Introduction of a Bill to Reinstate Certain Federal Benefits to Citizens of the Freely Associated States

Floor Speech

SPEECH OF HON. MAZIE K. HIRONO OF HAWAII IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2007

* Mrs. HIRONO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my colleague, Mr. Abercrombie, in introducing a bill to reinstate certain Federal benefits to citizens of the Freely Associated States, FAS.

* This bill is a companion measure to S. 1676, introduced earlier this year by Senators Akaka and Inouye, which provides eligibility for non-emergency Medicaid, Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, TANF, and Supplemental Security Income, SSI, to FAS citizens residing in the United States.

* Citizens from the FAS are from the Republic of the Marshall Islands RMI, Federated States of Micronesia, FSM, and the Republic of Palau, which are jurisdictions that have a unique political relationship with the United States. The Compact of Free Association established these nations as sovereign States responsible for their own foreign policies. However, the FAS remain dependent upon the United States for military protection and economic assistance.

* Under the Compact, the United States has the right to reject the strategic use of, or military access to, the FAS by other countries. This right is often referred to as the ``right of strategic denial.'' In addition, the U.S. may block FAS Government policies that it deems inconsistent with its duty to defend the FAS, which is referred to as the ``defense veto.'' The Compact also states that the United States has exclusive military base rights in the FAS.

* In exchange for these prerogatives, the U.S. is required to support the FAS economically, with the goal of producing self-sufficiency, and FAS citizens are allowed free entry into the United States as non-immigrants for the purposes of education, medical treatment, and employment. Because of this ability to travel within the United States as a non-immigrant, many FAS citizens have since migrated to the State of Hawaii.

* According to Governor Linda Lingle, in 2006 the State of Hawaii spent an estimated $91 million in State funds to provide health and social services to migrants from the FAS. This amount is almost double the cost of $48 million reported to the U.S. Department of the Interior by the State of Hawaii for health and social services provided to Compact migrants in 2003, which was the last year such figures were compiled. Clearly, the cost to the state is growing and will continue to grow.

* No State can expect its taxpayers to bear such an increasingly costly burden for an agreement that is in the interest of our entire Nation. The Federal Government should do more to help address the unintended social services consequences of the Compact.

* I know that Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands face the same challenges in the provision of health and social services to FAS citizens as the State of Hawaii. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this important issue.

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