Amata Highlights US Embassy and Consulate Staff Needs in the Pacific Islands

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata took part in a Wednesday hearing of the full House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), making remarks leading to her questions, directed to Under Secretary of State for Management Jason S. Evans, and highlighting the U.S. Foreign Service needs in the Pacific Islands and elsewhere.

The HFAC hearing room from the Member's view.

"I'm going to focus my questions on the staffing of our embassies and consulates. Other colleagues have echoed this concern, but I'm concerned about the Pacific," said Congresswoman Amata in the hearing. "China is out-competing us in almost every single country in the Pacific. In neighboring independent Samoa, we have only 12 diplomatic staff - if that! While the Chinese have a three-story building filled to the brim with staff. And that repeats itself over the entirety of the Pacific. We don't even have a diplomatic presence in Kiribati - how are we supposed to show the Pacific that we're committed, when we're not even present? I also hear from Pacific communities on the lack of consular services in the Pacific."

Congresswoman Amata in the Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday.

She inquired where the most acute staffing needs are for the Foreign Service, and how that need for Foreign Service officers is undermining U.S. influence or strategic interests in these places.

Congresswoman Amata in the Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday.

Under Secretary Evans testified that the U.S. has recently stood up new embassies and is working hard to fill them, noting current difficulty for parts of Africa, saying, "We do have people that are willing to go out to the Pacific Islands and serve in those posts."

He continued, "We do have some staffing gaps in some of our missions, but I feel like we're able to get enough people out on the filed with the right skill sets and with the right support from Washington to manage the situation."

Video of Congresswoman Amata's comments and the Under Secretary's complete testimony in his own words are available HERE, along with the photos and captions.

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