American Samoa’s Congresswoman takes the oath of office for her third term today, joining the 116th Congress.
KHJ News Correspondent Matt Kaye reports from the Capitol:
The first day of a new Congress is always one of pomp and ceremony and a time for members, including American 
Samoa’s Aumua Amata Radewagen, to reflect on the profound responsibility they face as they take the oath of office.
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…even during times of political turmoil, with a now divided Congress and a partial government shutdown fight over southern border wall funding consuming Democrats and the President…
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Radewagen predicts the new Congress will see continued cooperation by the delegates across party lines to pursue greater equity with the states in federal grants for education, health and other programs. 
One change in the 116th Congress – the new House Democratic majority will reinstate the delegates’ floor vote when the full House rises as a “Committee of the Whole” for bill and amendment debate.
And, the right to chair the “Committee.” Amata—
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Radewagen hopes to be back on the same standing committees – Veterans Affairs, Natural Resources and Small Business, where she had chaired the Health and Technology Subcommittee and could still be ranking Republican in the new Democratic-controlled House.
The Congresswoman has long argued the committees are where the real work of Congress gets done.
Delegate votes on the floor are symbolic since they do not count toward final bill passage or when they will change the outcome in the Committee of the Whole House.
