FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2024
COFA COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION GATHER FOR MAJOR CELEBRATION
On Tuesday, May 28, 2024 from 10am to 1pm at the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Memorial Hall at Ke’ehi Lagoon Memorial Park, 2685 N Nimitz Hwy, Honolulu, HI 96819, the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) communities and Micronesian organizations from across Hawai’i and the US are gathering to host Senator Mazie Hirono, staff of Senator Brian Schatz, Representatives Ed Case and Jill Tokuda to express their heartfelt gratitude to the Hawai’i congressional delegation for their role in the renewal of the COFA treaties and passing of the Compact Impact Fairness Act (CIFA).
For the first time ever, COFA communities from Hawai’i and across the nation are coming together to co host an event highlighting the tireless efforts of the Hawai’i Congressional Delegation spanning over 20 years. These bilateral efforts have been instrumental in extending access to vital US federal benefits for COFA citizens legally residing and contributing to the workforce across the United States. Under the Compacts of Free Association, citizens from the Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands are afforded the opportunity and unique privilege to live and work in the United States.
The COFA treaties are multifaceted agreements, encompassing both economic and military aspects. While COFA citizens enjoy certain privileges in the US, these treaties also grant the US government the authority and responsibility to conduct military operations within the territories of these Pacific Island nations. Therefore, the COFA treaties not only regulate economic relations, but also govern maritime and military protocols in the Western Pacific region.
For over two decades, the Hawai’i Congressional Delegation has tirelessly championed the positive causes of COFA citizens, striving to ensure their access to essential federal benefits while residing and contributing to the workforce in the United States. Despite their contributions through American taxes, COFA citizens have faced barriers in accessing these benefits, primarily due to unintended consequences arising from the passage of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act.
This event is open to the public and members of the media throughout Hawai’i are invited to come and learn various aspects of the new COFA provisions in recently passed US federal laws signed by US President Joe Biden on May 9, 2024.
For more information, please contact lead organizer, Hawai’i based social services organization “We Are Oceania” (www.weareoceania.org) Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Josie Howard at josie@weareoceania.org.
