Pacific Funds Missing - USAGM
Metadata
- Pacific Funds Missing - USAGM
- February 9, 2024
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script English ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: PACIFIC FUNDS MISSING HEADLINE: Critical Funds to Counter China in the Pacific Missing from Senate Spending Package TEASER: Lawmakers wonder -- with so much bipartisan support for renewing funding for 3 Pacific Island nations, why has this spending been so difficult to pass? PUBLISHED AT: 2/8/2024 at 7:17 pm BYLINE: Jessica Stone DATELINE: Washington, DC VIDEOGRAPHER: Jessica Stone; Yu Chen PRODUCER: SCRIPT EDITORS: KEnochs; Bill Ide VIDEO SOURCES: VOA ORIGINAL, REUTERS, DVIDS see courtesies PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV X RADIO __ TRT: 3:08 VID APPROVED BY: mia TYPE: NOTES:)) ((ANCHOR INTRO)) [[Key funding to counter China in the Pacific is missing from a spending package under consideration on Capitol Hill. After weeks of being included in a tranche of emergency supplemental funding, some seven billion dollars to fund the Compacts of Free Association or COFA was suddenly dropped from the bill. VOA’S Jessica Stone reports.]] ((NARRATOR)) It’s a relationship…. forged in blood. The Marshall Islands – where 80 years ago, the Battle of Kwajalein marked an important victory for U.S. troops fighting the Japanese in World War II. For American troops, it was a significant breach of Japanese defenses. More than 5,000 Japanese soldiers died. Marshall Islands Ambassador to the U.S. Charles Paul says even now, the Marshallese can never forget. ((Charles Paul; Marshall Islands Ambassador to the US)) “There are a lot of bunkers that are still, still there. The island where I grew up. We still use the pier, the dock that the Japanese built.” ((NARRATOR)) But Paul says, in the decades since … Washington has forgotten the critical role the Marshall Islands play in U.S. national security. ((Charles Paul; Marshall Islands Ambassador to the US)) “To be frank, there are sometimes where we felt that we weren't given the, the attention. But obviously that that, that's changed a little bit. A lot. In the past five to 10 years. ((NARRATOR)) Changed a lot, he says, because of the increased and aggressive presence of the Chinese military across the Pacific. China says its expanded role in the Pacific is not directed at any third party. For decades, the U.S. has had military control over this huge swath of the Pacific Ocean – due to an agreement known as the Compacts of Free Association, or COFA. Last year, three Pacific nations — the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau — signed a 20-year extension of the deal, for $7 billion in U.S. economic assistance. Those funds were included in must-pass legislation for weeks, but on February 4th, they were dropped. ((MANDATORY COURTESY: Zoom)) Democrat Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii calls it a major disappointment: ((Sen. Mazie Hirono, Democrat)) “It was not in there, so I am doing my very best to get it back in as I said earlier, to put humpty-dumpty back together in a bipartisan way.” ((NARRATOR)) Hirono says she will add the funds to a new security bill which includes monies for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific. And in the meantime, she will focus on educating her peers. ((Senator Mazie Hirono; Hawaii Senator)) ((MANDATORY COURTESY: Zoom)) “Most of my colleagues are not familiar with these agreements that were put in place in the 1980’s. They’ve been in place for a long time, but they only come up for renewal every 20 years.” ((NARRATOR)) Republican congressman Steve Womack says he’s doing the same. ((Rep. Steve Womack, Republican)) “Most of my colleagues in Congress don’t know much about the Compact of Free Association.” NAT SOUND BREAK ((NARRATOR)) ((Courtesy: DVIDS)) Back in the Marshall Islands, Ambassador Paul says education and healthcare funds are running out. ((Charles Paul; Marshall Islands Ambassador to the US)) “We're able to have these doctors and teachers and nurses. It’s because it's being funded by the compact.” ((NARRATOR)) This week the leaders of Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands wrote a letter to Senate leadership – with a reminder that Beijing is waiting to take advantage of any further congressional delay. ((Jessica Stone VOA News Washington))
