Current location:opinions >>
Bill to Fund US Government Includes Money to Counter China in Pacific
opinions64651People have gathered around
IntroductionWASHINGTON —U.S. congressional negotiators released a bill Sunday that would fund key parts of the g ...
U.S. congressional negotiators released a bill Sunday that would fund key parts of the government through the rest of the fiscal year, which began in October 2023.
Among provisions in the appropriations package are critical funds to counter China in the Pacific as part of an agreement signed last year called the Compacts of Free Association, or COFA.
Under the compacts, Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands will receive $7 billion in economic aid over 20 years. In exchange, Washington will provide for their defense and can deny China access to their territorial waters, a maritime area larger than the continental United States.
The United States has had similar agreements in effect with Micronesia and the Marshalls since 1986 and with Palau since 1994. Citizens from these nations are allowed to travel, live and work in the United States as nonimmigrants.
Congresswoman Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, who represents the U.S. territory of American Samoa, told VOA on Sunday that House Speaker Mike Johnson reached her early Saturday morning to deliver the news.
Radewagen said she then called the presidents of the three Pacific allies to share the details.
“The COFA agreements send a clear message of U.S. commitment to the Pacific region and take a much-needed international strong stand for the ideals of democracy and freedom,” she told VOA in an email.
Senator Mazie Hirono, a Hawaii Democrat who has long supported the full funding of the agreement, issued a statement Sunday night.
“As we work to counter China’s growing influence in the Pacific, these agreements are extremely important for our national security and that of our allies, and also for the tens of thousands of COFA citizens who live, work and pay taxes in the U.S.,” she said.
The move comes after 26 senators, including Senators Joe Manchin, a Democrat, and John Barrasso, a Republican, urged Senate leadership to include the language that had previously been dropped from a Senate security spending bill on Feb. 12.
SEE ALSO:Senate Fails to Add Compact Funds to Aid Package
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Worldly Waves news portal”。http://azerbaijan.fivesixgroup.com/news-09b199905.html
Related articles
OpenAI pauses ChatGPT voice after Scarlett Johansson comparisons
opinionsNEW YORK (AP) — OpenAI says it plans to halt the use of one of its ChatGPT voices after some users s ...
【opinions】
Read moreChiefs rookie Xavier Worthy's car stolen in Kansas City by 'professional group of criminals'
opinionsXavier Worthy's car was stolen from his apartment in Kansas City earlier this week, according to rep ...
【opinions】
Read moreMarseille coach Gasset, 70, says he will retire at the end of the season
opinionsMARSEILLE, France (AP) — Marseille coach Jean-Louis Gasset said Friday that he will retire at the en ...
【opinions】
Read more
Popular articles
- Four people killed in a house explosion in southwestern Missouri
- Georgia Harrison puts on a sizzling display in a skimpy cheetah
- Transgender girl faces discrimination from a Mississippi school's dress code, ACLU says
- An abortion rights initiative makes the ballot in conservative South Dakota
- 'The Apprentice,' about a young Donald Trump, premieres in Cannes
- Families of Mexican farmworker bus crash victims mourn the loss of their loved ones
Latest articles
Devout Christian doctor, 68, who punched dementia
At PGA, Rahm spikes club, then rallies into red numbers
A man is convicted in Malawi over a TikTok video showing a caricature of the president dancing
Haiti is seeking a new prime minister. Dozens of candidates jostle for the key job
Fresh heartache for cancer
A man is convicted in Malawi over a TikTok video showing a caricature of the president dancing
LINKS
- Lod helps Minnesota United beat Charlotte 3
- US and Philippine forces launch combat drills in the disputed South China Sea
- DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Police have a duty to defend Jewish rights
- China introduces measures to support overseas investment in domestic sci
- The rainbow princess: Kate Middleton's stylish
- America's 'most disappointing' tourist attraction is getting a $550M makeover
- Maldives election: Voting begins in parliamentary polls
- Cher, Ozzy Osbourne among 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees
- Beijing base to bring in 50 giant pandas in 2025
- PNG leader takes offense after Biden implies an uncle was eaten by cannibals