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Friday’s Senate session confirms two more admin cabinet nominees

Panisia Neueli
Food Stamp program comes under claims of contributing to NCDs
andrew@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Senate last Friday confirmed two cabinet nominations from the Pula & Pulu administration. They were Panisia Neueli for Director of Human and Social Services and Tapumanaia Galu Satele for Director of Youth and Women's Affairs.

PANISIA NEUELI:

In her opening remarks, Panisia Neueli introduced herself and stated that she has worked for the government for the past 22 years, including seven years at the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) and 15 years at the Department of Human & Social Services (DHSS).

She has served as Deputy Director of Finance and Administration for eight of her 15 years at DHSS. Neueli then confidently answered senators' questions as her confirmation hearing progressed before the Senate Ways and Means Committee, chaired by Senator Gaoteote Palaie Tofau.

She revealed that for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2025 from October to December, funding under the Food Stamp Program totaled $2.2 million. The Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program spent $1.4 million and about $500,000 was spent on Daycare Centers.

Neueli explained that federal agencies have set conditions for spending these funds. For example, 20 percent of monthly Food Stamp funds must be spent on locally produced products, while 80 percent can be used to purchase imported food items. For the WIC Program, all items purchased with food vouchers are determined by federal authorities based on their nutritional value.

She mentioned that Food Stamp vouchers can be redeemed at 110 local stores, seven restaurants, and two farmers' markets/stalls. These businesses display DHSS notices to inform Food Stamp recipients about this service.

Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean expressed his concerns that Asian business owners are receiving a significant portion of the Food Stamp vouchers. He mentioned witnessing Asian business owners cashing in large amounts of vouchers at the bank, suggesting this might be one of the reasons why so many Asians are setting up businesses in the Territory to take advantage of these transactions.

Neueli emphasized that all vendors must apply and that DHSS does not discriminate as long as the vendors meet the requirements. She stated that their Food Stamp vendor status is revoked if they violate any of the program's conditions. Moreover, the vendors are paying taxes to the government.

When asked about the nationalities of the recipients of the Food Stamp and other benefit programs, Neueli stated that 3,047 are citizens of Samoa, 1,190 are American Samoans, and the next largest ethnic group is Filipinos, with 136 recipients.

The Acting Director explained that foreigners who are legally in the Territory are eligible to receive these benefits, but they must have legally resided in the Territory for one year before receiving the benefits.

Senator Magalei Logovi'i asked Neueli if any of the department's programs were affected by the recent 'pause' of federal grants enacted by the Trump administration. The director nominee stated that they had contacted their federal partners when they heard the news and were assured that their programs would not be affected.

She mentioned that the pause had not affected funds for Medicare, Social Security, and the Food Stamp Program.

Magalei also inquired about the progress of the conversion from vouchers to electronic cards, which was revealed by former DHSS Director Muavaefa'atasi John Suisala to the Senate last year. Neueli said she was making this a priority and hopes this initiative will materialize before September.

The Senate Vice President said it has come to his attention that some recipients live in Samoa and just come here when it's time to pick up their Food Stamp vouchers. He asked the director nominee if she was aware of this. Neueli acknowledged that this was occurring but they are monitoring the situation and the culprits will be terminated from the program once they are identified.

Magalei said that he was not in favor of the Food Stamp Program when it was first established because it was more or less a welfare program. In addition, he felt it has made people lazy and has contributed to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes.

"It's like the number of diabetics on island has increased because of the Food Stamp Program," Magalei said. "So you find people in their 20s who have diabetes. Without Food Stamps, they would be eating canned fish, but with Food Stamps they eat pork chops or salt beef. So the program isn't really helping our people."

Senator Leatualevao Asifoa brought up another danger to public health from pesticides that are not federally approved but are used by some Asian farmers. He urged the director nominee to look into the quality of vegetables and fruits being sold at roadside stalls and at stores which can be redeemed with food vouchers from DHSS. He said that recently, ASEPA found residue of chemicals used by Asian farmers and these produce have been consumed by families and children.

In the regular session that followed, Panisia Neueli was confirmed in 13-1 vote.

TAPUMANAIA GALU SATELE:

In contrast, the confirmation hearing that followed for Tapumanaia Galu Satele as Director of Youth and Women's Affairs lasted less than 15 minutes.

After greeting the director nominee, Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean's remarks were brief but profound as he paid tribute to Tapumanaia's late father Satele Galu Satele, and grandfather, the late Tuana'itau Tuia for their service to the government of American Samoa through the Legislature.

"The chair that Senator Misaalefua Hudson sits on was occupied by your father four years ago," Tuaolo stated. "I am a product of your grandfather who coached me. They now lie in hallowed ground, but this was their wish, for you to continue their legacy in serving the government. That is my testimony today. I wish you well in your new appointment."

Senator Gaoteote Palaie Gaoteote acknowledged that Tapumanaia served for many years as an employee of the Department of Youth and Women's Affairs and as a member of the House of Representatives.

He thanked the Pula & Pulu administration for providing him with this opportunity to head the department where he had worked for many years. Gaoteote said he had no doubts that Tapumanaia was well qualified for the position of Director for Youth and Women's Affairs and reminded him that honesty was the best policy.

 Senator Muagututi'a also gave his blessing to Tapumanaia and commented that Senate members were pleased to see that the sons and daughters of American Samoa are being selected to leadership positions because this was their time.

Tapumanaia became emotional when he thanked the senators for their confidence in him. He said DYWA is very dear to him and is the most important department in the government because it prepares the youth for a bright future and it also serves mothers.

He recalled the words of his late grandfather when he was first elected as Tualauta House faipule, "It's not about what you have, it's about what you give."

Tapumanaia was unanimously confirmed in the regular session that followed.