Del. Eni F.H. Faleomavaega (D) Elected 1988, 9th term
Born:	Aug. 15, 1943, Vailoatai
Home:	Pago Pago
Education:	Brigham Young U., B.A. 1972, U. of CA, LL.M. 1973
Religion:	Mormon
Marital Status:	married (Hinanui)
Elected  Office:	AS Lt. Gov., 1984-89.
Military Career:	Army, 1966-69 (Vietnam).
Professional Career:	A.A., U.S. Del. from AS, 1973-75; Cnsl., U.S. House Interior Cmte., 1975-81; AS Dpty. Atty. Gen., 1981-84.
DC Office	2422 RHOB20515, 202-225-8577; Fax: 202-225-8757; Web site: www.house.gov/faleomavaega
State Offices	Pago Pago, 684-633-1372.
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American Samoa has elected a delegate to Congress since 1980. Delegate Eni F. H. Faleomavaega is a Democrat first elected in 1988. He went to high school in Hawaii, to Brigham Young University, then to law school in Houston and Berkeley; he served in Vietnam in the Army. In the 1970s he worked on the Natural Resources Insular subcommittee staff and for Utah Democrat Gunn McKay. In 1981 he became deputy attorney general of American Samoa, and in 1985 lieutenant governor.

Faleomavaega (he uses his last name in his press releases, rather than the first name used to refer to Samoan chiefs) serves on the Resources Committee, where he has been ranking Democrat on three subcommittees--Native Americans and Insular Affairs in January 1995; National Parks and Public Lands in January 1997; Fisheries, Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans in January 1999. He is also a member of International Affairs and ranking member on its East Asian and the Pacific Subcommittee. He led the congressional protest against the French nuclear tests in the Pacific, and was stopped by the French for approaching the French nuclear testing site at Mururoa Atoll and imprisoned in Tahiti in 1996.

With help from Senator Daniel Inouye and Pennsylvania Democrat John Murtha, Faleomavaega got into the October 1998 omnibus budget free transportation on military aircraft for veterans approved for VA health care in Hawaii; in July 2000 he complained that the VA was not cooperating and only one veteran had flown to Hawaii.

Faleomavaega has pressed for a bill to exempt interest on American Samoa bonds from state and local taxes--the same treatment enjoyed by bonds issued by Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands. The House approved the measure by voice vote in September 2002 but the Senate did not act. He reintroduced the bill in 2003 and it passed the House in November 2003 and the Senate in September 2004 and was signed into law. When the Interior Department tightened conditions for funding capital improvement projects in the territories, Faleomavaega objected in March 2004. "What is the sense of having an elected governor if the deputy assistant secretary is going to be the one controlling the use of funds?" In October 2004, he called for an extension of Section 936 for tuna canneries; the provision, which provides favorable tax treatment, is scheduled to expire in October 2006. He was concerned that tariffs on Ecuador's tuna exports might be rescinded in order to ease disputes between Ecuador and large U.S. companies operating there; he warned that Ecuador's tuna production capacity could "wipe out" American Samoa's economy. Also in October 2004 he urged the setting up of a confederation of Polynesian states, perhaps including Hawaii and the Maori of New Zealand, similar to the Melanesian Spearhead group and the Micronesian group.

American Samoa's election law provides for no primary contests and requires a runoff 14 days later if no candidate wins 50% of the vote in the November election. In 1996, 2000 and 2002, Faleomavaega was forced into runoffs. He protested that 14 days was not enough time to get ballots to and back from military personnel serving abroad. In 2002 this posed an additional problem: because of the infrequency of flights to and from American Samoa, Faleomavaega was not able to campaign and to return to Washington to vote in the November 14 Democratic Caucus where Bob Menendez defeated Rosa DeLauro for Caucus chairman by one vote (he would have voted for Menendez). In 2004 he sponsored a bill to abolish the runoff unless the Fono created a primary election for delegate. This passed the House and Senate unanimously and was signed into law October 30. It was moot for the November 2 election, since Faleomavaega had just one opponent, longtime Republican House staffer Aumua Amata Coleman, who also ran against him in 2000 and 2002. This time Faleomavaega won 53%-47%. Fewer votes are cast in American Samoa than in any other House race--11,502 in November 2004.

Committees

• International Relations (4th of 23 D): Asia & the Pacific (RMM); Western Hemisphere.
• Resources (6th of 22 D): Energy & Mineral Resources; Fisheries & Oceans.
• Small Business (5th of 15 D): Regulatory Reform & Oversight; Tax, Finance & Exports.