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House committee assignments include faipule who didn’t support Speaker

House Savali Talavou Ale
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — This week the Speaker of the House Savali Talavou Ale confirmed 17 House Committees assignments for the 37th Legislature. Committee chairmen, vice chairmen along with members were finalized during a House session on Tuesday.

Several House Representatives told Samoa News they don’t support the list of House Committees set up by the House Speaker because it includes the names of the three Representatives who did not support Savali in the beginning of his campaign for Speaker of the House for the 37th Legislature. The three representatives are Larry Sanitoa, Vesiai Poyer Samuelu and Manavaalofa Tutuila Manase.

Pago Pago Representative Vesiai is the only faipule of the three who doesn’t have a chair or vice chair role, however, he’s a member of several of the House committees.

In some past Legislatures, faipule, who did not support the person elected to the Speaker’s post during his campaign for the post did not get committee assignments — chair and vice chair included.

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

House Rules Committee Chair is Vice Speaker Fetui Fetu while Vice Chair is Vaetasi Tuumolimoli Moliga. The committee has 9 members including the only female representative from Fofo, Andra Tereise Samoa.

Budget & Appropriations Committee Chairman Vailiuama Steve Leasiolagi retains the chairmanship, while Vice Chair is Faimealelei Anthony Fu’e Allen. The committee has 11 members.

Ways & Means Committee Chair is Lavea Fatulegaee P. Mauga while Vice Chair is Vailiuama Steve Leasiolagi. The committee has 9 members.

Government Operations Committee Chair is Faimealelei Anthony Fu’e Allen while Vice Chair is Manumaua Wayne Wilson. The committee has 9 members.

Education & Scholarships Committee Chair is Vailoata Amituana’i, who did not get a committee chairmanship or a committee membership in the last Legislature, while Vice Chair is freshman lawmaker Manavaalofa Tutuila Manase.

Health Committee Chair is Andra Samoa while Vice Chair is Logoituau Mark Atafua. The committee has 9 members.

Legal Affairs/Judiciary Committee Chair is Vaetasi Tuumolimoli Moliga while Vice Chair is Larry Sanitoa. The committee has 9 members.

Public Safety/Local Government Chair is freshman lawmaker Avagafono Vaimaga Maiava, a former Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety while Vice Chair is Luaitaua Gene Pan. The committee has 9 members.

Homeland Security Committee Chair is Luaitaua Gene Pan while Vice Chair is Su’a Alexander Jennings. The committee has 9 members.

Communications Committee Chair is Logoituau Mark Atafua who chaired the same committee in the last Legislature while Vice Chair is Vailoata Amituana’i. The committee has 9 members.

Human & Social Services Committee Chair is Su’a Alexander Jennings while Vice Chair is Avagafono Vaimaga Maiava. The committee has 9 members.

Public Works/Parks & Recreation Committee Chair is Manumaua Wayne Wilson while Vice Chair is freshman lawmaker Ape Mike Asifoa. The committee has 11 members.

American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) Committee Chair is freshman lawmaker Alumamalu Ale Filoialii while Vice Chair is Titialii Kitara Vaiau. The committee has 11 members.

Port Administration/Transportation Committee Chair is Tiaoalii Sai while Vice Chair is Andra Samoa. The committee has 9 members.

Agriculture/Marine & Wildlife/Forestry Committee Chair is freshman lawmaker Ape Mike Asifoa while Vice Chair is Su’a Alexander Jennings. The committee has 9 members.

Commerce, Economic Development/ Retirement Committee Chair is Samuel Meleisea who was chair of the same committee in the last Legislature while Vice Chair is Vailiuama Steve Leasiolagi. The committee has 17 members.

Territorial Administration on Aging (TAOA)/Election Office/Youth & Women Affairs Committee Chair is Titialii Kitara Vaiau while Vice Chair is Lavea Fatulegae’e Mauga. The committee has 9 members.