Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Welcomes Rest of President’s Proclamation Opening Fishing Waters

Pago Pago – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata remains convinced that Rose Atoll should be off limits, her longstanding position, especially as she respects the cultural rights of the people of Manu’a. She also emphasized she is happy for the fishermen and supports the rest of the announced change, which will strongly benefit the U.S. fishing fleet. 

Amata’s position is that the 50-mile to shore limit for Rose Atoll should remain in place, but otherwise she hails the larger facts of restoring 490,000 square miles of fishing waters to the U.S. fleet.

“With our heads we can welcome good news for our economy, while our hearts treasure Rose Atoll and stand with our people in Manu’a,” said Congresswoman Amata. “Thursday’s proclamation by President Trump is incredible, positive news for our fishing and economy overall. I want to be clear that elsewhere throughout U.S. waters, I support the change and thank the President – but Rose Atoll has special significance.”

“I respect the fisheries council process that Congress put in place, which is better than having any one person make fishing decisions,” Amata noted. “I do not have a vote on the council, and though I am in disagreement in this one point, I respect the process and their expertise.”

“The big picture is that this is an important order that strengthens U.S. food security, relies on science and analysis, reduces U.S. need for imported fish, and by strengthening U.S. presence in our waters, helps prevent I.U.U. fishing. All of this boosts our local island economy and honors our law-abiding U.S. fleet, and I appreciate that President Trump was willing to listen to our fishermen,” Amata concluded. “When it comes to Rose Atoll, that’s an exception and we rely on our hearts and culture.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Pago Pago – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is an original cosponsor of the Great America Outdoors Act 250, or the GAOA 250 – named in honor of both the sesquicentennial of the United States and the landmark Great America Outdoors Act enacted in 2020.

The Great American Outdoors Act 250, H.R. 9250, is a newly introduced bipartisan bill to modernize and maintain the National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Indian Education in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Led by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR), the only forester in Congress, and Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA), with Congresswoman Amata and others, the bill has deep support in the Committee, and already has the backing of over 100 supporting organizations.

“I’m delighted when we can advance truly bipartisan legislation, especially on substantial policy,” said Congresswoman Amata. “This five-year investment in America’s beautiful places focuses on areas of the most need, and is a fitting celebration of our 250^th anniversary.”

The GAOA250 invests $1.9 billion annually in America’s national parks, public lands, and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) facilities over each of the next five years, with the parks marked for the largest subset of the overall funding. Funded by private donations, onshore energy revenue, and foreign visitor to parks fees, GAOA250 enhances access, invests in some of our nation’s most treasured assets, creates jobs, and revitalizes adjacent local economies.

The effort focuses on high-priority deferred maintenance projects, in part by establishing the America’s Legacy Restoration Fund, and emphasizes restoring campgrounds, trails, boat ramps, hunting/fishing sites and other recreational infrastructure. It also supports 72,500 jobs across the country and $26 billion in revenue for rural gateway communities that are neighbors to our national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges, and public lands. It provides an economic boost to the $1.3 trillion outdoor economy, and in specific related instances to these goals, allows transfers to the Federal Highway Administration for transportation projects.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Combating IUU Fishing, Supporting Religious Freedom & Pacific Partnerships

Pago Pago – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is highlighting several House-passed bills, each originating in the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), on priority issues within Amata’s legislative track record.

Pacific Partnerships: Amata is a cosponsor of the US-Japan-ROK Trilateral Cooperation Act, H.R. 3429, a bipartisan effort led by Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA), passed by the House. This bill creates a regular inter-parliamentary dialogue to facilitate closer cooperation between the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea on shared interests and values, especially important in the Pacific region. The bill directs the U.S. Department of State to negotiate regular trilateral meetings (referred to as the US-Japan-ROK Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue) to facilitate closer cooperation. It also determines the membership requirements for the group representing the United States, composed of up to eight Members of Congress appointed for two years at a time, and guides other factors of the meetings, group leadership, and the reports they will generate. “Japan and South Korea are two of our key allies in the region, part of all U.S. considerations for peace and prosperity in the Pacific,” Amata said.

Combating IUU Fishing: The House passed the Stop Illegal Fishing Act, H.R. 6338, a bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Rep. Young Kim (R-CA). The bill directs the President to impose sanctions on foreign vessels and persons engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Further, regarding those involved in IUU fishing, the bill directs the President to block and prohibit transactions in the U.S. involving a covered foreign vessel, and deny or revoke their visa, along with civil and criminal penalties for violations. The bill allows waivers that are essential to U.S. security, or to provide life-saving assistance to a vessel in distress, and provides for a periodic report to Congress on these enforcement efforts.

