Hirono Applauds Inclusion of Compacts of Free Association in Federal Spending Bill
Sen. Hirono: “Passing this legislation is critical to our national security, regional stability, and upholding our commitment to our Compact allies.”
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement on the inclusion of the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) in the federal appropriations package announced earlier today:
“The Compacts of Free Association are vital to the United States’ relationship with the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau—critical allies in the Indo-Pacific. After years of negotiation, I’m proud to see the COFAs included in this appropriations package. As we work to counter China’s growing influence in the Pacific, these agreements are extremely important for our national security and that of our allies, and also for the tens of thousands of COFA citizens who live, work, and pay taxes in the U.S. Passing this legislation is critical to our national security, regional stability, and upholding our commitment to our Compact allies.”
Senator Hirono has been a leading champion for passage of the COFAs and the reinstatement of federal benefits for COFA citizens. Earlier this month, she delivered remarks on the Senate floor calling for the text of the COFA legislation to be added to the national security supplemental bill being considered by the U.S. Senate and introduced a bipartisan amendment to the bill that would have added the text of the COFA agreements. In August, she hosted a roundtable with COFA community leaders and advocates in Hawaii to discuss the challenges faced by COFA citizens and ways forward to ensure that the COFA community receives the support they need to thrive in the U.S. Last March, Senator Hirono also reintroduced the Compact Impact Fairness Act to restore access to a range of federal benefits for COFA citizens who reside in the U.S. The bill builds upon Senator Hirono’s legislation to restore Medicaid eligibility for COFA citizens, which was signed into law in 2020.
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