Economy

As our nation and Hawai‘i recover from the turbulent economic times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, I am focused in Congress on meeting the immediate challenges before us while investing in a more sustainable and prosperous future. I am fighting to address inflation and cost-of-living concerns that affect all of us in Hawai‘i, and I am working to secure federal investment to bring new industries to Hawai‘i and diversify the main economic drivers to create good paying jobs at home so our keiki can live and thrive in our Hawai‘i. Finally, I am still committed to making sure the federal government helps our state deal with the economic fallout from COVID-19.

Supply Chains and Cost-of-Living

The current supply chain disruptions, which has been responsible for stock shortages and accelerating inflation, are extremely concerning and must be addressed. To this end, I cosigned a letter asking the Federal Maritime Commission to address severe price-gouging in shipping costs and anti-competitive business practices that have resulted in shipping price increases and delays. I also cosponsored H.R. 3848, the Critical Supply Chain Commission Act, which looks to develop a plan to strengthen American manufacturing supply chain resilience and reduce our dependence on other countries.

My three bills would modernize the Jones Act for Hawai'i and other U.S. noncontiguous areas (Alaska and the island territories). They would (1) exempt such locales from the Jones Act while ensuring that any company that enters the U.S. domestic shipping market complies fully with U.S. law, including labor and environmental requirements (H.R. 298, the Noncontiguous Shipping Relief Act); (2) limit the rates that Jones Act carriers can charge to within 10 percent of comparable international rates (H.R. 299, the Noncontiguous Shipping Reasonable Rate Act); and (3) exempt noncontiguous areas from the Jones Act if a duopoly or monopoly exists (H.R. 300, the Noncontiguous Shipping Competition Act).

I will prioritize these bills and continue to lead this conversation in Congress about the practical effect of the Jones Act on our Hawai'i and ways to provide relief to other noncontiguous areas.

Helping Small Businesses

Small businesses remain the lifeblood of Hawai‘i. Our state has over 130,000 small businesses—that’s about 1 small business for every 11 people. While the average small business in Hawai‘i employs just 12 people, as a whole, Hawaii’s small businesses still employ a majority of our workforce.

In Congress, I have been an advocate for small business assistance programs that help our state. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have secured billions of dollars for the key small business assistance programs managed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). For example, for Fiscal Year 2021 my Committee provided the SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development Programs $272 million, an increase of $11 million above the prior year levels.

Given the rich ethnic diversity in Hawai‘i, minority-based programs are particularly important to Hawai‘i. Almost 93% of small businesses in Hawai‘i are minority-owned. They depend on and have received great benefit from programs such as the 8(a) Business Development program and the HUBZone program, which help provide a level playing field for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged people and historically underutilized business zones. I am focused on ensuring the continuation and expansion of these programs to empower some of our nation’s under-represented populations that are the true drivers of Hawaii’s small businesses.

Diversifying Our Economy

The COVID-19 pandemic and other periods of economic uncertainty, such as the 2008 financial crisis and 9/11, illustrate how reliant Hawaii’s economy is on tourism and vulnerable it is to a recession. I have long supported developing a technology industry in Hawai‘i to help diversify our economy. The technology sector provides high-paying jobs that are not at the mercy of high export shipping costs, and the federal defense presence in Hawai‘i offers technology and 8(a) startups an excellent partner. To that end, I have been an advocate for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer program, which helps technology startups get federal contracts. I have also been looking for different avenues to close the digital divide and ensure that Hawai‘i residents have access to affordable internet and have the education they need to ensure that Hawai‘i and our keiki remain competitive in our 21st-century economy.

Agriculture, which is Hawaii’s third-largest industry, is at a critical junction but can also help ensure a diversified economy for our state and help Hawai‘i achieve its goal to double local food production by 2030. I will continue to leverage my position on the House Appropriations Committee to help expand local food production and fund research and agricultural programs that benefit the specialty crops found in our Hawai‘i. It can also help Hawai‘i become more self-sufficient.

Economic Response to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about one of the worst economic downturns in a generation. Hawaii’s unemployment rate jumped from the lowest in the nation at 2.4% in March 2020 to nearly 12% just one month later with more than one-third of Hawaii’s labor force filing unemployment claims by April. Even today, Hawai‘i continues to have one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.