Congresswoman Amata has a track record of backing and cosponsoring bills that pursue these legislative and enforcement efforts, including just in 2026, cosponsorships of the Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests (FISH) Act, H.R. 3756, and the bipartisan Standards for Understanding Source and Habitat Identification (SUSHI) Act, H.R. 3706, recent bills that also contain some of these same enforcement provisions and policies, as well as the broader bill Amata led and sponsored, the South Pacific Tuna Treaty Act, passed in December 2025 as part of other major legislation and now law. 

“I strongly support recent legislative efforts to toughen up our national enforcement against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and I appreciate several colleagues who’ve led on this critical issue,” said Congresswoman Amata. “Our committee has advanced bills that had similar goals, and I’m pleased this bipartisan bill has passed the full House.”

Defending Religious Freedom: The House has passed the USCIRF Reauthorization Act, HR 1744, which renews the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. In the fall of 2024, Congresswoman Amata served as floor manager for the House vote that successfully passed and reauthorized USCIRF for two years, and Amata gave a speech in the House in support of worldwide religious freedom efforts. Now, reauthorization is due again soon, and the House-passed bill awaits Senate passage to become law. This year’s bill is sponsored by Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ). 

“My good friend Chairman Smith is the foremost champion in Congress for human rights and religious freedom, a tireless and outspoken advocate for these important causes, and has served an amazing 45 years in the U.S. House of Representatives,” concluded Amata.  “It’s a delight to serve with him as the nation benefits from his experience at the helm of our Subcommittee’s work for human rights and religious freedom.” 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)

New Bill Continues Congressional Effort Urging Increased Oversight and Improved Conditions at Immigration Detention Facilities Nationwide

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Jim Himes, Ranking Member on the House Intelligence Committee, wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling for the United States to establish a humanitarian corridor for the transit of fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz to prevent Trump’s unnecessary war from triggering a broader humanitarian catastrophe.

“The Administration has a responsibility to address the humanitarian and economic consequences of the conflict it chose to initiate,”the Members wrote. “Preventing a broader food security crisis should be an immediate priority. The United States should lead a coordinated diplomatic effort with allies, regional partners, and international organizations to establish a humanitarian maritime corridor for fertilizer, other essential agricultural inputs, and emergency nutrition and food commodities through the Strait of Hormuz. Such a corridor would help stabilize global markets, protect vulnerable populations, and demonstrate that even amid heightened tensions, diplomacy remains capable of delivering tangible results.”

The letter continued:“Failure to act will carry consequences far beyond the region. Food insecurity is a catalyst for political instability, displacement, and conflict, all of which ultimately undermine U.S. national security interests. The United States cannot afford to allow a preventable disruption in fertilizer supplies to trigger a wider humanitarian crisis. Swift diplomatic engagement is necessary to avert further harm and restore confidence in the free flow of essential goods through one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.”

The full letter is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

This week, Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03) took to the House Floor to congratulate Scottsbluff’s Midwest Theater on 80 years of business. During his remarks, Smith highlighted the theater’s significance to Scottsbluff and surrounding communities while recognizing the countless number of volunteers who have made the theater a place to gather for the past eight decades.  

Click the image above to watch a video of Smith’s remarks
Click here to download audio
Click here to download video

Following is a transcript of Smith’s remarks as prepared for delivery:  

M. Speaker,

Today I rise to celebrate 80 years of the Midwest Theater—a place that has meant so much to Scottsbluff and the surrounding communities. 

For eight decades, this theater has been more than just a building. It has been a gathering place, a community hub, and a doorway to worlds far beyond our own. Children, parents, grandparents, and friends have come through these doors to laugh, to cry, to wonder, and to be transported into stories from every corner of the globe.

The Midwest Theater has given us the gift of escape—the chance to set aside the worries of everyday life and lose ourselves in imagination, creativity, and shared experiences.

And while it began as a movie house, it has grown into something even greater: a thriving performing arts center that enriches the cultural life of western Nebraska through film, music, theater, and live performance.

As we celebrate 80 remarkable years, we also celebrate the countless number of volunteers who have sustained this institution and the generations still to come who will create new memories here.

