A. Samoa’s Radewagen focused on veterans in 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Delegate Uifa’atali Amata Radewagen (R-A. Samoa) focused on veterans throughout 2023, and is providing a year-end summary of the efforts in the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, one of her three committee assignments in Congress.

At the start of the year, Radewagen was named vice chairman of the committee, which is led by chair Mike Bost (R-IL.), and she serves on the Veterans Health Subcommittee, her top selection on behalf of American Samoa’s veterans, as well as the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, tasked with oversight of the Veterans’ Administration. She also served as chairwoman of the Women Veterans Task Force.

“I so appreciate our veterans, as they provide leadership in American Samoa throughout our community, and the United States,” said Radewagen. “I treasure the opportunity to work on behalf of our veterans in Congress.”

Through hearings and legislation, the committee has directed attention to implementing the major legislative overhaul efforts of recent years, such as the PACT Act, while listening to veterans at every opportunity and working to improve services in general, health care, and response times, while reducing backlogs, continuing the updates in VA technology, and insisting on VA personnel reforms.

In January, Radewagen highlighted nine new veterans services bills completed at the close of the prior Congress that became law or took effect in January, such as the bipartisan Faster Payments to Veterans’ Survivors Act of 2022, which she cosponsored. The others were the bipartisan Guaranteeing Healthcare Access to Personnel Who Served Act, a bipartisan effort addressing gaps in veteran health care to improve VA reach to serve veterans better in hard-to-reach places; The Veterans Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research Act; The Reaching Every Homeless Veteran Act; The VA Supply Chain Resiliency Act; The Department of Veterans Affairs Provider Accountability Act; The Rural Veterans Travel Enhancement Act; The Post-9/11 Veterans’ Mental Health Care Improvement Act; The Revising and Expediting Actions for the Crisis Hotline for Veterans Act.

Also in January, as she does yearly, she celebrated her announcements of those selected to the prestigious U.S. Service Academies. Also yearly, she visits and tours again our local Eni F. H. Faleomavaega VA Clinic, as she did recently, and meets often with American Samoa’s veterans seeking VA services in Honolulu as well as health officials at Tripler Center.

In February, as original cosponsor, she took part in introducing the bipartisan Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding VA Benefits Act, to protect veterans from predatory claim sharks, a bill supported by numerous veterans national organizations.

In March, which is when committees are organized and the schedule is underway, Radewagen took part in oversight hearings on VA accountability, welcomed a VFW delegation in the congressional office to talk priorities, spoke up about women veterans care issues in a VA oversight hearing, apprised veterans of congressional oversight to correct inaccuracies on the Korean War Memorial’s Wall of Remembrance, participated in a bipartisan oversight letter to the VA secretary bipartisan letter to address discrepancies in suicide data and insist on transparency; and highlighted HVAC passage of these four bills: H.R. 502, To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs repays members of the Armed Forces for certain contributions made by such members towards Post-9/11 Educational Assistance; H.R. 815, the RELIEVE Act; H.R. 753, VA COST SAVINGS Enhancements Act; and H.R. 1226, the Wounded Warrior Access Act.

Also in March, she visited service members, future veterans, in touring nine military installations on the U.S. east coast, including each branch of the Armed Forces, and seeing many of our Toa o Samoa.

In May, the House passed the veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2023, signed into law in June. This followed the 2023 COLA increase of 8.7%, through a 2022 bill, the largest increase in many years.

Also in May, the House passed H.R. 1669, the VET-TEC Authorization Act of 2023, supporting veterans educational goals in technology courses, and H.R. 366, the Korean American VALOR Act.

Radewagen took part in the 25th Annual Women in Military Service Wreath Laying Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in May with the bipartisan Congressional Women’s Caucus, in which each member of Congress speaks in honor of a selected woman service member.

She also spoke in a joint hearing of two veterans’ Subcommittees—she serves on both—the Health Subcommittee, and Oversight and Investigations, examining challenges in VA health care hiring, staffing, and retaining.

That month, Congress got a first look at the the Fiscal Year 2024 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which fully funds the VA plus an $18 billion increase over 2023 in discretionary programs, boosts Pacific deterrence and projects at Arlington National Cemetery.

Last June 12, Radewagen highlighted Women Veterans Recognition Day, specifically honoring women who have served in the Armed Forces.

Also in June she helped introduce as original cosponsor, the bipartisan Care for Compact of Free Association Veterans Act.

In June, leading up to the 4th of July, she visited Normandy’s Wall of the Missing in Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France, specially remembering the heroic service and sacrifice of Henry Saaga enshrined there. He landed on Omaha Beach and fought with valor in the hedgerows, earning the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. She went on to visit several Veterans sites, American military cemeteries, and battle memorials there.

In July, Radewagen helped introduce the bipartisan Veteran Service Recognition Act as original cosponsor, an effort led by ranking member Mark Takano (D-CA), which Radewagen has supported with public remarks, to help U.S. veterans who are noncitizen/non-U.S. nationals obtain legal permanent resident status, and assist noncitizen U.S. service members in applying for citizenship if desired during basic training.

Also in July, she highlighted HVAC passage of 11 bills including two she worked for as cosponsor: The Restore Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability Act, H.R. 4278, and the bipartisan Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act of 2023, H.R. 542.

In a busy July, she also toured Landstuhl Medical Center, an Army medical facility, for input on telehealth and services to geographically remote locations.

This year, in August, she was able to lay a wreath at the American War Memorial, Guadalcanal, and take a special visit to the Coastwatchers Memorial in Honiara, as Uifa’atali Peter T. Coleman served in Solomon Islands during World War II aboard a ship assigned to the Army placing and supporting these brave Coastwatchers.

In September, in both a letter to the VA secretary and in an oversight hearing, she strongly urged adherence to Buy American law and federal policies in buying practices, as this remains a key issue for the U.S. government regarding buying American produced tuna.

Also in September, Radewagen co-led introduction of the bipartisan Passports for Purple Hearts Act, to waive fees and specially honor Purple Heart Veterans.

In November, the committee released a findings report on the work of the Women Veterans Task Force, chaired by Radewagen, which led fact finding roundtable meetings with women veterans on their specific challenges in healthcare, educational goals, small business efforts and more.

Also that month, Radewagen congratulated Air Force veteran Fa’alagiga Nina Tuā’au-Glaudé upon her appointment to advise the VA on behalf of local and Pacific region veterans, putting into effect the legislation that Radewagen co-led creating this position, H.R. 3730, as an original cosponsor.

On Veterans Day, Radewagen observed the federal holiday with a statement thanking and honoring Veterans. Throughout the year she also honored Armed Forces Day and Military Appreciation Month in May, Purple Heart Day, as well as birthdays of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, also commemorating D-Day, the Battle of Midway, and Pearl Harbor Day.

In December, the House passed three veterans bills from the committee, including the bipartisan Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act that Radewagen cosponsored.

Also in December, HVAC passed 11 more bills for consideration by the full House, two of which Radewagen cosponsored: H.R. 1753, Jax Act, named after female Veteran Jaclyn “Jax” Scott; and H.R. 522, Deliver for Veterans Act, sponsored by Delegate Jim Moylan of Guam. Work on these bills will continue in 2024 for final passage to be signed into law. (PR)