That is why in March 2021 I voted for the final version of $2 trillion American Rescue Plan Act. It continues to provide desperately needed assistance to help our nation and Hawai‘i weather the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. From stepping up our vaccination efforts for our kupuna and essential workers, getting our keiki safely back to school, assisting our state and local governments with crippling revenue shortfalls, helping struggling small businesses and their employees, to providing much-needed assistance to many of our fellow citizens and ‘ohana, the American Rescue Plan Act embraces our duty to act.

Furthermore, during the 116th Congress (2019-2021), I voted for every COVID-19 assistance bill brought before and passed by the full U.S. House. Many of these bills became public law and brought billions of dollars to Hawai‘i, providing a critical lifeline for many in Hawai‘i. Here is a brief timeline of the relief bills that the House passed into law:

• The first COVID-19 measure, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, immediately provided $8.3 billion in federal funding to rapidly accelerate the development and procurement of a COVID-19 vaccine and other medical supplies and provide aid to state and local governments and health care providers.
   
• The roughly $200-300 billion Families First Coronavirus Response Act sought to address the severe impacts of COVID-19 on the personal health, safety and financial security of Americans. It supported paid leave for small businesses, ensured free COVID-19 testing, provided stronger unemployment benefits, expanded food assistance for vulnerable children and families, protected front-line health workers and delivered additional aid to help stabilize state and municipal government operations.
   
• In March 2020, Congress enacted the $2.1 trillion CARES Act, which focused on meeting the crisis head-on by providing $1,200 direct payments to most Americans, created the Paycheck Protection Program to support more than 24,000 small businesses in Hawai‘i, provided state and local governments in Hawai‘i with $1.25 billion to address local needs and created enhanced unemployment benefits for those who were out of work.
   
• In April 2020, the $484 billion Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act was enacted into law and included an additional $320 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program plus funding for hospitals and COVID-19 testing.
   
• Lastly, Congress passed a $900 billion COVID-19 emergency relief package (H.R. 133) in December 2020, which continues to provide individuals, communities and businesses with the resources they need to deal with the public health, economic and social crises resulting from the pandemic. Most notably, it provided most Americans with an additional $600 direct payment, revitalized small business assistance program and allocated additional funding toward vaccine distribution.

Education

I believe that every student should have access to high-quality, affordable education. An investment in education must start at the pre-kindergarten level with programs like Head Start to ensure that all students are ready for kindergarten and succeed in elementary school. Investments in education need to also continue through high school, career and technical training and college so all of Hawaii’s keiki can get good, quality, competitive jobs in our global economy.

K-12 Education

In the current Congress, I am focused on investments to support school infrastructure projects, provide for growing technology needs in the classroom, improve teacher recruitment and training, sustain Native Hawaiian immersion education programs and ensure minorities and women can pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM).

For more information about elementary and secondary education issues under consideration by Congress, please read a report prepared by the Congressional Research Service.

Career and technical education (CTE) programs have been critical in providing high school students with the relevant technical knowledge and skills they need to prepare for further education and occupations in emerging professions. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I helped secure $1.3 billion for CTE programs in Fiscal Year 2021. Research has proven that these programs mitigate high school dropout and absentee rates and increase participants’ overall employment outcomes and earnings.

COVID-19 and the Classroom

The American Rescue Plan Act, which I voted to pass in March 2021, provided our Hawai‘i Department of Education with $460 million to help students return to the classroom and schools deal with the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including to support teacher training, address learning loss, maintain clean classrooms and modernize technology systems.

I believe it is important to talk directly to those affected by these challenges. This is why I regularly visit our schools to talk with students and staff about adjusting to in-person instruction despite the challenges posed by the ongoing health crisis. You can watch a video of my visit to Mililani High School on my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWNNPSqFFdU).

Higher Education

In the United States, rising tuition costs have made it an increasingly more difficult for many to go to college. I believe we need to make it easier for students to afford the cost of higher education. During my time in Congress, I have strongly supported federal programs that help borrowers manage and pay off their student loan debt, including through need-based scholarships.

