Bills for Am Samoa awaiting Congressional action

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September is likely to be a big month for American Samoa in Congress.

As KHJ News Washington correspondent Matt Kaye reports, several important bills for the territory are on Congress’ calendar.

An historic boost in federal Medicaid for American Samoa will likely top the list of important bills Congress must vote on when lawmakers return here after Labor Day.

The Medicaid hike did not make the cut of almost 3-dozen non-controversial ‘fast tracked’ measures in the closing days of the last session before the House adjourned for its traditional August recess.

The Senate adjourned last week, and both chambers are now gone for another 4 to 5-weeks, forcing Congressional action very close to the September 30th “Medicaid Cliff” when an earlier hike will expire.

But passage of the committee-passed Medicaid increase will mean up to $84-million a year in federal Medicaid dollars for American Samoa, seven-times the territory’s regular Medicaid grant.

Congresswoman Aumua Amata Radewagen–an original co-sponsor of the bill—says the measure will provide “full coverage…and then, nearly full coverage” over the next six years, plus “a more equitable funding formula commensurate with the states.”

She says the bill will free up “millions” of dollars for LBJ Hospital improvements, expansion and better care. Other big items on tap for American Samoa—another $400,000 a year for ASG operations in a pending Fiscal ’20 Interior spending bill, bringing total recent ASG hikes to $1.5 million and the total to over $24-million.

The House spending committee wrote it continues to be concerned about the impact of Storm Gita on American Samoa.

Also on tap next month, a hearing on Congresswoman Aumua’s bill to streamline the citizenship process for American Samoans, postponed after Administration witnesses cited scheduling conflicts.

Aumua has asked two House committees, Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to review the upcoming Census questionnaire to ensure American Samoans in the states are counted whether they are citizens or nationals.

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