One of the core obligations of government is to assure that all of our our people can access a high-quality, affordable education. Our collective investment in education must start at life’s early stages and continue through an education that provides the skills necessary to earn a good living in a rapidly changing economy. The federal government has a major role in achieving this goal, and my own efforts are devoted to assuring that our federal government is provided the proper legislation and policies, along with sufficient funding, staff and other resources, to deliver across a variety of needs.
Focus on Appropriations
Education is one of my major focuses in our U.S. Committee on Appropriations, on which I am serving my fourth two-year term. Appropriations is responsible for funding and overseeing all discretionary federal education efforts. Over the years I have worked to secure funding for a wide range of programs that help our state. For example, in Fiscal Years (FYs) 2024 and 2025 my Appropriations Committee provided $1.6 billion for Impact Aid, $890 million for English language acquisition education and $15.5 billion for special education.
I was able to secure some successes in the current version of our FY 2026 bill, such as $45.8 million for the Native Hawaiian Education Program (NHEP) and a slight $26 million increase to special education programs. My Committee also include $850,000 for Kalihi Waena Elementary School to build a new ADA-compliant pedestrian bridge and $300,000 for Highlands Intermediate School to modernize its media center.
However, the proposed Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations bill only includes $66.7 billion for the Department of Education, a $12.1 billion cut below FY 2025. I voted against this bill because these cuts would eliminate or sharply reduced funding for many programs critical to Hawaii’s students, including a $4.7 billion cut to Title I grants for low-income students, a $2.2 billion reduction to Title II-A teacher training, a $729 million cut to adult education and a $890 million cut to English Language Acquisition. In total, this bill decimates support for children in K-12 elementary schools by slashing funding for low-income students, eliminating funding for teacher training and eliminating funding for community schools. You can read my press release for more detail here.
From my position on the House Appropriations Committee, I also must emphasize that the actions being taken by the Trump administration to freeze previously appropriated funds raise significant constitutional and other legal concerns. I have fought to restore $33 million in federal education funding for Hawai‘i after the Trump administration illegally froze $6.8 billion nationwide, funds that support teacher training, afterschool programs, English language instruction and adult literacy.
Other Legislative Efforts
My commitment to assisting the education of our young people extends beyond my assignment on the Appropriations Committee. It includes a wide range of legislative activities to help our Hawai‘i, including working to improve Impact Act, Head Start and programs that help ensure access to higher education.
Native Hawaiian Education. I am committed to ensuring that Native Hawaiian students have access to high-quality education that meets their unique needs. I strongly opposed the Trump administration’s FY 2026 budget, which would have eliminated funding for the NHEP and consolidated it into a general K–12 block grant. The FY 2026 funding bill maintained NHEP at $45.8 million. While this funding is flat and does not include a construction or Native Hawaiian Education Council set-aside, the bill recognizes the federal commitment to statutory grant programs for Native Hawaiian students.
Head Start. Because Head Start is a lifeline for low-income families, providing early education, meals, health screenings and stability, I am committed to sustaining and improving the program. Thus, I am a cosponsor of H.R. 336, the Head Start Education and Development Workforce Advancement and Yield Act, which seeks to address staffing challenges by allowing some Early Head Start classroom teachers to work while earning their Child Development Associate credential. I am also a cosponsor of H.R. 4318, the Head Start for Our Future Act, which aims to create a long-term workforce pipeline by allowing college students to work in Head Start and Early Head Start programs through federal work-study.
Combating the High Cost of Higher Education. Every student deserves the opportunity to pursue higher education without being burdened by unmanageable debt. As tuition costs continue to rise, I have supported efforts to make college more affordable and to strengthen programs that help students and borrowers in Hawai‘i and across the country.
Through my role on the House Appropriations Committee, I have supported increases to the Pell Grant program, including raising the maximum award to $7,395 and protecting the historic $900 increase secured in 2023. I also cosponsored H.R. 2441, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Act, to expand eligibility and improve access to debt forgiveness for borrowers serving their communities.
In addition, I have long supported the TRIO programs, which are a set of federally funded outreach and student services designed to support students from low-income backgrounds, first-generation college students and students with disabilities in their pursuit of higher education. When the Trump administration proposed eliminating TRIO programs, I joined colleagues in urging protections for these vital services, which provide tutoring, mentoring, counseling and scholarships for low-income, first-generation and disabled students. I also signed a letter opposing its decision to rescind $350 million in funding for Minority-Serving Institutions, including Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Asian American Pacific Islander-serving schools. This decision has already resulted in major losses for Hawaii’s universities and colleges.
Impact AID. I am a strong supporter of Impact Aid, which helps ensure that federal education funding reaches school districts that serve military-connected students, low-income students and students in federally impacted communities. For example, I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 5195, the Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Act, which would gradually increase Impact Aid funding from 2026 to 2031. The legislation strengthens support across four main funding categories: basic support, federal property, children with disabilities and construction. It will help schools in Hawai‘i provide high-quality education for all students, regardless of their circumstances.
Attempt to Dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE)
I have strongly condemned the Trump administration’s effort to abolish the USDOE as a highly harmful and shortsighted attempt to undermine federal support of education. The USDOE, established in 1980, has played an essential role in ensuring equal educational opportunities for all students, and the absence of the USDOE and the programs it administers would set back American education by generations.
To defend the department’s mission and protect students, families and educators, I joined 192 of my fellow House Democrats as parties in the lawsuit of State of New York v. McMahon to block harmful workforce reductions. I also joined NAACP v. United States, a case opposing the Trump Administration’s unlawful attempt to dismantle the USDOE. I further cosponsored H.Res. 94, affirming support for public education and condemning efforts to eliminate the Department.
