Amata hails Governor Dirk Kempthorne as new Secretary of the Interior
March 16, 2006

Aumua Amata today praised President Bush's nomination of Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne to head up the U.S. Department of the Interior. He succeeds Secretary Gale Norton who resigned last week.

Said Amata, "As the governor of a small state, one of the keys to the success of Kempthorne's administrations has been his years spent in Washington as a United States Senator and it has proved crucial in dealing with federal issues and in establishing the relationships that have helped produce so many positive results for his small Western state."

"Because he is from a small state, and with his knowledge and experience acquired in Washington, Governor Kempthorne understands what needs to be done for American Samoa," she added.

Amata concluded by saying, "Stopping bad federal actions is just as important -- sometimes more so - than getting good federal decisions. Governor Kempthorne has what it takes to be an outstanding Secretary of the Interior and he will be a friend and ally for American Samoa."