IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 994 
Recognizing and reaffirming the strong relationship between the United States 
and the Pacific Islands. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 18, 2022 
Mr. CASE (for himself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. 
SABLAN, Ms. TITUS, Mr. KAHELE, and Mr. SHERMAN) submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing and reaffirming the strong relationship between 
the United States and the Pacific Islands. 
Whereas the Pacific Islands are home to roughly 10,000,000 
residents, including over 8,600,000 in Papua New Guin-
ea, constituting diverse and dynamic cultures and peo-
ples; 
Whereas the people of the Pacific Islands are spread across 
an expanse of the Pacific Ocean equivalent to 15 percent 
of the Earth’s surface, including the three subregions of 
Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia; 
Whereas the United States is a Pacific country with ties that 
span over 150 years and shared values and interests with 
the Pacific Islands, including through the Compacts of 
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•HRES 994 IH 
Free Association with the Freely Associated States, the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of 
Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau; 
Whereas the United States and Pacific Island nations are 
bound by shared interests and values, including— 
(1) the need to combat climate change and rising 
sea levels; 
(2) the desire to see a prosperous Pacific region free 
from coercion; 
(3) a commitment to protecting regional peace and 
security that fully respects the sovereignty of all nations; 
(4) advancing economic prosperity free from coercion 
through trade and sustainable development; and 
(5) supporting democracy, good governance, the rule 
of law and human rights, and fundamental freedoms; 
Whereas the United States exports over $400,000,000 in 
goods to Pacific Island countries, and two-way trade be-
tween the United States and Pacific Island countries 
amounts to nearly $832,000,000 in a year; 
Whereas the United States launched the Small and Less Pop-
ulous Island Economies Initiative in March 2021 to 
strengthen United States collaboration with island coun-
tries and territories, including in the Pacific Islands, on 
COVID–19 economic challenges, long-term economic de-
velopment, climate change, and other shared interests; 
Whereas successive United States administrations have recog-
nized the importance of the Pacific region, including the 
Pacific Islands, in high-level strategic documents, includ-
ing— 
(1) the 2015 National Security Strategy; 
(2) the 2017 National Security Strategy; 
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•HRES 994 IH 
(3) the 2019 Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, which 
identified the Pacific Islands as ‘‘critical to U.S. strategy 
because of our shared values, interests and commit-
ments’’; and 
(4) the 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy, which stated 
that the United States will ‘‘seek to be an indispensable 
partner to Pacific Island nations’’; 
Whereas the United States has deepened its diplomatic en-
gagement with the Pacific Islands through several recent 
initiatives, including the Pacific Pledge that provided an 
additional $100,000,000 in 2019 and $200,000,000 in 
2020, on top of the approximately $350,000,000 that the 
United States provides annually to the region to support 
shared priorities in economic and human development, 
climate change, and more; and 
Whereas the Pacific Islands matter for America, and America 
matters for the Pacific Islands: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) affirms the importance of the United States 
relationship with the Pacific Islands and recognizes 
the importance of United States-Pacific Island part-
nerships to promote peace, security, and prosperity 
for all countries through a rules-based regional order 
that respects the sovereignty and political independ-
ence of all nations; 
(2) urges the Biden administration to continue 
to work with the Pacific Islands to— 
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•HRES 994 IH 
(A) preserve the Pacific Ocean as an open 
and vibrant corridor for international maritime 
trade; 
(B) promote trade and sustainable develop-
ment; and 
(C) address socioeconomic challenges re-
lated to public health, education, renewable en-
ergy, digital connectivity, and more; 
(3) reaffirms its support for regional efforts to 
address the challenges posed by climate change, in-
cluding by strengthening resilience to natural disas-
ters and through responsible stewardship of natural 
resources; 
(4) continues its support of the vision, values, 
and objectives of existing regional multilateral insti-
tutions and frameworks, such as the Pacific Islands 
Forum, the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders, 
and the Pacific Community, including the— 
(A) 2014 Framework for Pacific Region-
alism; 
(B) 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional Se-
curity; and 
(C) Boe Declaration Action Plan; and 
(5) recognizes the importance of working closely 
with United States allies and partners with existing 
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•HRES 994 IH 
relationships and interests in the Pacific Islands, in-
cluding Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Taiwan, 
in advancing common goals. 
Æ 
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