ARKANSAS, USA — With a 75-22 vote, the United States Senate recently passed a spending bill to avert a government shutdown. Within that bill was a promise to provide economic assistance to allied Pacific island nations.
This latest development is a big win for the Marshallese community who have been waiting decades for benefits.
A 1996 Welfare Reform Law prevented providing benefits to citizens who live in the U.S. through the Compacts of Free Association (COFA). Some of the benefits removed were the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and food stamps.
Philmar Mendoza Kabua experienced this issue when making her move from Hawaii to Arkansas. Mendoza Kabua moved to the Natural State to pursue her PhD in Nursing Studies. She applied for federal assistance but was told that she'd only receive it for half of her household.
"The person told me, 'You and your mother who are Marshallese citizens don't count,'" Mendoza Kabua recounted of a conversation with a DHS representative. "I've been a taxpayer. I've been working in the United States since I was 18 years old."
"If that is happening to me who is educated, who has a degree, and just recently got a new job since I just moved from Chicago to Hawaii, then how much more are my people suffering this injustice?" Mendoza Kabua added.
The new Arkansan joined advocates on a trip to Washington, D.C. to speak to legislators.
"We did [educate them] a little bit of who we were and why we did this and that it should matter to them," Michelle Pedro, the policy director for the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese, said.
Pedro explained that it was getting hard for families as they moved from the Marshall Islands to the United States. Switching from natural foods and fish proved difficult for the Marshallese people. She explained that food insecurity also pressures families that struggle without access to benefits.
On March 8, the Senate passed a spending package that included six bills. The Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024 was included, restoring benefits for Marshallese citizens.
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas's 4th Congressional District, who sponsored the bill, said in a statement:
"This marks a historic step in our work to support our allies in the Indo-Pacific region and counter the increasing aggression of the People's Republic of China under the Chinese Communist Party. I and many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have seen firsthand the imminent threat the CCP poses to our friends in the Pacific, as they use coercion and malicious financial threats to undermine democracy in the region. We won’t stand idly by and watch this happen. Today, the House of Representatives has dealt a blow to the CCP’s malign influence and stood strong with our allies. The Compact of Free Association Amendments Act is legislation I spearheaded during my time as chairman of the committee with jurisdiction over the Compacts of Free Association, and I’d like to particularly thank Speaker Johnson for prioritizing this important agreement. I look forward to this legislation being signed into law."
U.S Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas's 3rd Congressional District, who co-sponsored the bill said in a statement to 5NEWS:
I’m incredibly pleased that the Compact of Free Association has finally been renewed. The Compacts are not only critically important to maintaining our strong relationship with the Pacific Islands and combatting the Chinese Communist Party but also to the Marshallese in Northwest Arkansas. Marshallese families are an integral part of the community. I’m proud we restored access to the care and services they’re entitled to while upholding our commitments to these key security partners."
"People are saying this is a really great gift, like, no, this shouldn't be a gift that should be, you know, their promise to us," Pedro said.
Pedro and Mendoza Kabua say they're now concerned about how the benefits will roll out in the coming weeks.
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