The federal Pell Grant program has been essential to preserving college opportunities and narrowing the achievement gap for lower income and otherwise disadvantaged students. I have consistently supported programs like the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program that provides debt forgiveness in return for public service in certain fields such as medical care in underserved areas. The whole issue of student loan repayment is under active debate in Congress. I am working with my colleagues in this effort to ensure these programs work better for students and borrowers in our Hawai‘i and across the country.

Energy and Environment

Protecting our environment is one of my top priorities. My assignments on the House Committee on Appropriations and Committee on Natural Resources give me opportunities to safeguard our oceans and public lands, combat climate change, accelerate our transition to renewable energy and oppose attempts to roll back critical environmental regulations.

Climate Change

As Hawai`i and the rest of our planet confront the impacts of climate change, we must act immediately to respond to this global crisis. To this end, I have cosponsored multiple pieces of legislation, including the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act, which aims to reduce the production of single-use products like plastic, and the Safeguarding America’s Future and Environment Act, which would establish an integrated national approach to protecting our wildlife and natural resources. I have also spoken in both my committees on the issue of climate change. You can find examples of my statements on my YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/w7vcR9Qj7c8 and https://youtu.be/p5uoavcmkZU). 

I also believe we must pivot our nation to a clean energy future. I have long supported the development of clean energy alternatives that will reduce carbon emissions and address global warming. For example, I am a cosponsor of the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act and the Blue Carbon Protection Act. These and other bills I supported will help combat climate change and restore our environment. In September 2021, I held a roundtable with local stakeholders to discuss the ways our federal government can support Hawaii’s renewable energy goals. You can view the conversation on my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omEFwCVd1ms.

Protecting Our Natural Resources

In addition, I believe we must take the full range of actions to protect our natural heritage and ensure sensitive and important areas survive and prosper for generations to come.

For example, I have introduced legislation to begin the process of creating a National Forest and a National Heritage Area in our Hawai‘i. This will unlock federal resources currently unavailable to our state.

Finally, we must protect our oceans. From warmer temperatures and acidification to nonpoint-source pollution, trash, overfishing and beyond, our oceans are on an unsustainable path and desperately need our help to save them. This is why I cosponsored legislation to protect our nation's coral reefs and spoke before the full House in support of legislation to combat marine debris. In the 116th Congress, the House also passed my amendment to include our oceans as part of the discussions surrounding the Paris Climate Agreement and I worked to strengthen our National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Corps, which conducts vital research into the health of our oceans.

Fiscal Accountability

Our national debt (the total amount owed by our federal government to our creditors) is now approximately $29 trillion, an unprecedented amount both overall and by various other measures such as in relation to our overall economy. As just one consequence of great concern, the annual interest payments on our debt are now the fastest-growing part of our federal budget, more than, for example, education and defense.

This year, we’ll spend more money on interest payments on the debt than all federal funding on our American children, and by 2025, our interest payments will exceed our defense budget. This not only presents a great risk to economic, social and defense stability but also is a stark indicator of fiscal unsustainability.

I believe that our federal budget should not be an aspirational exercise, but instead a document and agenda that comprehensively addresses our nation’s needs and expenses in a fiscally sustainable way. We have urgent challenges, from climate change to health care and beyond, and we need a full and difficult debate on how best to balance their cost with our ability and commitment to raise and allocate scarce resources.

If we continue on our current fiscally unsustainable path, we will continue to reduce our ability to deal not only with normal course needs but with emergencies such as we now face with COVID-19 or recessions. There are a number of heightening priorities that the U.S. must address, but without a conversation on the debt, payments on the interest will crowd out our other priorities. I urge you to watch my speech before the full House on our fiscal crisis (https://youtu.be/QfIgF66dmvg).

To address our budget challenges, this Congress I reintroduced the Sustainable Budget Act alongside Representative Steve Womack, the Ranking Member of the Budget Committee. This legislation would create an 18-member bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility that would be tasked with proposing recommendations designed to achieve a balanced annual federal budget within ten years and improve the long-term federal fiscal outlook. I believe that Congress has failed one of its most basic responsibilities, to develop and implement a responsible budget, so that an external entity like this commission must assist us in fulfilling our duty to this and current generations.

