[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 22969]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  THE TSUNAMI THAT HIT AMERICAN SAMOA

  (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, less than 2 months ago, Chairman Nick 
Rahall and many of us on the House Committee on Natural Resources were 
with the wonderful people of the village of Leone, which is the home 
and family village of our colleague, Eni Faleomavaega, who represents 
American Samoa in this body. Despite the severe economic challenges 
they face, they lavished us with gifts, song, food, and lots of love.
  Today, villages all over American Samoa and other parts of the region 
are devastated not only by the damage from the tsunami but, most 
tragically, by the loss of loved ones. Among them, I am sure, are some 
who sang and danced and welcomed us so warmly. We thank the President 
for immediately declaring a disaster. I also pledge that my community 
will do what we can to help them recover. Many of their fellow 
Americans will do the same.
  Nearby Independent Samoa, which I also visited at another time, was 
also affected and needs our help as well. Our hearts and prayers go out 
to the people of American Samoa, Samoa and the region. If anything good 
can come out of this terrible tragedy, very importantly right now, 
perhaps it will remind everyone that the people of American Samoa and 
the other territories are Americans and deserve equitable treatment in 
health care reform.

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