House committee supports $900,000 increase for Am Samoa’s DOI/ OIA Budget

Washington, D.C. — The full House Appropriations Committee has passed the Department of  Interior Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026, which funds American Samoa’s DOI Operations fund. This year’s House bill has a $900,000 increase for American Samoa for a new total of $29 million – that despite the bill’s overall trimming of the Office of Insular Affairs spending.

Of American Samoa’s $29 million in the bill, $3 million is designated to American Samoa Community College at  Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata’s request. Next steps for the bill include full House consideration followed by likely reconciliation efforts with a Senate bill. This major bill also supports all federal interior and insular grants and services for the year ahead.

“An increase for American Samoa in the House bill is a welcome addition, especially since our boost is despite the decrease to OIA overall,” said Congresswoman Amata. “I appreciate the bipartisan support for our islands from the leadership on this bill, Chairman Tom Cole, Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson, and Ranking Member Chellie Pingree. I will work with key Senate negotiators to secure American Samoa’s funding.”

Appropriations in 2025 for American Samoa’s operations DOI account was $28.1 million, including the designation of $3 million of these funds to ASCC operations at Amata’s request for the past several years.

Following decades of level funding, this year’s bill would mark the seventh increase since 2018 to American Samoa’s operations fund for an accumulated boost of $6.3 million.

Those prior requests resulted in increased amounts of $250,000, $718,000, $400,000, $500,000, $2.5 million, and $1 million, all accumulated and preserved in this legislation.