Amata say 936 extension provision is still not "a done deal" yet
February 16, 2006

Aumua Amata today indicated that it is now not at all as likely as she may have indicated, that the American Samoa 936 extension will be approved in the final package.

According to Amata, the Senate vote was close on even going to conference because the bill is considered controversial, and the Senate has not approved the American Samoa 936, so the question remains: If Congressman Thomas pushes hard for it will Senator Grassley push back hard enough to stop it?

Amata explained that some people think not, but in a horse trading session sometimes the House Ways and Means Chairman gives up issues that are not vital to him to get what is vital to him.

Said Amata, "The problem here is that this is so small and limited that it may not even rise to the level of a leveraged trade off issue."

"I guess my question is, if it goes through, what did American Samoa really gain from investment of so much political capital in a one-year extension."

Concluded Aumua Amata, "We will have to watch the GAO report closely, and so far the prediction is it will not recommend revival of 936 for Puerto Rico nor American Samoa, and if by mid-year it is dead again and it becomes another bailout proposal for another year, then I guess we'll just be managing our economy one year at a time and it is folly. When I think back to the fact that we had ten whole years to resolve this issue, and did absolutely nothing all those years, I fail to comprehend the leadership style of the one person who had this responsibility. What was he thinking?"