Gregorio Sablan: “At this time, I would like to inquire if the other side has any additional speakers.”

There is no easy way that our nation will be able to maintain our influence in what is becoming an increasingly strategic, important, and contested area of the world without continuing our partnership with the COFA nations.

I explained the path we are forging to fiscal, economic, and social stability in the Commonwealth.

Today is, indeed, a very important day, historic in some ways, because it marks the beginning of what I hope and I believe will be a successful bipartisan effort to renew the financial provisions of the Compacts of Free Association.

There can be no doubt that renewing the financial provisions of the Compact is essential to our nation's security posture in the Indo-Pacific region.