Speeches & Testimony

Madam Speaker, I rise in very strong support of this  resolution to advance the cause of full and equal rights for all women. I do so for my 1-year-old granddaughter for whom I deeply hope that, when she reaches the age of understanding, the ERA will be as enshrined in our Constitution as is the right to vote today. I also do so as a proud citizen of my Hawaii. On March 22,… Read more »

Colonel Lianez and our Marine ‘ohana, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:  Aloha!  It is my pleasure to join you today for this ceremony celebrating the completion of these beautiful new barracks.  To all the Marines here today, those who have served here at K-Bay and those who will serve and reside within the halls of these barracks in the future, I join all… Read more »

Madam Speaker, today I introduce three bills to end a century of monopolistic closed market domestic cargo shipping to and from my isolated home state of Hawai‘i as well as the other island and separated jurisdictions of our country not part of the continental United States. In doing so, we will break the stranglehold on the peoples and economies of these exposed communities and their… Read more »

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my colleague, Representative Gabbard, in introducing our bill to protect one of the most unique and fragile environments on earth, our Hawai‘i, from devastating invasive species. Invasive species pose an especially grave threat to Hawai‘i’s unique ecosystems, natural resources and agricultural communities, in part due to Hawai‘i’s unique geography.… Read more »

Thank you, Chair Engel, Ranking Member McCaul, Chair Sherman, Aloha! Thank you for the opportunity to testify today in support of this Committee's and our Congress' legislative initiatives focused on the Pacific Islands, a critical region for my Hawaii and our country. The Pacific Islands and their exclusive economic zones encompass a vast area of the Pacific Ocean, larger than the land… Read more »

Floor Debate on H.R. 729, the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act December 10, 2019 The Acting CHAIR: The gentleman from Hawai‘i is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. CASE: Mr. Chair, this amendment is not a coastal resilience amendment. This amendment has nothing to do with the underlying bill; in fact, it was a miracle that it was ruled germane. This amendment instead… Read more »

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member and members of the Committee. As a proud former member of the House Committee on Agriculture from 2003 to 2006, I appreciate your allowing me to share my thoughts on issues important to our agricultural community both nationally and in my home state of Hawai‘i. It was just as true then as it is today that American agriculture doesn’t much care… Read more »

Madam Chair, today I am truly honored to bring to the floor a bipartisan bill championed by many colleagues from throughout the country and many individuals and organizations passionately committed to our oceans, lakes, and coastlines and to the ecosystems, communities, and economies that depend on them. I especially want to recognize my colleagues who introduced and advocated the… Read more »

Floor Remarks on H.R. 5211, the Sustainable Budget Act November 21, 2019 Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can anyone seriously dispute that our federal fiscal house is out of order? Our national debt stands at $23 trillion, doubling in just the last decade alone. No end is in sight as we just registered a trillion-dollar annual deficit for Fiscal Year 2019 and Fiscal Year 2020 and beyond… Read more »

Madam Speaker, I deeply appreciate my friend and colleague from New Mexico leading this Special Hour and yielding me time to join in recognizing November as Native American Heritage Month, a time for us to reflect on and celebrate the rich histories and diverse cultures of our Nation's indigenous peoples. It is said that cultural heritage is the sum total of the unique ways of living… Read more »