[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 21, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E353]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





TRIBUTES HONORING FORMER CONGRESSMAN FALEOMAVAEGA ENI FA'AUA'A HUNKIN, 
                                  JR.

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                   HON. AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN

                           of american samoa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 21, 2017

  Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend and 
former Member of Congress Faleomavaega Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin who served 
honorably as the representative for American Samoa for 26 years.
  I want to thank everyone for being here and particularly want to 
acknowledge my friend Hinanui Hunkin, who came all the way from Utah 
with her children to be at this service. Because he spent over 30 years 
of his career in the nation's capital, it is only fitting to have a 
memorial service for Eni here. He would be gratified to see how he 
touched so many people who would come out to pay tribute to him.
  Congressman Faleomavaega was a soldier and a statesman who dedicated 
his entire life to serving the United States and the people of American 
Samoa. Indeed, his entire career was devoted to public service and 
social justice. He was a champion of Native Americans, Native Hawaiians 
and the Melanesian natives of West Papua. His causes were many. He 
strenuously fought against nuclear weaponry, from confronting France in 
French Polynesia over nuclear testing to pressing for nuclear cleanup 
in Central Asia. He took up the cause of Korean comfort women, 
expressed concern about disputes in the South China Sea and even helped 
solve land disputes in Rapa Nui. Even as his health began to 
deteriorate, he refused to cut back his workload or give up any of his 
important causes.
  Although we had our political differences, it never affected our 
personal friendship or devotion to the people of American Samoa. There 
was very little on which we disagreed when it came to the territory 
and, in fact, when I came into office, I picked up right where he left 
off in a lawsuit before the U.S. Supreme Court involving Samoan 
citizenship and voting rights. We both believed American Samoa's 
political should not be decided in a federal courtroom thousands of 
miles away; most importantly, it should be decided by our own people at 
a time of own choosing. Our approaches to issues were different and 
that often put us at odds with one another, but it was always with the 
utmost respect and grace, which allowed us to form the bond that we 
would come to share . . . One I am very thankful for, and will never 
forget. Ours was a true friendship that demonstrated that, despite our 
differences in political party, we can all come together for the good 
of those we serve. Partisan differences on national issues never 
interfered with our relationship because we were very much of one mind 
when it came to federal policy and funding for American Samoa.
  As a veteran, whose long-term health suffered due to his service in 
Vietnam, Eni dedicated his life to improving the conditions for our 
veterans in American Samoa, and took great pride in securing funds to 
build the local VA Clinic, which has served our veterans well. Although 
I myself am not a veteran, I come from a family with a strong military 
tradition. My grandfather, father, several brothers and three nephews 
are, so I appreciate the needs of our veterans and am as devoted to 
them as Eni was.
  As a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, I was in a 
position to offer legislation to name our local VA clinic in his honor. 
He was primarily responsible for the establishment of this clinic, so I 
could think of no more appropriate way to permanently honor his memory 
and legacy than by dedicating the clinic to him. Because of his long 
service in the House, he is remembered by many Members on both sides of 
the aisle who helped smooth the path for this tribute. As much as 
people complain about the slowness of the legislative process, my bill 
passed the House in less than a week, the Senate passed it a week later 
and in short order it was on the president's desk for signature.
  After enactment of this legislation, I made arrangements for Members 
to speak of their colleague Eni on the floor of the House and am 
pleased to say that those tributes were delivered for the record, in 
addition to press statements made and remarks by several members on the 
Floor when we debated the VA clinic bill. In most of the stories 
written about Eni's passing, he was described as the longest serving 
Member of Congress in American Samoa's history. That is a title I 
expect will be his alone for many, many years to come, perhaps forever.
  Goodbye My friend. Farewell and Godspeed.
  (The Samoan version is as follows):
  E muamua ona ou Fa'atulou Le Pa'ia o le Maota Namu Asi, i le Paia O 
le lagi, ma le lagi, ma le lagi tulou, tulouna ia, tulouna lava. O Paia 
o le aufaigaluega totofi a le Atua i ona Tafa'i Va'aia, ou to fa'atulou 
atu.
  E le vaea fo'i le fala fofola loa o Samoa mai Saua e o'o atu i 
Salafai nu'unu'u atu fa'atini o tausala. O lo'o mamalu fo'i le aofia i 
le Afio Mai O Le Kovana Sili o le malo o Amerika Samoa, le tofa i le 
to'oto'o ia Lolo Moliga ma le Masiofo ia Cynthia, le afio i le Lutena 
Kovana ma le kapeneta, le paia o maota e lua i le afio o le Peresetene 
ma le senate, le Fofogafetalai ma le Maota o Sui, o le mamalu lava lea 
o le afio o le fa'amasino sili ma le vaega o fa'amasinoga tulou, tulou 
lava.
  E le fa'agaloina le tapuaiga i uso i sisifo i le afio i le ao o le 
malo tuto'atasi, le Palemia ma le Palemene o Samoa, ma le usoga ia 
Tumua ma Pule.
  Ua tu mai nei Lagi le laga'ali a Tamafaiga, a ua tagita'amilo le 
Manuali'i ina ua ta'ape papa, ae tafea le tau'ofe i le Afioga a 
Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin sa tu i le tofi o lo'o o'u tauaveina nei i 
Uosigitone.
  O le lagia lava lea o le Tafatolu o lau faigamalo Amerika Samoa, 
tulou, tulou, tulou, tulouna lava.
  Taluai o lea ua ou tula'i mai i le tofi Faipule i le Konekeresi i le 
Laumua i Uosigitone, o lea ou te fa'apea atu ai i le Faletua ia Hinanui 
ma le nofo a Alo loto fa'avauvau aemaise le tagi mai ala o le paia i 
Aiga ma Paolo ma Gafa sili i lagi tainane le Malo o Amerika Samoa ma le 
tapuaiga I le Malo Tuto'atasi i le Usoga Tumua ma Pule:
  ``Amuia e fa'anoanoa, aua e fa'amafanafanaina i latou.''

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