Eni Faleomavaega

Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin Faleomavaega, Jr., a Democrat, has served as the Delegate from American Samoa to the U. S. House of Representatives since 1988.

Support for gun control
In 1991, Faleomavaega cosponsored H.R. 3104, which sought "To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the importation and the manufacture of firearms designed to accept a silencer, bayonet, grenade launcher, flash suppressor, or folding stock, of certain ammunition feeding devices, and of related devices, and to provide for the imposition of enhanced penalties for the possession or the use of any such item in a crime of violence or in a drug trafficking crime."

House delegate voting rights
On January 24, 2007, after Democrats took control of the House following the 2006 congressional elections, a rule change was again passed providing delegates and the resident commissioner with limited voting rights. The change allowed delegates and the resident commissioner (4 of 5 of whom were Democrats) to vote on the House floor in the "Committee of the Whole," whereby bills are debated and amendments are added. The rule, however, stipulated that if a delegate's vote was decisive, the committee would disband and a new vote would be taken without the non-voting members.

Del. Faleomavaega, who had represented American Samoa in the House since 1989, supported the change by emphasizing that his “territory has the highest per capita casualty rate (in Iraq) in the whole United States.”

Bio
Faleomavaega was born August 15, 1959 in Vailoatai Village, and attended Brigham Young University, the University of Houston Law School and the University of California, Berkeley. He served in the United States Army and the United States Army Reserve.

Faleomavaega served as the administrative assistant to the American Samoa Delegate, as staff counsel, House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, as Deputy Attorney General for the territory of American Samoa and as Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa.

2006 elections
No major candidates announced their intentions to contest Faleomavaega’s seat in the November 2006 election. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006)

Money in politics
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Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * House Committee on Foreign Affairs
 * Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere
 * Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, Chair
 * House Committee on Natural Resources
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
 * Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans
 * Subcommittee on Insular Affairs

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * House Committee on International Relations
 * Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific - Ranking Minority Member
 * Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
 * House Committee on Resources
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
 * Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation Wildlife and Oceans
 * House Committee on Small Business
 * Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and Oversight
 * Subcommittee on Tax Finance and Exports

Resources

 * Official website
 * House Democrats' Profile
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database