Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources issued the findings of the bipartisan Indo-Pacific Task Force. 

"America is committed to supporting our allies in the Indo-Pacific and combating the threat of the Chinese Communist Party. Our work on these issues has included countless meetings with leaders from the region, multiple hearings on the importance of America's support and travel to all three Freely Associated States to see their needs firsthand. The threat of the Chinese Communist Party continues to loom large in the Indo-Pacific, and it only underscores the importance of passing my Compacts of Free Association Amendments Act to give our allies critical resources and support to deter Chinese Communist Party's influence and continue working closely with the United States. I'd like to thank Ranking Member Grijalva, Indo-Pacific Task Force Chair Radewagen and Co-Chair Sablan for their important contributions to this work and look forward to many years of close alliance with our partners in the Pacific." - House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.)

"I commend the work of the members of the Indo-Pacific Task Force. The people of the Freely Associated States have been among the United States’ most loyal allies and friends for almost eighty years. It is in both our national security interest and our duty to honor this friendship that Congress should approve the amended Compacts of Free Associations without further delay." - House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.)

"As a representative from among the Pacific Island peoples, I am proud to have been involved in this historic legislation. Thank you to Chairman Westerman for his leadership and the opportunity to work directly on this critical issue with him as chairman of the Committee’s bipartisan Task Force on the Indo-Pacific. The COFA agreements send a clear message of U.S. commitment to the region in a strong stand for the ideals of democracy and freedom." - Indo-Pacific Task Force Chair Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa)

"When we created the Indo-Pacific Task Force, our aim was to focus on issues facing the U.S. territories in the Pacific and our neighbor nations of Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. The United States has vital security and economic interests throughout the region, and our work has highlighted the importance of renewing the compacts with our close friends and allies. As Co-Chair of the Task Force, I believe Congress must swiftly approve H.J. Res. 96, the Compacts of Free Association Amendments Act of 2023, which provides the three freely associated states additional economic assistance over the next twenty years. In exchange for this direct aid and access to certain federal programs, our nation retains exclusive military access to their lands and waters – vitally strategic areas of the Pacific. We must respect our relationships with these Freely Associated States by immediately renewing and increasing the financial provisions of the current compacts. But we must also continually nurture the relationships with our Pacific ally neighbors and maintain consistent engagement in the Pacific to diminish the risk of foreign interests filling any vacuum in the region." - Indo-Pacific Task Force Co-Chair Gregorio Sablan (D-Northern Mariana Islands)

Background

The House Committee on Natural Resources has prioritized strengthening America's presence in the Indo-Pacific region with the creation of the bipartisan Indo-Pacific Task Force. The task force conducted oversight on issues facing the U.S. Pacific Territories and the Freely Associated States (FAS), which includes the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Westerman led a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) of nine members to the region in August 2023 to hear from the FAS' national leaders and local communities about the threat of the People's Republic of China (PRC) under the Chinese Communist Party. 

The PRC has increasingly sought to reshape regional political, economic, and strategic alignments throughout the U.S. Pacific territories and the FAS. Through offerings of economic aid and infrastructure development, the PRC is attempting to leverage its resources to shape political outcomes and perceptions of the U.S. in the region while waging political warfare to gain undue influence and destabilize island nations.

Over the course of their visit, the CODEL visited and met with leaders from the three FAS nations and discussed ongoing U.S. commitments and partnerships with each island nation. Members also witnessed the myriad ways in which the PRC attempts to buy influence and undermine democracy in the region.

These findings mark the conclusion of the task force's oversight work. The House Committee on Natural Resources will continue to support the passage of the Compacts of Free Association Amendments Act and support for our allies in the Indo-Pacific.

To view the findings of the Indo-Pacific Task Force, click here.