Implementation of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024
House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs
2026-01-14
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Source: Congress.gov
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Good morning, everyone. The Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess of the subcommittee at any time. The subcommittee is meeting today to hear testimony for an oversight hearing entitled Implementation of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024. Under Committee Rule 4F, any oral opening statements at hearings are limited to the chairman and to the ranking minority member. I therefore ask unanimous consent that all other members' opening statements be made part of the hearing record if they are submitted in accordance with Committee Rule 3-0. Without objection, so ordered. I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Wisconsin, Mr. Tiffany, the gentleman from Guam, Mr. Moylan, the gentleman from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Ms. King-Hines, and the gentleman from Hawaii, Mr. Case, be allowed to sit and participate in today's hearing. Without objection, so ordered. I will now recognize myself for an opening statement. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for being here for today's hearing examining the implementation of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024. I first want to take a moment to acknowledge a great loss on this dais and in the halls of this institution. Congressman Doug LaMalfa passed away suddenly last week. Mr. LaMalfa was an exceptional legislator, a dedicated defender of his district, and a strong voice on natural resource issues. Doug was also a genuinely decent man. He once held this very gavel and I'd be remiss not to acknowledge the great legacy that he has left behind. So I'd ask please for a moment of silence to honor Mr. LaMalfa. Thank you. And Doug, we will surely miss your presence here in this room.
OK. The Compacts of Free Association, or COFA, are the foundation for our special relationship with the Freely Associated States, or FAS. The FAS comprise three sovereign Pacific island nations, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. The COFA are mutually beneficial agreements between the United States and each of the FAS nations. These agreements provide strategic security opportunities for the United States, including a sustained US presence in the Pacific. In return, the FAS receive economic assistance as well as defense guarantees. Together, these agreements reflect the United States' commitment to its Pacific allies and to our broader strategy of peace through strength. As the Committee of Jurisdiction, the House Committee on Natural Resources, played a crucial role in passing the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024. But our work is far from over. Authorization was a critical step, but oversight is what ensures these commitments are carried out fully, faithfully, and on time. The People's Republic of China seeks to undermine the United States' leadership in the Indo-Pacific region and to exert influence over the FAS through economic as well as operational coercion. Now, more than ever, it is essential that the COFA agreements are faithfully implemented as Congress intended. That includes implementation across agencies, delivery of promised services, and accountability for how compact resources are used. Today, we will hear from administration witnesses on the progress of key provisions, including where implementation is working, where it has lagged, and what remains to be done. It is important that we not only hear about successes, but also where work remains. This committee values transparency and effective oversight depends on a clear and honest assessment of not only the progresses, but also the challenges. We are also joined in the second panel by ambassadors from each FAS whose perspectives are essential to assessing progress in COFA implementation.
The COFA agreements put into action the United States commitment to some of our closest allies in the Indo-Pacific. By fully implementing the COFA agreements, we signal not just to the FAS, but to all our allies in the region that the United States remains a reliable and strong partner in the security and prosperity of the Pacific. Our goal today is to ensure that the Compact remains not just a promise on paper, but a living commitment carried out as Congress intended. With that, the chair now recognizes the ranking minority member for any statement. Representative Ledger Fernandez.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thank you for that moment of silence for our colleague with whom we had just spent time in the Grand Tetons on a congressional delegation. He was indeed an incredibly decent and funny man. and committed. He always showed up. He always showed up on this committee.
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