[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 163 (Thursday, October 25, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2246-E2247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    INTRODUCTION OF A BILL TO REINSTATE CERTAIN FEDERAL BENEFITS TO 
                CITIZENS OF THE FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                          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.

[[Page E2247]]

  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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