Micronesian nations are still waiting on Congress to pass the renewed Compacts of Free Association, and the millions of dollars they will provide in future assistance. It's likely the deals will now be approved when Congress returns from recess next month.

But for Guam and others that host large segments of FAS migrants, the chance for reimbursements is not clear, and perhaps not even likely.

The Compact renewal agreements negotiated with the Biden Administration were not included in the recently-passed defense spending bill known as the NDAA, and are now expected to be attached to some other major spending bill when lawmakers come back from their holiday break.

But while the Compact nations are expected to get their money, the White House has put a halt to Compact impact reimbursement; this was Washington's previous program to directly compensate places like Guam that are impacted by FAS migration.

Congressman Jim Moylan's chief of staff Bobby Shringi during a recent press conference detailed, "But at this point, there’s sort of this little - what’s that game, ping-pong? - where that ball is being hit on both sides. The White House is telling Congress, ‘You find us this $350 million a year.’ And Congress is saying, ‘No, you identity where this $350 million a year is coming from.’"

Former congressman, now chairman of Guam-based research institute the Pacific Center for Island Security Dr. Robert Underwood says they've been keeping tabs on legislation by Hawaii congressman Ed Case, which instead of direct payments extends U.S. citizen type benefits to COFA migrants.

But Underwood says its unclear how Case's Compact Impact Fairness Act (CIFA) will work.

And they could raise another set of concerns, as Underwood said, "And wouldn't it be ironic that COFA migrants in Guam would get SSI, but the residents of Guam will not get it? And the same thing with SNAP, food stamps, they'll be able to get them in the Northern Marianas, but the residents of the Northern Marianas are not eligible for SNAP. So there's a lot of messy details to this arrangement."

"CIFA is not a one size fit all solution. Because for us, it's not necessarily the Medicaid reimbursements. For us, its really about will we be getting support for our public safety? Our Department of Corrections problems? Our DOE issues? These are factors that need to be brought to the table."

"The attention has to be done to the COFA agreements in the relationships between all of us in the Micronesian region. And instead it's being framed in terms of an international situation with China and then when it comes to domestic policy the domestic implications for COFA migration its only being framed in terms of whats happening in the state of Hawaii and in the state of Arkansas where those states would benefit enormously by having citizen-type benefits given to COFA migrants, but it does nothing for Guam."

Congressman Moylan has legislation though to revive Compact impact reimbursement, saying, "Prior to leaving DC on thursday, I was informed that we will be, the House Natural Resources Committee will be having a hearing on our bill in mid-January. In fact, I have meetings this week with some folks that we’re recommending to add to the panel."

Shringi says that may include the governor, GDOE and local law enforcement representatives, noting, "What the committee needs to hear is the reality of the necessities of having the COFA renewals in terms of the nation’s defense. Nobody disagrees with that."

"So he has a commitment that they're going to hold a hearing on it next year in the Resources Committee, but a hearing is a long way from legislation passing."