Neil Abercrombie: “I would like to express my wholehearted support for this legislation being considered today. For the past 17 years, the…”

“I would like to express my wholehearted support for this legislation being considered today. For the past 17 years, the United States has had a successful relationship with the Freely Associated States (FAS). The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) have been able to transition from a United Nations trusteeship to sovereign governments. At the same time, the United States has had its security and defense interests in the Pacific fulfilled. H.J. Res. 63 will improve this vital economic and military relationship by allowing our nations to continue the successes in our agreement while helping to resolve some of our differences. One of the issues which required a resolution is the impact that the Compacts of Free Association has had on U.S. areas in the Pacific. The Compacts allow FSM and RMI citizens to freely enter the U.S. and its territories to live, seek an education, obtain healthcare and find employment. For the State of Hawaii alone, more than $32 million was expended in 2002 in order to support Compact migrants and help ensure their health and well-being. These costs have been borne by Hawaii since the Compacts were first implemented in 1986. For the past seventeen years, the state has provided Compact migrants with the care and benefits that were promised to them by the first Compact, expending more than $140 million. In that time, the federal government has reimbursed a mere five percent of that amount.”