House Committee on Natural Resources discusses Compacts of Free Association renewals in Oct. 18 meeting

Members of the House Committee on Natural Resources discussed whether or not to renew the Compacts of Free Association (COFAs) and commitment to Freely Associated States (FAS) in a scheduled meeting on Oct. 18. The committee focused on a discussion draft to approve recently-negotiated Compacts of Free Association in an attempt to deter Chinese influence. The renewal of Compacts of Free Association and commitment to Freely Associated States were key topics of discussion during the meeting.

Following the meeting, subcommittee chair Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) issued this statement: "The United States has had a long history of partnership with the Freely Associated States (FAS) of the Republic of Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Federated States of Micronesia. In August, I had the privilege of joining my colleagues on a visit to these countries and have personally met with the FAS leaders and citizens. It was abundantly clear from these meetings that the people of the FAS are increasingly concerned about Chinese Communist Party influence and want a continued close partnership with the U.S. It is our responsibility to ensure that we continue and strengthen this partnership for the years to come. The House Natural Resources Committee will continue to work in a bipartisan and bicameral manner with our House and Senate colleagues, unified in showing just how important these relationships are in countering China’s malign influence and aggression in the Indo-Pacific."

During the meeting, the committee discussed a draft House Joint Resolution introduced by Bruce Westerman, Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources. The resolution focused on changing and approving the U.S. Federal States of Micronesia (FSM)-Compact and related agreements. It was noted that agreements with Palau and the compact with the Republic of the Marshall Islands are currently underway.

According to the meeting announcement, Committee Chair Westerman "led a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) of nine members to the region to see firsthand and hear from local communities, to further understand the threat of the People's Republic of China under the Chinese Communist Party. The delegation visited and met with leaders from the three FAS nations and discussed the U.S. ongoing commitments and partnerships with their nations.”

For those interested, video of the hearing and testimony by witnesses is available on the House Committee on Natural Resources website.

The House Committee on Natural Resources is actively considering the renewal of the Compacts of Free Association and the commitment to the Freely Associated States. The committee is focused on strengthening the partnership between the United States and the Republic of Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Federated States of Micronesia to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.