January 21, 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. ---- CHAIRMAN DON YOUNG TO LEAD CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO AMERICAN SAMOA AND THE PACIFIC

      Congressman Faleomavaega announced today that Congressman Don Young, Chairman of the House Committee on Resources, is planning a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) to the Pacific region next month with American Samoa the first stop.

      "I am pleased that Chairman Young has again expressed his commitment to American Samoa by including it as the first territorial stop for the delegation," said Faleomavaega. "I have been in consultation with the Chairman in planning this trip and will continue to do so as a more detailed itinerary is worked out."

      "Because of the distances and times involved, Congressional inspections of this nature are always difficult to execute, but despite false starts in the past, I am keeping my fingers crossed that next month's inspection will take place as scheduled," continued the Congressman. "There is no substitute for first-hand knowledge of areas over which the Congress has jurisdiction, and I hope several Members of the Resources Committee will be part of the delegation."

      The Young CODEL is scheduled to arrive in American Samoa on February 13th and depart on February 16th. From there the delegation will also visit the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Issues include the economic development of American Samoa and the Freely Associated States of Micronesia, transfer of excess federal land to the Government of Guam, and immigration and labor reforms in the CNMI.