Interior Announces Final Award of $11.8 Million to American Samoa for FY 2020 Government Operations Support

WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary, Insular and International Affairs, Douglas W. Domenech today announced a final award of $11,833,000 to the American Samoa government under the American Samoa Government Operations grant for fiscal year (FY) 2020. These funds provide critical support to the hospital, the community college, and the judicial system in the territory.

“Secretary Bernhardt and I are pleased to support American Samoa through this program as it helps provide basic government operations and essential public services in the territory,” said Assistant Secretary Domenech. “Every year, the Office of Insular Affairs team works with the American Samoa government to ensure these funds are provided in a timely manner and to ensure continuation of critical public services for the people of American Samoa.”

The funds will be divided as follows:

Made available each year by Congress, the American Samoa Government Operations grant is provided through the Office of Insular Affairs on behalf of the federal government. The full amount provided by Congress for American Samoa government operations in FY 2020 is $23,665,000. Initial payments of the FY2020 funding totaling $11,832,000 have already been paid to the American Samoa government starting in the Fall of 2019.

For more information about the OIA Budget, visit: https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/oia-2021-greenbook-final.pdf

For more information about the work of the Office of Insular Affairs, visit http://www.doi.gov/oia or follow @ASIIADomenech on Twitter.

The Assistant Secretary, Insular and International Affairs, and the Office of Insular Affairs carry out the Secretary of the Interior’s responsibilities for the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, OIA administers and oversees federal assistance under the Compacts of Free Association to the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

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