Happy 80th anniversary, Midwest Theater. May your lights continue to shine brightly for many years to come.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Pete Aguilar (31 CD Ca)

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CA — Today, Reps. Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Judy Chu (CA-28) and Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) issued a joint statement following reports of retaliation against detainees at the Adelanto ICE processing facility: 
“Recently, we performed our congressional responsibility of oversight at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center where we had heard reports of detainees going on hunger strike to protest horrific conditions at the facility. During our visit, we had the opportunity to meet with three detainees. 
“The individuals we met with raised serious concerns about their treatment within the center, including a lack of access to adequate food, water and medical care, as well as unfair retaliation of those participating in the strike. 
“In the days since our visit, we learned of deeply troubling allegations that agents began punishing and unfairly targeting the men we met with, including harassing them, placing them in solitary confinement, moving them to other facilities around the country, and reportedly trying to expedite a deportation.
“Immediately following the reports, our offices contacted ICE demanding a full and complete accounting of the facts into these disturbing incidents and the hostile treatment of detainees. We have continued to follow up since our initial inquiry on June 2nd, but ICE has failed to provide an answer or justification for these actions. 
“Let’s be clear: there is no place for retaliation in our immigration system. Anyone who unjustly commits abuses against detainees must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. As Members of Congress, we will continue to use every oversight tool at our disposal to ensure fair and humane treatment of everyone in our immigration facilities.” 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is honoring the U.S. Army’s birthday, which marks the founding of the U.S. Army on June 14, 1775. 

“While last year we celebrated 250 years of service by the U.S. Army, this year we will soon celebrate the sesquicentennial of the great nation that our Army safeguards. We wish a very special happy birthday to the U.S. Army and all our soldiers, including veterans and those currently serving,” said Congresswoman Amata. “The Army happens to share a birthday, although two years apart, with the U.S. Flag that our soldiers defend and cherish.”

The U.S. Army has a proud history beginning in 1775, when the volunteers of the first continental army encamped around British-held Boston, in Massachusetts. The Continental Congress commissioned George Washington of Virginia, who had experience and a prior militia rank of colonel, as the first commanding General in U.S. history. The U.S. Army today is composed of hundreds of thousands of personnel, including the soldiers of the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. 

“We are rightfully proud of our Toa o Samoa, and thankful for your service,” Amata continued. “Today we honor our soldiers, wherever they are stationed, including our own Army Reserve right here, and our many Army Veterans.”

“Congress is currently working on the next yearly National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to direct the Pentagon, and yearly appropriations legislation,” she concluded. “I will always support a strong, well-equipped, effectively trained, and properly compensated U.S. Army, ready to preserve peace, defend the country and ensure the cause of freedom.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Pago Pago – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is highlighting the June 14^th birthday of the United States Flag, known as Flag Day nationally.

“The birthday of the U.S. flag is a yearly flag-flying holiday, and this year it is just 20 days before the historic 250^th birthday celebration of the United States. It was on June 14, 1777, that the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act, which established the main features of the flag, already in use at the time by General George Washington, who was influential in the permanent U.S. flag’s colors and appearance. Since then, the red and white stripes, and blue field with white stars have been continuously part of the flag, while the pattern of the stars has changed with the growth in the number of states, most recently in 1959 with the Pacific additions of Alaska and Hawai’i.

“Here in American Samoa, we hail the raising of the U.S. flag every year on April 17^th, our own wonderful and unique holiday, but we proudly celebrate with the United States on this year’s birthday of the flag,” concluded Amata. “The flag is symbolic throughout the world of the ideals of freedom. On every patriotic day, we think of our Toa o Samoa, past and present, for their service under this great flag, widely known as ‘Old Glory’ and the ‘Star-spangled Banner.’”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is honoring Women Veterans Recognition Day (June 12), a day specifically recognizing the historical milestone on June 12, 1948, when the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act was signed into law by President Harry Truman. From this point on, U.S. Servicewomen have had full and permanent membership in the Armed Forces.

“Our women veterans are fully included in our traditional Veterans Day each November, and this is not a separate Veterans Day, rather this historical date honors the acknowledgement and inclusion of women since 1948, and all they mean to our Armed Forces,” said Congresswoman Aumua Amata, who is Vice Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC). “This important change took place after the dedicated service of many women in support of the great victory in World War II. Women Veterans have continued to take part in the defense of the United States, and serve in vital missions and duties. This recognition day honors their devoted service, sacrifice, and bravery.”

In this file photo, Amata was at a memorial to Sgt. Tina Safaira Time at the Army Women’s Museum in Virginia.

“In American Samoa, the U.S. military has been an important part of the lives of many of our young women, whether a starting point or their life calling, and a great part of their educational opportunities and success stories, such as the career of my Chief of Staff Leafaina Tavai,” concluded Amata. “As we honor our women veterans of American Samoa we should always have special remembrance for one of our own, Sgt. Tina Safaira Time, who passed in December 2004, serving our nation with honor and dedication in Operation Iraqi Freedom. She was 22 years old, and that will be 22 years ago this December.”

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