Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Aumua Amata welcomed the official nomination of David Bernhardt as the next Secretary of the Interior last week.

“I appreciated David Bernhardt’s recent presence at the Interagency Group on Insular Areas meeting,” said Aumua Amata. “In the islands, where fishing is our way of life and the backbone of our economy, we also appreciate knowing that Secretary Bernhardt enjoys fishing. The Interior Department is an important relationship for the territories, and David Bernhardt has the right experience and knowledge to continue leading the department.”

David Bernhardt has served as Deputy Secretary of the Interior since 2017, and is already leading the Department as acting secretary.

“American Samoa, along with the other U.S. territories, depends on our relationship with the Interior Department,” continued Congresswoman Amata. “Decisions in Washington affect our islands and Pacific region, so we benefit when there is a consistent vision from the Department’s leadership. I appreciate President Trump’s nomination of the Acting Secretary to provide that important continuity to the Department, and the resulting stability to our territory’s work with DOI leadership. I support Senate confirmation of the President’s choice.”