I will continue to focus on finding the best ways forward for our country to ensure fiscal responsibility and sustainability. On this effort, please watch my recent testimony to the U.S. House Budget Committee, on which I previously served. It can be found here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM3lxmsEIH0&t=11s).

In addition to my bill and related legislation I have cosponsored, I am a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. This official caucus in the House of Representatives is comprised of 19 pragmatic Members dedicated to pursuing fiscally responsible policies and transcending party lines to get things done for the American people. I am also a Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Task Force on Fiscal Responsibility and Good Government, where I am working to lead our nation to a more fiscally responsible future. By working with like-minded colleagues, I believe we can and must address this critical issue for our nation.

Foreign Relations

One of the most critical roles of the United State Congress is to serve as a separate, independent and co-equal partner in charting the best way forward for our country’s role in our world. For just as our Hawai‘i is a part and leader of the Indo-Pacific, so is our country a part and leader of our international community.

These are extraordinary and challenging times for our world and our country’s role. Just some of our larger challenges include the continued rise of China, authoritarianism, global terrorism and climate change. These issues hold both great opportunity and risk, and how we address them will largely define the rest of the Twenty-First Century.

My Priorities in the Pacific

My efforts in our foreign policy extend to all of these issues internationally. However, central to our foreign policy in this century is the Indo-Pacific region, stretching from the West Coast through the Pacific and Asia to well into the Indian Ocean. This region holds over half of the world’s population and seven of the top ten largest standing armies in the world. Sixty percent of global maritime trade flows through Asia, and nine of the world’s ten busiest seaports are in the Indo-Pacific. In this “Pacific Century,” Hawai‘i should and will continue to play a leading role in our country’s overall foreign relations. Hawai‘i is the bridge between the United States and Asia, and I am proud to champion our leadership and values here in Congress as your representative.

My efforts include co-founding and co-chairing the first-ever Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus to collectively advocate on issues critical to the Pacific Islands region, including Hawai‘i. I have also proudly testified to numerous House committees, including the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, on the importance of Hawai‘i, the Pacific Islands and the Indo-Pacific region to our national security.

Through my Pacific Islands Caucus, I am leading efforts to reassure our Pacific Island allies of the United States’ continued commitment to our part of the world. This includes the Boosting Long-Term U.S. Engagement in the Pacific Act, also known as the BLUE Pacific Act, which I first introduced in the 116th Congress (2019-2020). This bill provides a comprehensive, whole-of-government strategy for the United States in the Pacific Islands, focusing on increasing our diplomatic presence and engagement, enhancing security and development assistance and promoting shared values such as good governance and the rule of law.  Through meetings with administration officials, diplomats from Pacific Island countries and briefings for congressional staff, we are working diligently to raise awareness of the Pacific Islands and their importance to our national security.

Federal Appropriations

I am also working hard to fight for Hawaii’s leadership role in the Indo-Pacific, specifically through close cooperation with and support for our East-West Center. Founded by Congress in 1960 and located at the University of Hawai’i-Manoa, the East-West Center is a national educational institution dedicated to fostering better relations between the United States and the countries and peoples of Asia and the Pacific Islands. The Center’s programs are widely known throughout the region and have a measurable, positive impact on our foreign relations. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I helped secure $19.7 million for the East-West Center for Fiscal Year 2021 and continue working to enact appropriations legislation that provides stable funding for Fiscal Year 2022.

Through my assignment on the House Appropriations Committee, I have also fought for key funding priorities that align with our country’s interests and values. This includes increased funds for the Peace Corps; educational and cultural exchange programs; development assistance programs, including for global health, basic education and women’s empowerment; humanitarian and disaster assistance; contributions to international organizations, including the United Nations and peacekeeping; and environment programs to promote biodiversity and combat wildlife trafficking. I will continue to support funding for programs that advance our foreign policy goals of peace, prosperity and democracy abroad.

