Amata Welcomes Senate Confirmation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is highlighting the Senate confirmation of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, a friend and former colleague in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Secretary Noem, 53, was sworn in on January 25 in the White House’s Eisenhower Executive Office Building. She left Congress in 2019 to serve as Governor of South Dakota. As Secretary of Homeland Security, she leads a major federal department (DHS) that includes Customs, Immigration and Naturalization, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and more.

“Congratulations to my friend and former colleague, Secretary Noem,” said Congresswoman Aumua Amata. “The Coast Guard, FEMA, and other agencies that are part of DHS are important to American Samoa. The Coast Guard has a growing role in the Pacific, and I continue to request the stationing of cutters in our harbor, while FEMA had key response roles in our efforts following the tsunami in 2009 and cyclone Gita in 2018, and preparations for future storms.”

“Secretary Noem is a strong leader whose time serving in Congress and as Governor are a great foundation for the responsibilities of leading DHS, where she will work for President Trump and with the Congress,” continued Amata. “Although the territory’s administration of American Samoa’s border is different than the U.S. borders, DHS will have ongoing roles for our people, ranging from national cybersecurity to individual citizenship or immigration cases.” 

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