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Congressman Faleomavaega announced today that he was invited to be a member of the Joint Escort Committee for the Joint Meeting of the House and Senate with the Honorable Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia, at 11:00 am on Wednesday, March 9, 2011. A joint meeting is a method used to receive addresses from foreign leaders and dignitaries.
The Joint Escort Committee includes Members from the House and Senate who meet in the Speaker’s Ceremonial office to greet the Prime Minister and then are assembled in line by the Sergeant At Arms to escort the Prime Minister into the House Chamber.
From the U.S. House of Representatives, only 9 Democratic Members of Congress were invited to be part of the Joint Escort Committee, and these Members included Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn, House Democratic Caucus Chair John Larson, Vice-Democratic Chair Xavier Becerra, Ranking Member Howard Berman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ranking Member Nita Lowey of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, Faleomavaega, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, and Chief Deputy Whip Joe Crowley.
Nine Republican Members of the U.S. House of Representatives also served on the Joint Escort Committee including Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, House Republican Conference Chair Jeb Hensarling, Chairman David Dreier of the House Committee on Rules, Chairman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairman Buck McKeon of the House Armed Services Committee, Chairman Dave Camp of the House Ways and Means Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee Kevin Brady, and Chairman Don Manzullo of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.
From the U.S. Senate, 10 Senators were part of the Joint Escort Committee including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Jon Kyl, Senator Dick Durbin, Senator Lamar Alexander, Senator John Kerry, Senator John Barrasso, Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Jon Cornyn, and Senator Richard Lugar.
Speaker John Boehner and Senator Daniel K. Inouye presided over the Joint Meeting.
“On behalf of the people of American Samoa, it was my honor to greet the Prime Minister of Australia in my capacity as Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific,” Faleomavaega said. “Prime Minister Gillard is the first female to hold the position of Prime Minister in Australia’s history and I am proud of the work she is doing to advance the deep friendship that exists between the U.S. and Australia.”
“I am also pleased that she has pledged to work with the U.S. in matters affecting the rise of the Asia-Pacific region, and I hope this will ultimately include advancing trade in the Pacific Island community, too. Like Prime Minister Gillard, I believe the U.S. must be bold in addressing the economic and security challenges before us, and I am appreciative that we can count on Australia’s support. In fact, I look forward to working with Prime Minister Gillard’s administration to tackle the problems that confront us like climate change, Iran’s nuclear program, Afghanistan, and the need to shore up the world economy.
“There is no doubt under Prime Minister Gillard’s leadership, Australia’s alliance with America will grow even deeper and this is good news for all Australians and Americans, including those living in American Samoa. Considering that the Prime Minister’s commitment marks a new era in U.S.-Australia relations, it is only fitting that she is the first foreign dignitary to address the 112th Congress, and only the third Australian PM to be given the honor of speaking to a Joint Meeting of the House and Senate. I would encourage everyone to read the full text of her remarks which can be accessed on C-Span’s website,” Faleomavaega concluded.
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