Sens. Cortez Masto and Ernst, and Reps. Case and Aumua Amata Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Pacific Partnership Act

Bill to Strengthen Strategic Relationships with Pacific Islands, and Counter Chinese Aggression in the Region

News Release from Office of Delegate Aumua Amata, (9-AS)

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Congressman Ed Case (D-Hawaii-01), and Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata (American Samoa) introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill aimed at strengthening the United States’ strategic partnerships with Pacific Island nations, supporting sustainable development, and combating the increasing Chinese aggression in the region. The Pacific Partnership Act would help the U.S. establish a clear, comprehensive strategy to support diplomatic, security, and economic relationships in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Thank you to Senator Cortez Masto, Senator Ernst, and Congressman Case for their focus on these important partnerships that are close to home for my congressional district in the South Pacific,” said Congresswoman Aumua Amata, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, including as Vice Chairman of its Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific. “We need sustained U.S. engagement for enduring partnerships in the Pacific Islands, keeping China’s influence in check, and strengthening mutual development opportunities.”

“Our Pacific Partnership Act responds directly to the reality that our country's and world's future lies in the Indo-Pacific, and that the islands of the Pacific are our indispensable partners in charting that future,” said Congressman Case. “The Pacific Islands are under increasingly severe economic, environmental and geopolitical stress, and we must expand our generational engagement to assist them where they most need assistance. The Pacific Partnership Act, molded directly on the Pacific Islands’ own blueprint to their collective future, is our roadmap to expanded engagement as well.”

“Supporting our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific is essential to combating the Chinese Communist Party’s influence and to our long-term national security,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This bipartisan bill is critical to strengthening our ties with our allies in the Pacific and ensuring they become enduring global relationships.”

“Strengthening America’s partnerships in the Indo-Pacific is critical to deterring Chinese aggression,” said Senator Ernst. “This bipartisan legislation equips us to work with nations in the Pacific that serve as the first line of defense against the Chinese Communist Party and keep Americans safe at home.”

The U.S. has a longstanding relationship with the Pacific Islands, and they play a crucial role in U.S. national security, facilitating military operations in support of American allies and partners. Nevada – through the National Guard – collaborates with the Republic of Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, and the Independent State of Samoa under the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program, strengthening security cooperation globally.

The Pacific Partnership Act would strengthen these crucial ties by creating a “Strategy for Pacific Partnership.” This strategy, crafted by the President and presented to Congress every four years, would outline U.S. involvement in the Pacific Islands and highlight combined efforts to combat regional challenges including natural disasters, security threats, and economic development.

The national news release from Sen. Cortez Masto is available here.

###