Government Reform

My return to Congress in 2019 was largely prompted by my membership in Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus, a nonpartisan group of more than 200 former Members of Congress, governors, ambassadors and cabinet members. Our Caucus recognized that, with public trust and confidence in government at an all-time low, we had to fix democracy first and return government to the people. These remain my overarching goals.

Legislative Action

One of the first bills I cosponsored in the 116th Congress (2019-2021), and again in the 117th Congress (2021-2023), was H.R. 1, the For the People Act. This truly revolutionary bill would implement many of the most critical government reform efforts, such as fighting voter suppression, simplifying voting, promoting election security, curbing special interest and dark money in politics, incentivizing smaller and broader donations, increasing transparency and fortifying ethics laws. This bill also includes an amendment I introduced that would direct the Election Assistance Commission to conduct a study on the 2020 elections and compile a list of recommendations to help states better administer vote-by-mail elections. H.R. 1 passed the full House but has not been able to advance in the Senate due to the chamber’s filibuster rules. You can view my full remarks on H.R. 1 here. 

I believe Congress must strengthen voting rights in response to current efforts by state legislatures that make it harder—particularly for people of color, young adults and individuals with disabilities—to vote. That is why I have cosponsored several bills to increase access to the ballot box, including:
 

• H.R.4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021, which would update and strengthen components of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
• H.R.65, the Same Day Registration Act, which would require states to provide for same-day voter registration.
• H.R.3867, the Every Vote Counts Act, which would prohibit states from establishing certain voting by mail restrictions in in federal elections.

I will continue working with my colleagues to advance these and other measures to ensure that no one, regardless of who they are, what they look like or where they live, faces discrimination or other obstacles upon exercising their right to vote. 

I have also cosponsored dozens of bills that would protect our elections from foreign actors and dark money. My cosponsorships include:

• H.R. 5314, the Protecting Our Democracy Act, a landmark package of reforms that will prevent presidential abuses, restore the government’s system of checks and balances, strengthen Congress’s oversight powers and prevent foreign interference in our elections.
•  H.R.1334, the DISCLOSE Act, which requires organizations spending money in elections, including super PACS and 501(c)(4) dark money groups, to disclose donors who have given $10,000 or more during an election cycle to restore Americans’ trust in democracy. 

Bipartisanship

At the end of the day, we must move beyond the politics of 100% that leads too many to support or oppose everything one party proposes or opposes. For my part, my obligations flow to all those I represent in Hawai‘i of whatever or no party, and to our country and not to any one person, party or group. There is a place for partisan debate and disagreement on policy grounds and I vote those on their merits. However, we must not allow every issue to descend into a strictly partisan struggle, and my first effort is to consider if there is a way to reach agreement among the various viewpoints.

The majority of bills that have passed the House since I returned to Congress are bipartisan and deal with a wide range of difficult issues like COVID-19 emergency assistance, gun control, trade agreements, drug costs and labor laws. Most of the bills I have cosponsored have bipartisan support, and many of my caucuses, such as the Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus that I co-founded, have Republican co-chairs and members.

Oversight of COVID-19 Spending

The trillions of dollars in COVID-19 emergency assistance provided by Congress is critical to seeing our country through this crisis. But it must be spent wisely and effectively, and there must be full oversight and vigilance against fraud, waste and abuse.

As the Policy Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Caucus, a caucus dedicated to pursuing fiscally-responsible policies, I work to provide that oversight and support full transparency on distribution and spending of these funds. To these ends, I advocated for and helped establish a new Inspector General with specific independent responsibility to oversee the funds. Congress also created various reporting requirements in the COVID-19 relief bills to help ensure accountability, and the House created, with my support, a special committee to monitor the administration of federal COVID-19 assistance.

National Security

Ensuring our national defense is one of my most important responsibilities. I am dedicated to assuring that our armed services have all that they need to protect our citizens and preserve our liberties.

As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, I am deeply involved in the oversight of our military and providing adequate funding of our armed forces. This is critical not just for our country, but for our Hawai‘i which is the center of our defense efforts in the vast Indo-Pacific. Through my Appropriations Committee and otherwise, I am focused on supporting Hawaii’s military installations, ensuring our servicemembers have all the training and equipment they need to fulfill their missions, and assuring a good quality of life for them and their families.

