House Compact Amendment Bill Passed, Goes to Senate

A bill, which shifts primary responsibility for provision of disaster assistance for the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the Federated States of Micronsia (FSM) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID, was passed by the U.S. House this week. The legislation, if approved by the full Congress, will clarify legal services to the Freely Associated citizens residing in the United States, restore access to the transmission of videotaped programming, and make technical amendments to the 2003 Compact, Amended.

The "Compacts of Free Association Amendments Act of 2007," approved by voice vote, was received by the Senate on November 14, read twice, and placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. A related bill, S.283, which cleared The Senate Energy Committee last February, has yet to be considered.

ATTACHMENT TO COMPACTS OF FREE ASSOCIATION AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007

The Department of Defense and House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Tom Lantos, requested that this Compacts amendment bill be modified to include the text of H.R. 3912, the Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2007.

The original bill, introduced by Del. Donna Christensen (D-VI) in June, included text related only to the Freely Associated States.

The attachment of "SEC. 11. Transfer of Naval Vessesls to Certain Foreign Recipients," authorizes for a two-year period, the transfer of eight decommissioned naval vessels to certain friends and allies of the United States, specifically Lithuania and Turkey and Taiwan.

On Wednesday, American Samoa's Del. Eri Faleomavaega motioned that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2705, as amended, and two-thirds being in the affirmative the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.

In support of the legislation, Congressman Faleomavaega said:

This bill makes conforming, clarifying, and technical amendments to the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003, which are important to ensuring that we maintain our obligations under the act to our friends in Micronesia.

This bill also approves agreements made pursuant to the act which determines how disaster relief will be handled for the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, through amending the Compact of Free Association, this legislation before us today transfers excess military equipment to friendly foreign governments for their legitimate defense needs. It is a strong statement of trust and cooperation from the United States when we transfer excess U.S. military naval vessels.

While excess to our own needs, these refurbished vessels conserve significant and deeply appreciated roles in the navies of the recipient nations.

Mr. Speaker, this bill also authorizes the transfer of excess U.S. naval vessels to three of our most important friends and allies, Turkey, Lithuania and Taiwan.

As my colleagues well know, Turkey is one of our most valued NATO members, and is one of the United States' closest allies. Turkey serves as one of the most important conduits for the transit of supplies to our forces in Iraq. The transfer of these missiles, two guided missile frigates and two minesweepers, will again reinforce our close relationship with Istanbul and our common commitments to each other's security needs.

Lithuania has been a staunch U.S. ally in the global war on terror. It makes an outside contribution to global security, contributing troops to military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the leading provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan.

The two minesweeper vessels in this bill will allow Vilnius to clear leftover sea mines from the two world wars in the Baltic Sea and supports Lithuania's commitment to NATO's Mine Counter-Measures Forces North mission.

Taiwan is a thriving and energetic democracy. Our two nations share a complex web of economic, political, and strategic ties that only deepens over time. Taiwan is a bulwark of democracy in the Asia-Pacific region, and we must do all we can to further strengthen our political, security and economic ties. This bill authorizes the sale of two minesweepers to Taiwan.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

-by Aenet Rowa, Yokwe Online, November 15, 2007