[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3521-3523]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               FALEOMAVAEGA ENI FA'AUA'A HUNKIN VA CLINIC

  Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1362) to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-
based outpatient clinic in Pago Pago, American Samoa, the Faleomavaega 
Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin VA Clinic.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1362

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

[[Page 3522]]



     SECTION 1. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMUNITY-
                   BASED OUTPATIENT CLINIC, PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN 
                   SAMOA.

       The Department of Veterans Affairs community-based 
     outpatient clinic in Pago Pago, American Samoa, shall after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act be known and designated 
     as the ``Faleomavaega Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin VA Clinic''. Any 
     reference to such community-based outpatient clinic in any 
     law, regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the 
     United States shall be considered to be a reference to the 
     Faleomavaega Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin VA Clinic.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
American Samoa (Mrs. Radewagen) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. 
Walz) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from American Samoa.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
add extraneous materials.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from American Samoa?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1362, a bill to name the 
Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in 
Pago Pago, American Samoa, the Faleomavaega Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin VA 
Clinic.
  I have sponsored this bill in order to honor my predecessor and a 
true public servant, the Honorable Faleomavaega Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin.
  Born on August 15, 1943, in Vailoatai Village, American Samoa, Mr. 
Faleomavaega graduated from Brigham Young University in 1966 and 
subsequently joined the United States Army and served in Vietnam.
  However, his career in the Army was just the beginning of his public 
service. Mr. Faleomavaega served as a staff member to A.U. Fuimaono, 
American Samoa's first Delegate at-large to Washington, D.C., from 1973 
to 1975.
  Having earned his law degree from the University of Houston, he next 
served as staff counsel to the Committee on the Interior and Insular 
Affairs.
  In 1981, Mr. Faleomavaega returned to American Samoa to serve as our 
deputy attorney general until 1984, then as our lieutenant governor 
until 1989. During this period, Mr. Faleomavaega reentered military 
service in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1982 to 1989.
  In 1989, Mr. Faleomavaega began his tenure as the congressional 
Delegate from American Samoa. He went on to win 13 consecutive terms, 
making him the longest serving Delegate to date from American Samoa.
  While in Congress, he diligently served the interests of his 
constituents as a member of both the House Committee on Foreign 
Relations and the Committee on Natural Resources.
  Sadly, my friend Eni Faleomavaega passed away on February 22. He is 
survived by his wife, 5 children, and 10 grandchildren.
  I would now like to say a few personal words about the man whom I 
came to call a true friend.
  Given that I challenged him for his seat from 1994 until 2014, when I 
won my first term, Eni and I had a long and complicated relationship. 
Though we were often at odds politically, we always treated one another 
with the utmost respect and grace, allowing us to form a shared bond 
that I am very thankful for and will never forget.
  Ours was a true friendship that demonstrated that, despite whatever 
political differences we may have, we can all come together for the 
good of those we serve. While we may have had disagreements on national 
issues, we were very much in sync 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 conditions for veterans in 
American Samoa and took great pride in securing funds to build the 
local VA clinic which has served our veterans well.
  Therefore, I can think of no better way to memorialize his dedication 
to the people of American Samoa and his service to our country in 
uniform than having the local VA clinic in Pago Pago, which he worked 
so hard for, named in his honor.
  I want to encourage my colleagues in the House and Senate to salute 
my predecessor by supporting this measure so that we may honor this 
good man for his lifelong service and dedication to the people of 
American Samoa and to veterans everywhere.
  This legislation satisfies all of the committee's naming criteria and 
is supported by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post Number 3391.
  Once again, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1362. This tribute to our 
fellow colleague, a fellow veteran, our friend Eni, who passed last 
month, is truly well deserved.
  I would also like to thank the gentlewoman from American Samoa for 
bringing this bill to the floor. And just as importantly, in her time 
here, she has proven to be the staunchest advocate of this Nation's 
veterans, a true friend to veterans, and a colleague who carries on 
Eni's commitment to this unwaveringly.
  Eni devoted his public life to service, it was clear, ensuring that 
the unique needs and interests of the people of American Samoa were met 
in every bill that came through this body. For any of us who worked 
alongside him during those 13 terms, his unfailing commitment to his 
people and his ever-present smile will never be forgotten.
  In addition to his work here and the things you heard the gentlewoman 
say, Eni served in the United States Army from 1966 to 1969 and as an 
officer in the United States Army Reserve from 1982 to 1989. He served 
honorably in the Vietnam war and left the military with the rank of 
captain.
  He and his wife were also active members of their church, The Church 
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  As a Vietnam veteran and Army Reserve captain, congressional aide, 
lieutenant governor, and Member of Congress, there simply could be no 
better example of what it means to be a representative of his people 
and a citizen of this great Nation.
  I fully support the naming of this outpatient clinic at Pago Pago in 
his honor and urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time until all Members have had an opportunity to speak on each side.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from the 
Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan), another true champion of our 
veterans and a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1362, a bill 
that honors the late former Delegate from American Samoa, Eni 
Faleomavaega, by naming the veterans community-based outpatient clinic 
in Pago Pago, American Samoa, the Faleomavaega Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin VA 
Clinic.
  A Vietnam veteran himself, Eni worked tirelessly to secure this 
clinic for veterans in American Samoa. His efforts to ensure all 
veterans in his district enrolled in VA health care, to secure rent-
free space for the clinic through an agreement with the United States 
Army Reserve, and his testimony to the VA's CARES Commission resulted 
in a recommendation that a clinic be established and eventually led to 
the approval of the clinic by the Veterans Administration.
  Eni was relentless in his pursuit of this goal so his fellow veterans 
in American Samoa would no longer have to travel more than 2,000 miles 
to Honolulu to seek care at a VA facility. It is fitting that it now be 
named after him.
  Eni was someone I looked to as a leader. He was the dean of the 
Territories Caucus when I first came to Congress in 2009. He had served 
here for

