We are committed to the preservation of Fa'a Samoa, even as we work to make sure that a simplified path to an individual citizenship choice is readily available and accessible to any American Samoans who personally desire to pursue it.
Preserve Fa'a Samoa while working to ensure a simplified path to an individual citizenship choice remains available to American Samoans who want it.
Occurrences
To protect collective self-determination and individual rights under Federal statutes conferring nationality on persons born and residing in the territory of American Samoa, to enable subsequent elective United States citizenship...
H.R.5976 was introduced by Mrs. Radewagen and the bill's text states it is to enable 'subsequent elective United States citizenship upon application' while protecting collective self-determination.
I ask that the committee please support H.R. 6158, and my bill would preserve our culture and protect the indigenous rights of future generations of territorial residents while recognizing our status as Americans who participate in the country as a whole.
Evidence
Congresswoman Aumua Amata introduced a bipartisan bill to streamline citizenship for any U.S. Nationals from American Samoa who choose to convert their status to U.S. citizenship. The bill would make their citizenship choice more convenient and accessible by removing the need to move off-island, waiving the citizenship test, and offering a hardship waiver of the application fee.
Introduced in House on February 13, 2019 by Del. Radewagen; referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. Congress.gov shows the measure as introduced and not enacted.
Amata said, 'We are committed to the preservation of Fa'a Samoa, even as we work to make sure that a simplified path to an individual citizenship choice is readily available and accessible to any American Samoans who personally desire to pursue it.' She said the issue should be left to Congress, the American Samoa Government, and the American Samoan people.
Congress.gov shows H.R.5976 was introduced by Mrs. Radewagen and referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary on November 7, 2025. The bill's text states it is to enable 'subsequent elective United States citizenship upon application' while protecting collective self-determination.
Sponsor: Del. Radewagen, Aumua Amata Coleman [R-AS-At Large] (Introduced 11/19/2025). Committees: House - Judiciary. Latest Action: House - 11/19/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. Tracker: This bill has the status Introduced.
Radewagen wrote that H.R. 6158 would provide "a streamlined process for U.S. Nationals from American Samoa to claim the full breadth of their Citizenship rights while preserving the territory's right to self-determination."
H.R.6158 — 119th Congress (2025-2026) American Samoa Statutory Nationality and Citizenship Act Sponsor: Radewagen, Aumua Amata Coleman [Del.-R-AS-At Large] (Introduced 11/19/2025) ... Latest Action: House - 11/19/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. ... H.R.5976 ... to enable subsequent elective United States citizenship upon application ...
H.R. 6062 was signed by the President and became Public Law No. 118-232 on January 4, 2025.
H.R. 6158 is the American Samoa Statutory Nationality and Citizenship Act; Congress.gov shows it as the introduced bill text for an elective citizenship pathway, with the measure introduced on November 19, 2025 and referred to committee.
The current Congress.gov member page lists H.R. 6158 as introduced and referred to the House Judiciary Committee, and also lists H.R. 5976 as introduced and referred to Judiciary; no later enactment is shown.
Her immigration issue page says she was building legislative efforts to allow simpler individual conversion to citizenship and to implement a constitutional change the people of American Samoa voted for.
Congress.gov lists Radewagen as sponsor of H.R.6158, an American Samoa nationality and elective-citizenship bill. Latest action remains House Judiciary referral on November 19, 2025, and status remains Introduced.
Congress.gov lists H.R.5976 as sponsored by Radewagen to protect collective self-determination and enable later elective U.S. citizenship; latest action was Judiciary referral on November 7, 2025, with status Introduced.
Congress.gov shows Radewagen sponsored H.R.6062; it became Public Law 118-232 on January 4, 2025, repealing the federal restriction on American Samoa constitutional amendments.
Radewagen's House immigration page says she worked on two priorities: simpler individual conversion to citizenship for U.S. Nationals and implementing an American Samoa constitutional change requested locally.
Assessments
Radewagen materially advanced and sponsored legislation that delivered part of the promise: H.R.6062 became Public Law 118-232 on January 4, 2025, removing the federal approval restriction for American Samoa constitutional amendments and supporting local self-determination/Fa'a Samoa preservation. However, the separate promise to keep a simplified individual citizenship-choice path readily available was not delivered in enacted law. Her citizenship-path bills, including H.R.1208, H.R.5976, and H.R.6158, show serious continued legislative effort but remained introduced/referred rather than enacted. Because one major component was delivered in a later term and the citizenship component was only attempted, the proper outcome is partial with an effort badge.
Radewagen materially advanced both sides of the promise, but only one side shows a completed policy result. On the citizenship-choice side, she introduced and later reintroduced bills to create a simplified optional path to citizenship for American Samoans, showing sustained and serious effort, but the cited Congress.gov records show those measures were introduced and referred only, not enacted. On the Fa'a Samoa/self-determination side, the later enactment of H.R. 6062 in January 2025 supports credit for helping deliver part of the broader preservation goal while she remained in federal office. Because the preservation/self-determination component saw a later legislative success tied to her advocacy, but the promised simplified citizenship path still was not delivered in law, the overall promise is best scored as partial with later_term timing.
Radewagen materially pursued both sides of the promise, but only part of the outcome was delivered. On the citizenship-choice side, she introduced and later reintroduced bills to create a simplified elective path to U.S. citizenship for American Samoans, showing serious and sustained effort, but the measures remained only introduced and referred, with no enactment. On the Fa'a Samoa/self-determination side, later legislation tied to preserving American Samoa’s self-governance did become law in January 2025, which supports partial delivery of the preservation portion. Because the simplified citizenship path itself was not actually made available in enacted federal law, the full promise was not delivered.
Radewagen consistently supported both parts of the claim: preserving Fa'a Samoa/self-determination and keeping an optional, simplified citizenship path open to American Samoans. A later enactment in 2025 delivered part of the preservation/self-determination side, but the elective citizenship-path portion was still only introduced and referred to committee, not enacted. That makes the overall promise partially fulfilled, with meaningful later-term delivery but no full completion of the citizenship-choice half.
Radewagen publicly pledged to preserve Fa'a Samoa while creating a streamlined, elective citizenship path and repeatedly pursued legislation to that end. She issued statements (2020) affirming the position and introduced H.R.1208 (116th Congress, Feb 2019) to streamline an elective citizenship route, but Congress.gov records show it was referred and not enacted. She continued the effort with later reintroductions (H.R.5976, H.R.6158 in 2025) and committee testimony, but those measures remain at introduction/referral with no enacted law creating the promised simplified, elective citizenship process. Because she made serious legislative attempts but did not achieve the enacted policy she promised, the claim is not delivered despite notable effort.
Radewagen consistently supported preserving Fa'a Samoa and an optional individual citizenship choice, and she made serious legislative efforts, including H.R.1208 in 2019 and later reintroduced measures in 2025. However, the cited bills were only introduced and referred to committee, with no evidence that Congress enacted a simplified citizenship path or that the promised outcome was otherwise delivered. Because the promise involved ensuring that a simplified path remained available, continued advocacy and bill introduction count as effort but not fulfillment.
Radewagen clearly supported preserving Fa'a Samoa and made serious efforts to create or maintain an optional, simplified citizenship path for American Samoans, including introducing H.R.1208 in 2019 and later H.R.5976 in 2025. However, the cited bills were introduced and referred but not enacted, and the evidence does not show that a simplified individual citizenship choice was actually delivered during the relevant federal term or later. Because she materially attempted the promised policy but did not secure the outcome, this is a failed delivery with an effort badge.