Micronesia awaits
U.S. decision on
partnership
The governments of two tiny Pacific nations will be watching Capitol Hill closely this week as millions of dollars in U.S. aid for their islands hangs in the balance.
House and Senate lawmakers in Washington, D.C., face a deadline tomorrow to approve legislation extending the financial and tactical relationship between the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Because the legislation isn't likely to pass out of both chambers on time -- the House isn't scheduled to take up the matter again until tomorrow -- lawmakers would have to pass some kind of measure extending the funding to the islands while the partnership agreements, known as the Compacts of Free Association, are pending.
"It is a concern here," said Kensley Ikosia, deputy executive director of Micronesia's Joint Committee on Compact Economic Negotiations. "Hopefully, there will be some kind of continuing resolution or some kind of funding assistance."
Although members of Congress have said they plan to take steps to ensure that funding to the islands remains stable, no such measure has been introduced as lawmakers consider their options.
Under the compacts, first negotiated in 1986, the island nations receive financial aid and rights for their citizens to freely migrate to U.S. soil. In exchange, the United States receives defense rights to their waterways and land, including use of Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshalls Islands for a missile defense testing range.
The new compacts would authorize the United States to provide $3.5 billion in funding over the next 20 years with the goal of ultimately weaning the islands from U.S. aid.
Final approval of the compacts in the U.S. House was stalled last week because of concerns related to so-called "impact aid" earmarked for Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa to offset the costs of providing health care, education and other social services for Micronesian and Marshallese immigrants who migrate to their jurisdictions.
Earlier this month, the House Resources Committee amended the bill to double the amount of impact aid for affected jurisdictions to $30 million. That caused the compact package to exceed what was allocated to the House International Affairs Committee, which has primary jurisdiction of the bill, officials said.
The last-minute concerns are to be put before the House when it takes up the compact legislation again tomorrow.
Ikosia said the U.S. government has indicated the Senate will act quickly once the House gives final approval to the bill. Congress has set Friday as its target adjournment date.
After Congress gives its approval, the governments of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands must then follow suit before they can be fully implemented.
"We're hoping the Congress' passage will happen soon," Ikosia said by telephone from Pohnpei.
Micronesia and the Marshall Islands are about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii.