Supporting Hawaii’s Military Installations

Military installations in Hawai‘i play a crucial role in keeping the U.S. safe and protecting our national interests worldwide, especially given the shift in our national security strategies and resources to the Indo-Pacific. The First Congressional District of Hawai‘i alone includes many major military facilities, including Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Fort Shafter, Camp H.M. Smith, Tripler Medical Center Army Base and Fort DeRussy. It is also the home of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Marine Forces Pacific, U.S. Army Pacific, U.S. Pacific Air Forces and Special Operations Command Pacific. These military facilities and commands directly employ approximately 30,000 active duty personnel, civilians and contractors. Statewide, the direct and indirect impacts of military expenditures generate nearly $15 billion in Hawaii’s economy, creating more than 100,000 jobs for those who live in our islands.

Maintaining a Capable Military

For our military to remain the best in the world, it must have up-to-date equipment and state-of-the-art technology. I am committed to making the investments needed to defend our nation against evolving threats and prepare for future challenges. This especially includes programs and organizations that are closely linked to our Hawai‘i, such as the Hawai‘i National Guard and the research programs conducted by high-tech businesses and universities in Hawai‘i.

 Caring for Military Personnel and Their Families

We must ensure that our Armed Forces remain the finest in the world, which begins with investing in our servicemembers and supporting their families. I have supported pay increases for our troops and improving their benefits.

 In addition, I am committed to ensuring that when we deploy our troops, they know we will care for their spouses and children. Through my appropriations subcommittee assignment, I have conducted oversight over the Department of Defense’s management of military housing and other activities throughout Hawai’i, our country and overseas. I have also advocated for and was able to secure $1.3 billion in Fiscal Year 2021 to fund the construction, operation and maintenance of family housing projects. The additional funds above the initial budget request helped address long-standing issues affecting our servicemembers’ quality of life.

Native Hawaiians

Hawaii’s past and present are rich and unique as will be our future. At the very core of our Hawai‘i are its indigenous peoples and culture.

Representing the roughly 150,000 residents of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander ancestry in Hawaii’s First District is my special kuleana (responsibility), which is why I work to ensure our federal government respects and protects our Natural Hawaiian culture, language and people. Addressing these concerns is not only important to Hawai‘i but also to Native Hawaiians wherever they live as well as to other indigenous peoples and communities throughout our country who have similar concerns.

As a member of the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on the Indigenous Peoples of the United States and otherwise, I am committed to addressing the issues and priorities that impact our Native Hawaiian community especially on the federal level. In coordination with my colleagues, I am focused on improving current federal legislation that protect and promote the rights of Native Hawaiians, such as the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act, the Native Hawaiian Education Act and the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act.

Especially through my service on the House Committee on Appropriations, I am devoted to securing full funding of not only national programs affecting all indigenous peoples but also specific programs of benefit to Native Hawaiians. For example, I have requested and helped secure funding for the Native Hawaiian Health Care Program, the Strengthening Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program and the Native Hawaiian Education Program. I am also working to support the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations at the Department of Interior, which helps preserve and promote the Native Hawaiian relationship with our federal government. You can view my testimony advocating for these critical programs before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies on my Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEMTa9x8cPE).

Red Hill

As a member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, I am continuing to fight for the resources necessary to clean up, defuel and close the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and relocate its fuel elsewhere. I also continue working with the rest of our Hawai‘i Congressional delegation, military leaders, federal, state and county officials and community organizations to address the immediate impacts of the drinking water crisis on Hawai‘i residents and support efforts to ensure long-term health and safety monitoring. I will work closely with military leaders to identify and fund strategic fuel storage capacity in other locations in the Indo-Pacific that will maintain a strong national defense without risk to our drinking water.

History of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility

Red Hill is an underground fuel storage facility on O‘ahu that the U.S. government built in secret during World War II. The Navy runs the facility, with support from the Defense Logistics Agency. There are 20 tanks capable of storing up to 12.5 million gallons of fuel each—a total of 250 million gallons.

