bordallo sees palau compact as important to pacific security   pnc mdk   9-13-12

s.l. congresswoman madeleine bordallo urged administration officials this week to work out technical objections to a pending renewal of the us compact with palau… pnc washington corr. matt kaye reports—

m.k. it’s been more than a year-and-a-half since the u-s and palau negotiated a renewed compact of free association…and still, bordallo complains congress and the administration have failed to find mutually agreeable

cost offsets to advance implementing legislation.

            all the while, bordallo argued at an insular subcommittee hearing, u-s pacific interests hang in the balance—

            009 bordallo   “we should remember that thousands of americans paid the ultimate price to free palau from japanese rule.

the compact, about the security of america in the pacific region—in the asia-pacific region—this capability directly aligns with the president’s broader military and diplomatic strategy for the region.”  :20

            bordallo urged interior and state department officials to work out their differences with congress, promptly—

            031 bordallo   “so my colleagues and i want to get a palau compact passed.  can we expect engagement from the administration on offsets, so that we can pass this compact during this congress?”

:11

            state department east asian and pacific affairs deputy assistant secretary edward kagan—

            126 kagan   “we stand ready to engage and engage very actively, to find appropriate offsets…we’ve done that, and we continue to do so.”  :08

            but kagan could not say if that would result in a deal with congress this year.

            and bordallo questioned if continued compact delays would hurt us “diplomatic relations and political capital” with allies in the region—especially when basing rights in palau and elsewhere, could be at stake.

o.c. on capitol hill, matt kaye for pnc news