“New kid on the block” from Saole calls for pay raises for lawmakers

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Saole Representative, Titialii Kitara Vaiau has requested pay raises for lawmakers saying that the current annual salary is not enough to take care of lawmakers’ daily work and business. Even the $10,000 each lawmaker received from the government through the CARES Act funding for COVID-19 last year to set up offices at their homes, Titiali’i said that money doesn’t even help to fulfill what is needed.

The request from the Saole representative was made during the house session Wednesday morning.

He stated that it’s been over two years since the old Fono building was pulled down and lawmakers are trying to find places to do the work of their districts. He asked Speaker of the House, Savali Talavou Ale to carefully consider his request because there are other lawmakers who have served in the Fono for many years but the salary is still remains the same.

“We are lawmakers but our salaries are not enough. We don’t have offices, nor office desks or even telephones to use for our work,” Titialii said, adding that, “I’m just a new kid on the block but I’m asking for those who have served in the Fono for many years.”

The last time pay raises came up in the Fono was in 2016, and there were public protests outside the Fono building on the Fagatogo malae, causing the issue to die a natural death.

BACKGROUND

This is not the first time the issue of raising annual salaries for lawmakers was raised in the Fono.

A House bill for salary increases for lawmakers was passed by representatives in a vote of 13-4 during the 35th legislature, however, senators never acted on the bill. Among the four faipule who were against the bill were Reps. Larry Sanitoa and Vailoata E. Amituana’i.

The annual salary for the Speaker and Senate President is $30,000, the pay of representatives and senators is $25,000, and the faipule from Swains Island draws down $20,000.

The $10k checks for representatives and senators from the COVID-19 funding from ASG last year, was reportedly to help lawmakers set up their offices at home and pay for all associated costs.

The two Fono leaders were granted $20,000 while senators and representatives each received checks for $10,000.

In July of last year, the US Treasury’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) determined that the checks given to lawmakers from the American Samoa share of more than $35 million federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds “are unrelated to the COVID-19 health emergency” and must be reimbursed or returned.

Two faipule confirmed they returned their checks when the matter surfaced, while in the Senate, Sen. Tuaolo M. Fruean announced during a senate session in August of last year that he would return his check because he doesn’t need an office.