Radewagen responds to Biden’s State of the Union speech

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Delegate Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS) arrived in American Samoa on the Thursday flight, and followed the content of President Biden’s State of the Union address, instead of attending this year.

As a member of Congress, she has attended these speeches under three presidents.

“Last year at this time, we were just getting started on our committee work regarding the Pacific region and China’s influence, including the Indo-Pacific Task Force that I chaired,” said Radewagen. “This topic was still my main interest in the speech Thursday evening, along with any areas of consensus that could lead to positives for American Samoa. Right now, the immediate priority in Congress is completing the second appropriations package to fund the State Department, Defense, and HHS. We have momentum on that, having just finished the package funding Interior, Veterans, Energy and Transportation.”

“As expected, the speech included U.S. concerns about China’s influence and activities. In terms of U.S. regional commitment, I will continue to convey that American Samoa has a logical role to play in placement of Coast Guard cutters and in the area of regional health care,” she continued. “On foreign policy, I support the U.S. diplomatic view that the remaining Hamas hostages must be released as the best next step for Israel and the people of Gaza.”

“My main point of concern for our islands during the Biden Administration continues to be how their restrictive policies affect the future of our fishing rights, which are vital to our economy, and important to the U.S., since food security is national security,” she emphasized. “I was pleased the President mentioned ‘Buy American’ policies but they need to be firmly applied to U.S. purchases of American-produced tuna.”

She concluded, “Government remains divided and often contentious in our nation’s capital, and I will continue to work in a bipartisan manner for American Samoa.” (PR)