29 Jan 2009

Pacific delegates to chair US House subcommittees

4:00 pm on 29 January 2009

American Samoa's Congressman Faleomavaega Eni has been elected to serve a second term as the Chairman of the US House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment.

Faleomavaega's colleagues elected him by unanimous consent.

He was re-elected in November, 2008 to serve an eleventh term in the US Congress by the people of American Samoa.

He says he's looking forward to bringing a Pacific perspective to US foreign policy affecting this part of the world, and to working closely with the Obama Administration and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to bring renewed commitment and attention to this vital region that has been overlooked for too long.

And Guam Congresswoman, Madeleine Bordallo, will chair the newly merged U.S. House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife.

The subcommittee,, has jurisdiction over legislation governing the Nation's U.S. Territories and Compacts of Free Association, as well as issues relating to fisheries management, wildlife resources, coastal barrier protection and coastal zone management, and marine sanctuaries, among other areas.

Ms Bordallo says in a statement that the subcommittee is ready to continue it's progress on a number of initiatives that she has worked to advance since first assuming the role in the previous congress.