Amata Radewagen: “The Pacific region is critical for U.S. interests and security.”

Amid the growing threat from the People's Republic of China, or PRC, we must preserve 120 years of American leadership and national success in the Pacific.

I look forward to working closely with the committee to advance these crucial issues, which are instrumental in preserving our nation's natural heritage and fostering community well-being.

That one sentence add-on buried in the 1983 territorial spending bill takes back the fruits of limited self-determination.

The Compacts of Free Association are vital to that endeavor and the broader U.S.-China competition.