By Pacific Island Times News Staff
President Joe Biden is $119.1 million for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs to fund federal initiatives in Guam, the Northern Marianas, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The FY 2025 budget also supports assistance needed to bring the Compact of Free Association Amendment Act of 2024 into force for the three freely associated states of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau.
Biden last week signed the COFA Amendment Act, which renewed the United States' economic provisions for the three Pacific island nations, and pledged $7.1 billion over 20 years.
The FY 2025 budget proposal for OIA includes $119 million in current appropriations and $2 billion in permanent funding.
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“President Biden has proposed a budget that strengthens our territories and complements the authorization of mandatory funding in the FY 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act to secure our Compact of Free Association relationships for decades to come,” said Assistant Secretary – Insular and International Affairs Carmen G. Cantor.
“OIA’s 2025 budget request will provide for investments in infrastructure, energy resiliency, and security and will promote equity in underserved communities allowing Interior to fulfill its responsibilities to the U.S. territories in the Pacific and the Caribbean," she added.
The budget request for current appropriations contains a total of $4 million in proposed increases from the FY 2024 Annualized Continuing Resolution level, including $1 million to support critical infrastructure needs in the territories, $1 million for compliance with the Insular Areas Act (Public Law (P.L.) 112-149) related to groundwater monitoring of Runit Dome, and $700,000 to address additional conservation needs for the Insular Areas.
