Amata Welcomes Continued U.S. Government Persistence on Behalf of Lt. Ridge Alkonis and His Family
Washington, D.C. –Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amataappreciates U.S. government efforts in continued conversations with Japan on behalf of U.S. Navy Lt. Ridge Alkonis, and is urging persistence in these efforts so that Lt. Alkonis can be returned to the United States.
Congressman Mike Levin (D-CA) has been supportive and outspoken on behalf of Lt. Ridge Alkonis and US diplomatic efforts with Japan.
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke to CNN on Sunday from Japan, and briefly addressed Lt. Alkonis’s plight. (Video here beginning at the 10:50 timestamp). National Security Advisor Sullivan noted he has met with Lt. Alkonis’s wife, and said the administration takes the matter extremely seriously. He said, “there are certain times when saying less in public and more in private is the best way to resolve these cases. This is one of those instances,” but he assured, “we are working this case extremely hard.”
“Thank you to National Security Advisor Sullivan for this thoughtful statement, it’s so good to know that these important conversations are ongoing,” said Congresswoman Aumua Amata. “I sincerely appreciate and strongly support those efforts, and I have every hope that Japanese authorities will transfer him to U.S. custody. I want to thank those Japanese and U.S. officials working on this matter in any way, as well as the many Members of Congress who have staunchly supported Lt. Alkonis and his family throughout this time.”
Congresswoman Amata has been committed to the facts of this case since the beginning, including a request for support for the Lieutenant, in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in October of 2021; speaking on the House floor in July 2022; and supporting the urgent call in December 2022 to preserve the family’s military benefits, with another letter to the Defense Secretary.
“I know that Lt. Alkonis’s family has kept up their hopes and faith, despite a long wait,” said Aumua Amata. “The United States must keep our national commitments to care for our military families, including Lt. Alkonis who serves voluntarily in our Armed Forces. God bless all continued diplomatic efforts to bring him home, and continued condolences to all those affected in Japan by this tragic accident.”
She concluded, “President Biden just stated that Japan and the U.S share fundamental values, and that this alliance is stronger than ever, at the G7 Summit. I wholeheartedly agree with President Biden’s statement, and believe that all Americans regardless of political party fundamentally believe in the importance of a strong U.S.-Japan relationship for the good of the world.”
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