[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 144 (Monday, December 1, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1678-E1679]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HISTORICAL RECORD OF U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON'S STOPOVER 
                           IN AMERICAN SAMOA

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA

                           of american samoa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 1, 2014

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to include, for 
historical purposes, information about former Secretary of State 
Hillary Clinton's stopover in American Samoa on November 7, 2010.

                     [Press Release, Oct. 26, 2010]

 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Stopover in American Samoa 
                          on November 7, 2010

       Congressman Faleomavaega announced that at approximately 
     1:20 pm on Friday, October 22, 2010, the Honorable Kurt 
     Campbell, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian 
     and Pacific Affairs, called Faleomavaega to inform him that 
     U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be stopping 
     over in American Samoa on November 7, 2010, at the 
     Congressman's request.
       ``This stopover has been a long-time in the making,'' 
     Faleomavaega said, ``and I appreciate that Secretary Clinton 
     has chosen to refuel in American Samoa. On February 2, 2010, 
     I wrote to President Obama asking him to stopover during his 
     scheduled trip to Indonesia to say thank you to the thousands 
     of Samoan men and women who currently serve in the U.S. Armed 
     Forces, especially since the Iraq war death rate per 1 
     million population is higher for American Samoa than any 
     other State or Territory, as reported by USA Today which 
     commended American Samoa for its outsized sacrifice.''
       ``When the President's trip was postponed, I had the 
     opportunity to raise the issue again with Secretary Clinton 
     when she testified before the House Committee on Foreign 
     Affairs on February 25, 2010. At our hearing, I informed 
     Secretary Clinton that on February 23, 2010, I met with 
     Assistant Secretary Campbell and that he let me know that she 
     might be considering a stopover in American Samoa. `I can 
     assure you,' I said, `that our people will extend to you the 
     same warm welcome that they would extend to President Obama, 
     and we would be honored by your visit. Your presence in the 
     Territory would be historic and, on behalf of our people, I 
     would like to personally extend an invitation to you to make 
     a brief visit as American Samoa is well-positioned to be a 
     regional leader in our effort to strengthen U.S.-Pacific 
     Island relations.''
       ``On March 3, 2010, when Assistant Secretary Campbell 
     testified before my Subcommittee at a hearing on a regional 
     overview of East Asia and the Pacific, I reminded him of the 
     invitation that I extended to Secretary Clinton and again 
     stated that I believed her visit would give her the chance to 
     thank the thousands of Samoans who serve in the U.S. Armed 
     Forces and honor the many who have fallen in the line of 
     duty, as well as support our efforts to strengthen U.S. 
     interests in the region.''
       ``Last month, on September 29, 2010, when Assistant 
     Secretary Campbell again testified before my Subcommittee at 
     a hearing on renewed engagement and U.S. policy towards 
     Pacific Island nations, I informed him that my invitation to 
     Secretary Clinton still stands.''
       ``As a result of these repeated and continued discussions 
     with the U.S. Department of State, I am pleased that 
     Secretary Clinton made this request a high priority and that 
     she will be stopping over to pay tribute to our veterans and 
     our people. Though her visit will be brief and her arrival 
     will be late at night, it is an honor for our Territory to 
     receive her in conjunction with her travels to Hawaii, 
     Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, 
     and Australia from October 27-November 8.''
       ``Secretary Clinton has been a good friend of American 
     Samoa and Samoa, and more than anyone she stood shoulder-to-
     shoulder with us to provide aid in the aftermath of the 
     tsunami that left untold damage in its wake.''
       ``I am appreciative that Secretary Clinton authorized an 
     airlift of supplies gathered by our Samoan communities in LA 
     and Utah, and that she worked closely with Congresswoman 
     Laura Richardson and me to see that these necessary goods 
     were provided to our families and friends in the neighboring 
     islands of Samoa at a time when they needed these critical 
     supplies the most.''
       ``The U.S. Department of State informed my office that they 
     contacted Governor Togiola's office on Monday, October 25, 
     2010 to inform ASG of Secretary Clinton's upcoming visit, and 
     I have every confidence that our local leaders will do their 
     part in welcoming the former First Lady of the United States 
     to American Samoa.''

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