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Amata stays on Veterans Affairs Committee
Delegate Uifa’atali Amata (R-Amer. Samoa) and her granddaughter pose with Delegate James Moylan (R-GU) and Rep. Ed Case (D-HI). (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Delegate Uifa’atali Amata (R-Amer. Samoa) will once again serve on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs for the 118th Congress, as she has since the people of American Samoa first sent her to represent them in Congress. After expressing interest in three committees to House leadership, they granted a special request for a waiver allowing her to serve on all three of her top choice committees for the next two years.
The committee has oversight of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and all policy concerning veterans. As previously announced, Amata will serve on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, a new role this term, and continue on the Committee on Natural Resources, as expected.
Committees are busy with organizational efforts and numerous meetings, so subcommittee assignment announcements for the three committees are yet to come.
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee is led by Rep. Mike Bost of Illinois, a veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and is a lifelong public servant, as a firefighter who served in the Illinois legislature then Congress, where he was already serving as ranking member of the Veterans Affairs Committee.
“I was delighted to get a call on Tuesday evening confirming leadership’s approval of my request for a third committee, so I can serve our veterans in the most direct way possible,” said Amata. “American Samoa is proud of our many veterans, military families and future veterans currently serving, and I’m humbled to work on veterans’ care and services, and VA oversight.”
“In my years on the committee, we’ve increased support for VA services and retaining skilled personnel,” she added. “We’ve started important reforms to the VA and modernization efforts that must be seen through, and have more to do on mental care and preventing suicides. I look forward to sharing more about my role on the committee as it develops, and Chairman Bost’s leadership vision to improve the outlook for those who served.”
Amata serves as co-chair of the Pacific Islands Caucus, and has a new expanded role in the 80-plus member Western Caucus as a vice chair. (PR)
