future improvements. On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee passed both the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill by a vote of 35-27, and the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill by a vote of 34-27.
Upon full House and Senate passage, the $1 million addition would boost American Samoa’s operations fund to a record $30 million for the year. The separate $1 million earmark for the Port was obtained working cooperatively with American Samoa Government, and repeats the FY2026 $1 million earmark, also for port improvement.
“These four priorities are great news, continuing to build up our funding, with two separate $1 million increases, another round of $3 million backing for ASCC, and a report to Congress to make clear the next steps in more Port improvements,” said Congresswoman Aumua Amata. “The upkeep and modernization of the Port of Pago Pago is absolutely critical to our shipping and supply, our fishing industry, and our future economy. It’s a pleasure to work on our appropriations with my friend, Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, and on these bills respectively with Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson and Ranking Member Chellie Pingree on one, and Subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack and Ranking Member James Clyburn on the other.”
Since Fiscal Year 2018, Congresswoman Amata’s yearly requests in the Interior bill have increased the Operations fund substantially after prior years of level funding. This $1 million increase would bring that total up to $7.3 million in new growth over that time. Importantly, Amata’s requests for American Samoa are advancing despite slowed growth and cutbacks to the nationwide OIA budget in some of those years, including 2026 and 2027.
In the second of Amata’s Interior requests, the bill once again has $3 million designated for the year to American Samoa Community College (ASCC). This would direct one-tenth of the Operations Fund to ASCC, however, the Fund has grown by well more than twice that designated amount.
Finally, the bill has a third of Amata’s Interior requests, directing DOI to complete a new report within 90 days of final passage on proposals to modernize ports in the four smaller territories, and notably, it singles out only the Port of Pago Pago by name, making certain Pago Pago is featured in the DOI information gathering and planning on port renovation efforts. This report will be funded by the federal government through the OIA’s Maintenance Assistance Fund.
Next steps for both bills include full House consideration followed by likely reconciliation efforts with a Senate bill. These bills support all federal interior and insular grants and services for FY2027, as well as highways and ports.
For Fiscal Year 2026, which is last year legislatively, Amata secured $900,000 for a new total of $29 million in American Samoa’s fund through Interior. Additionally, from 2018-2025, Amata secured increases of $250,000, $718,000, $400,000, $500,000, $2.5 million, and $1 million, all accumulated in this legislation.
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