For decades, state, local regulators and many in the public have been concerned about Red Hill because of documented leaks that date back to the facility’s construction in the 1940s. For example, in January 2014 about 27,000 gallons of jet fuel leaked from a fuel tank that fortunately did not compromise any of Hawaii’s drinking water even though the underground fuel tanks are located 100 feet above an aquifer that provides for 20 percent of O‘ahu’s drinking water and serves as the primary source of water for Honolulu.

In late November 2021, the Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) received complaints of a fuel or gasoline-like odor coming from the Navy’s water system. On December 1, 2021, DOH confirmed the presence of petroleum in the water. The fuel leak directly affected almost 100,000 military and civilian residents, sickening many with varying severities of physical ailments and displacing thousands from their homes.

At the request of the DOH, a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) conducted an Assessment of Chemical Exposures (ACE) survey to investigate and increase understanding of the potential health impacts on the civilian population affected by the contamination. CDC and ATSDR investigators surveyed civilians living in homes serviced by the Navy’s water system. The survey ended on February 10, 2022, and the results were published on May 27, 2022. Click here to review the ACE survey results and a one-page DOH fact sheet.
 

Closure Decision

On March 7, 2022, the Secretary of Defense announced that the military would permanently defuel and close Red Hill—a decision I support. The Department of Defense (DOD) will work closely with the State of Hawai‘i and other key stakeholders to ensure this is done in a safe and methodical way. Along with the other members of the Hawai‘i Congressional delegation, I am carefully overseeing this process to ensure this is done in a timely and safe manner.

In early 2022, the Navy hired an independent contractor to assess how to safely defuel Red Hill so it can be closed. You can read the report for yourself here. On July 15, 2022, the State of Hawai‘i denied the Navy’s first submission for closure due to the lack of details. The Navy is addressing the state’s concerns and working to provide a more detailed plan. 

Prior to the DOD decision to close the facility, I co-introduced legislation with Congressman Kaiali‘i Kahele to permanently shut down Red Hill. The measure would also require the Navy to comply with Governor Ige’s emergency order to suspend operations and defuel Red Hill, establish water treatment and testing facilities, reimburse the State of Hawai‘i and the Board of Water Supply for their costs related to this crisis and perform environmental remediation for all spills that occurred during the operation of the facility. In addition, in December 2021 Congress passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included my amendment directing the military to conduct an assessment of possible alternatives to Red Hill, including consideration of sites outside of the state of Hawai‘i. The Secretary of Defense’s decision effectively achieves the goals of our legislation and my amendment.

Federal Appropriations and Authorizations

For the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, I worked closely with my House Appropriations Committee to provide some $736 million to support displaced servicemembers, civilians and families in Hawai‘i; federal and state responses to drinking water contamination; and carry out other activities as required under the State of Hawaii’s emergency order. These funds are in addition to the $403 million in emergency funding that I, along with the rest of the Hawai‘i Congressional delegation, secured in February 2022. To date, Congress has provided a total of over $1.1 billion to address the Red Hill crisis.

For FY 2023, I am supporting the President’s budget request for another $1 billion for Red Hill, but my Committee on Appropriations ultimately is proposing to spend $1.1 billion. 
 
The FY 2023 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill includes another $100 million in funding to be used by the Navy and the Indo-Pacific Command to begin the planning and design for building new facilities to remove and relocate the fuel currently at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. The FY 2023 Defense Appropriations bill proposes to create a $1 billion Red Hill Recovery Fund to fix, defuel and close Red Hill as safely and quickly as possible, continue to address the continuing health and other concerns of affected residents, and restore our aquifer. Additional provisions in the bill include provisions to improve the oversight of the military’s actions regarding Red Hill. The military would be required to submit quarterly reports to Congress on its actions to comply with the State of Hawaii’s regulatory rulings, address the individual health care needs of service members and their families that were affected by the crisis, improve water quality testing surrounding the facility, improve efforts to engage with the community, and move the fuel to other locations in the Indo-Pacific.
 