[[Page 3523]]

some 20 years by that point; but his experience was even more 
longstanding, having worked on the staff of Representative Philip 
Burton, a champion of the territories and all of the people in America 
who are often overlooked and forgotten.
  There were two things in particular I saw in Eni. First, he had 
absolutely no hesitation in representing the people of American Samoa 
and providing glimpses of the culture with the rest of us. He relished 
the opportunity to wear his lavalava, one of the traditional pieces of 
clothing. He took pride in his traditional tattooing. He never 
hesitated to sing the songs of his people 8,000 miles away.
  Though a Delegate in this House, Eni Faleomavaega never presented 
himself as anything less than a Member of Congress. In doing so, he 
never diminished the standing of his constituents and their right, like 
all Americans, to have their voice heard here in the people's House.
  The second lesson I learned from our departed friend was that the 
responsibilities of a Member of Congress go beyond the parochial 
concerns of our district. Of course, we are here to be sure that the 
people and place we represent are treated fairly and that our special 
circumstances are taken well into account in the formulation of Federal 
law and policy; but beyond that local responsibility, we all have a 
larger responsibility to act and speak on behalf of our Nation as a 
whole.
  Eni certainly demonstrated that larger role we must all accept by his 
advocacy for Native Americans and by taking leadership in the foreign 
affairs of our Nation, especially in Asia and the island nations of the 
South Pacific. A good Member of Congress takes care of their own 
people, just as Eni did. A great Member of Congress understands that 
their people can only thrive when the Nation as a whole is a place of 
justice and peace.
  Those are the lessons I learned from knowing Eni Faleomavaega, and 
for what he taught me, I will forever be grateful.
  Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join us in passing 
this important piece of legislation. When those veterans in American 
Samoa see Eni's name, it will strike them about what he has done and 
the work that he did here in Congress.
  I would also like to give a heartfelt thanks again to the gentlewoman 
for bringing this bill forward and for honoring her friend the way she 
has.
  I encourage Members to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, with that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers at this time. 
Once again, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1362 a 
bill to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based 
outpatient clinic in Pago Pago, American Samoa the Faleomavaega Eni 
Fa'aua'a Hunkin VA Clinic. This is a fitting way to honor the life and 
service of my good friend and colleague former Congressman Eni 
Faleomavaega of American Samoa. During his 26 years of service in the 
House of Representatives, Congressman Faleomavaega displayed unwavering 
commitment to addressing a wide range of issues affecting veterans in 
the Pacific. His focus on access to health care and veteran services in 
remote areas of the Pacific ensured that veterans had access to the 
critical resources and services they needed and deserved after serving 
their country. His efforts directly contributed to increasing the 
quality of life of veterans throughout the Pacific region. Naming the 
VA facility in Pago Pago in his honor is a tribute to his service and 
commitment to the veterans in the Pacific region.
  Congressman Faleomavaega's compassion for veterans can be attributed 
to his own service as an Army officer during the Vietnam conflict. 
Serving in this capacity gave him firsthand knowledge of the sacrifices 
servicemen make to protect our way of life.
  I deeply miss Eni's advice, friendship and compassion for veterans. 
His passing has created a void for all that have known him. On behalf 
of the people of Guam, I extend my condolences to his family and the 
people of American Samoa. Our lives are richer for knowing Eni. I also 
extend my appreciation to Congresswoman Radewagen in putting forward 
this legislation. It is a very appropriate way to memorialize an 
important part of Eni's work on behalf of the people of American Samoa.
  Un dangkulo na si Yu'os ma'ase (with deepest gratitude), Eni. You are 
deeply missed.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from American Samoa (Mrs. Radewagen) that the House suspend 
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1362.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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