- Transcript/Script ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: PACIFIC FUNDS MISSING HEADLINE: Critical Funds to Counter China in the Pacific Missing from Senate Spending Package TEASER: Lawmakers wonder -- with so much bipartisan support for renewing funding for 3 Pacific Island nations, why has this spending been so difficult to pass? PUBLISHED AT: 2/8/2024 at 7:17 pm BYLINE: Jessica Stone DATELINE: Washington, DC VIDEOGRAPHER: Jessica Stone; Yu Chen PRODUCER: SCRIPT EDITORS: KEnochs; Bill Ide VIDEO SOURCES: VOA ORIGINAL, REUTERS, DVIDS see courtesies PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV X RADIO __ TRT: 3:08 VID APPROVED BY: mia TYPE: NOTES:)) ((ANCHOR INTRO)) [[Key funding to counter China in the Pacific is missing from a spending package under consideration on Capitol Hill. After weeks of being included in a tranche of emergency supplemental funding, some seven billion dollars to fund the Compacts of Free Association or COFA was suddenly dropped from the bill. VOA’S Jessica Stone reports.]] ((NARRATOR)) It’s a relationship…. forged in blood. The Marshall Islands – where 80 years ago, the Battle of Kwajalein marked an important victory for U.S. troops fighting the Japanese in World War II. For American troops, it was a significant breach of Japanese defenses. More than 5,000 Japanese soldiers died. Marshall Islands Ambassador to the U.S. Charles Paul says even now, the Marshallese can never forget. ((Charles Paul; Marshall Islands Ambassador to the US)) “There are a lot of bunkers that are still, still there. The island where I grew up. We still use the pier, the dock that the Japanese built.” ((NARRATOR)) But Paul says, in the decades since … Washington has forgotten the critical role the Marshall Islands play in U.S. national security. ((Charles Paul; Marshall Islands Ambassador to the US)) “To be frank, there are sometimes where we felt that we weren't given the, the attention. But obviously that that, that's changed a little bit. A lot. In the past five to 10 years. ((NARRATOR)) Changed a lot, he says, because of the increased and aggressive presence of the Chinese military across the Pacific. China says its expanded role in the Pacific is not directed at any third party. For decades, the U.S. has had military control over this huge swath of the Pacific Ocean – due to an agreement known as the Compacts of Free Association, or COFA. Last year, three Pacific nations — the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau — signed a 20-year extension of the deal, for $7 billion in U.S. economic assistance. Those funds were included in must-pass legislation for weeks, but on February 4th, they were dropped. ((MANDATORY COURTESY: Zoom)) Democrat Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii calls it a major disappointment: ((Sen. Mazie Hirono, Democrat)) “It was not in there, so I am doing my very best to get it back in as I said earlier, to put humpty-dumpty back together in a bipartisan way.” ((NARRATOR)) Hirono says she will add the funds to a new security bill which includes monies for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific. And in the meantime, she will focus on educating her peers. ((Senator Mazie Hirono; Hawaii Senator)) ((MANDATORY COURTESY: Zoom)) “Most of my colleagues are not familiar with these agreements that were put in place in the 1980’s. They’ve been in place for a long time, but they only come up for renewal every 20 years.” ((NARRATOR)) Republican congressman Steve Womack says he’s doing the same. ((Rep. Steve Womack, Republican)) “Most of my colleagues in Congress don’t know much about the Compact of Free Association.” NAT SOUND BREAK ((NARRATOR)) ((Courtesy: DVIDS)) Back in the Marshall Islands, Ambassador Paul says education and healthcare funds are running out. ((Charles Paul; Marshall Islands Ambassador to the US)) “We're able to have these doctors and teachers and nurses. It’s because it's being funded by the compact.” ((NARRATOR)) This week the leaders of Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands wrote a letter to Senate leadership – with a reminder that Beijing is waiting to take advantage of any further congressional delay. ((Jessica Stone VOA News Washington))
- NewsML Media Topics Economy, Business and Finance
- Topic Tags Funds Pacific
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date February 8, 2024 19:36 EST
- Description English [[Key funding to counter China in the Pacific is missing from a spending package under consideration on Capitol Hill. After weeks of being included in a tranche of emergency supplemental funding, some seven billion dollars to fund the Compacts of Free Association or COFA was suddenly dropped from the bill. VOA’S Jessica Stone reports.