I recently voted to pass the Fiscal Year 2023 NDAA out of the full U.S. House, as did a majority of my colleagues. The measure includes Congressman Kahele’s and my requests to authorize the funding needed to continue efforts to close the facility. The Navy will also be required to issue a publicly available report on the status of how these funds are spent, and it must secure an independent review of how best to mitigate risks during the defueling the process. 
 
The potential long-term health impacts of this crisis remain one of my highest priorities. To address these concerns, this year’s NDAA also directs the government to track the long-term health implications of fuel leaks from Red Hill for members of the armed forces and their dependents. These actions must be done in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Hawai‘i Department of Health to ensure a holistic and unified approach that documents and ultimately address illnesses affecting service members, dependents and civilians.
Further, there are numerous provisions in this year’s NDAA that focus on the environmental aspect of this crisis. This includes a government study of the hydrogeology around Red Hill and an assessment of how best to address the water needs on O‘ahu and mitigate water shortages, including water treatment plants or the placement of a new drinking water shaft. The bill will also require the military to report quarterly on the progress towards installing sentinel and monitoring wells that will provide an early warning of fuel within the aquifer around Red Hill.
 
I remain in close contact with DOD to make sure the federal government fulfills its promises to our state and provides the funding needed to complete all aspects of the cleanup, defueling, closure and remediation of the Red Hill. We must do everything possible to protect our precious natural resources and safeguard access to safe drinking water for our Hawai‘i.

Resources from the Navy and Army

If you reside in housing served by the Navy’s Pearl Harbor water system and are concerned that your water has been contaminated or your health has been affected as a result of the Red Hill leaks, please call the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Information Line at 808-448-2570. You can also call my Honolulu office at 808-650-6688. 

For the latest water updates from the Navy, please visit https://www.cpf.navy.mil/JBPHH-Water-Updates/. For information about available resources and services offered by the Army, please visit https://home.army.mil/hawaii/index.php/water.

Veterans

Health Care

Health care in America today works very well for some Americans, moderately well for most Americans, and not well or not at all for too many Americans. My goal is to preserve the best of American health care while closing the unacceptable gaps in availability, affordability, access and quality. It is critical to get this right for current and future generations, and I believe we need a renewed national debate, including within Congress, on how best to do so. This is why it is critical for Congress to focus on the Affordable Care Act, prescription drug prices and medical research.

Protecting and Improving the Affordable Care Act 

In the big picture, I am committed to achieving access to affordable, quality health care for all Americans. Despite the advances that have been made under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and, in Hawai‘i, under the Prepaid Health Care Act, there are still tens of millions of Americans who are uncovered and tens of millions more who are insufficiently or unaffordably covered. And there remain unacceptably high costs throughout much of current health care, especially prescription drugs, as well as attempts to reverse the ACA’s prohibition on discriminating against those with pre-existing conditions.

This is why I have consistently voted for the legislation that will increase affordability and reduce premium costs for consumers, prevent “junk plans” or short-term plans that are not required to comply by the ACA’s consumer protections for pre-existing conditions or include essential health benefits. In addition, I have supported funding for community-based organizations (navigators) that provide a critical source of unbiased information on coverage options for consumers who have questions. 

Prescription Drug Prices 

I believe that prescription drug prices in the United States are too high and that we must act to control them so people don’t have to choose between health care and food, housing and other necessary expenses. 

This is why I cosponsored and voted for the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate prices on up to 250 of the costliest drugs to Medicare that lack competition from at least one generic or biosimilar on the market. In addition, this legislation would create a maximum price for any negotiated drug to ensure that Americans are not paying more than what pharmaceutical companies charge for the same drug in other countries. Lastly, this legislation would also allow our kupuna to access dental, vision and hearing coverage through Medicare with the cost savings associated with negotiating drug prices. Negotiating drug prices isn’t just good for lowering the cost of drugs for patients, but it can lead to savings that means we can invest in other healthcare needs.  
 

Medical Research 

I believe full funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other related agencies is necessary to invest in critical healthcare research and for our country to stay at the forefront of medical innovation. As a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, I worked to secure over $41 billion in the NIH funding bill in Fiscal Year 2020, an increase of $2.6 billion over the prior year. I will continue to champion the NIH so that we can support scientific discoveries to improve health and save lives.