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Governor Lolo attending meetings in Honolulu and D.C.

Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga is currently off island attending meetings in Honolulu and Washington D.C.

Asked for some information regarding the Honolulu meetings, the governor’s executive assistant Iulogologo Joseph Pereira told Samoa News that “meetings held in Hawai’i are sensitive in nature but the outcomes will be available later.”

In Washington D.C. the meetings include those with the US Interior Department, the federal Interagency Group on Insular Affairs, Congresswoman Aumua Amata, StarKist Inc., Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Service, and the Winter Meeting of the National Governors Association. There are also possible meetings with the Pacific Basin Development Council, and the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

At a cabinet meeting late last month, the governor said a letter has been sent to cabinet members who will accompany him to Washington D.C.

“We want to make sure that we use this opportunity to connect with your counterparts in Washington D.C., to make sure you have the time to visit our consultant in DC, and talk to your [federal] agency to make sure that you are well connected with your operation,” Lolo said, to those who will accompany him.

“Washington is different today; much, much different from 10 to 20 years ago,” he said. “So we have to make sure that we adjust ourselves to changes in the [federal] administration and to make sure that we properly work with our counterparts in Washington to make sure we get the best outcome for our people.”

The governor didn’t identify the cabinet members on the list of those traveling to Washington D.C.

Asked how many cabinet members are accompanying the governor to the D.C. meetings, Iulogologo responded, “Because of the uncertain environment in D.C., the delegation is limited to the Governor's staff” — himself (Iulogologo), chief of staff Fiu J. Saelua; governor’s assistant legal counsel Alema Leota, and ASG Medicaid director Sandra King-Young.