Condolences To American Samoa & Samoa Following Earthquakes & Tsunamis

I rise today in support of H.Res. 861, which expresses the condolences of the Congress to the Samoas following the natural disasters in the South Pacific.

I cannot stress how much these terrifying events were so deeply felt throughout the State of Hawaii because of our close familial, historical, cultural, and geographical ties to the islands.

I would like to extend a heartfelt mahalo to Hawaii's Army Air and Army Guard medical, communication, and search and rescue specialists who assisted in the recovery efforts. It is worth noting that this was the first time the Hawaii National Guard had deployed such a sizable task force outside our state in support of a Pacific partner.

I would also like to thank the 15 Red Cross volunteers from Hawaii who focused on outreaching to the families who lost loved ones in the disaster and served meals that included local favorites like spam and saimin. I would also like to thank the many Hawaii businesses who made monetary or in-kind donations.

The outpouring of support for relief efforts from Hawaii's Samoan community has been tremendous. I know that much of their strength in the wake of these disasters is derived from their personal faith, for which I have long had great admiration.

I want to close by letting my dear friend and colleague, Congressman Eni Faleomavaega, know that I stand ready to continue to support his efforts to help the people of American Samoa and Samoa in any way that I can.

Mahalo (thank you).

Source