Washington, DC—February 21, 2024…Today, Congressman Steve Womack (R-AR-3) and Congressman Ed Case (D-HI-1) led a bipartisan letter to Speaker Mike Johnson urging the inclusion of the Compact of Free Association (COFA) Amendments Act of 2023 in the next available legislative vehicle. Click here to read as reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Congressman Womack said, “The Compacts of Free Association got the bipartisan stamp of approval from the House Natural Resources Committee in November for a reason—these agreements are vital to our national security and our community in Northwest Arkansas. The next step is House passage, and there’s no time to waste. We must immediately approve this crucial legislation to instill confidence in our ability to uphold our commitments to critical security partners, longtime friends, and allies.”

Congressman Case said, “Congress must approve the recently-renegotiated Compacts of Free Association as soon as possible. The Compacts are central not only to our longstanding relationships with Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia, but to our country’s standing in the broader Pacific. The delay in providing Congressional approval is being used to sow doubt as to whether we can be trusted to stand by our commitments to our Pacific partners. The necessary legislative measure is fully vetted and ready for final approval in the House and should be approved now.”

In addition to the letter, Congressman Womack is an original cosponsor of Congressman Case’s legislation, the Pacific Partnership Act. This bill builds on successive Administration’s efforts in the Pacific Islands region to strengthen U.S. engagement in the area. The bill text can be found here.

This letter and legislation build on Congressman Womack and Congressman Case’s longstanding bipartisan work to support the citizens of the Freely Associated States of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau who reside in the United States and to strengthen the strategic partnership between the U.S. and countries in the Indo-Pacific region.