We are extremely pleased that the proposed legislation before the U.S. Congress will ensure that FSM citizens living lawfully in the U.S. are again eligible for key public benefits.

The proposed legislation also incorporates the Bipartisan Care for COFA Veterans Act, which will provide improvements to medical care access to our veterans.

This package will also ensure continuing eligibility for Pell Grants and other key education benefits for FSM students.

We appreciate the advocacy and leadership of so many Members of the Congress on this issue, including Representatives Ed Case (D-HI), Steve Womack (R-AR) and Jill Tokuda (D-HI).

Thank you to the witnesses. First of all, to everybody in the room and listening who has contributed to the negotiations, thank you very much for your efforts.

we have until September 30 to get these Compacts done.

But rather, it is the case that the United States will lose credibility within the region and beyond.

Thank you for your leadership in the world on so many issues.

Of course, we want the conclusion of the negotiations between RMI and our country and hope and expect that.

It would be a mistake, however, to take these special relationships for granted.

To expect that to come from Interior and Appropriations seems a pretty heavy lift, to be honest.

the national security, not only of the United States, but of the globe, depends on our ability to address issues in the South Pacific.

I would make the submission that these are significant amounts, but in the context of an entire defense budget as an example, they are not large amounts.

It is fundamentally unfair to renegotiate these Compacts unless the legitimate concerns of states... are addressed.

Maintaining strong relationships with the Freely Associated States is essential to countering this influence and to maintaining peace and economic stability abroad and at home.

These Compacts must be reauthorized. That is a working fundamental principle on all parts.

We need to find a way to fund it.

We are extremely pleased that the proposed legislation will ensure that FSM citizens living lawfully in the United States are again eligible for key public benefits as a result of the Bipartisan Compact Impact Fairness Act.