Del. Amata's Statement on President's Disaster Declaration

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Del. Amata Radewagen, R-American Samoa, issued the following statement in appreciation of President Trump's disaster declaration for American Samoa:

"Thank you, President Trump and everyone at FEMA for their quick declaration of the major disaster in American Samoa as Governor Lolo Moliga recently requested, and which I supported in comments to Regional Director Robert Fenton.

"We are blessed and pray for our islands' continued safety, but it's important to know the full weight of U.S. federal support is behind us. It's a symbolic coincidence that this strong statement of federal support came to us on our 120th Flag Day.

"As we saw following Cyclone Gita, I am confident the Administration will continue its support of American Samoa in this pandemic and its ongoing economic disruption.

"Thank you and congratulations to Governor Lolo, as our people will be strengthened by this additional FEMA support.

"Thank you once again to FEMA and Administrator Peter Gaynor for the assistance already announced in a grant this week and through supply flights."