Speeches & Testimony

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1380, the Big Cat Public Safety Act. At the beginning of this hectic year, many Americans were introduced  to the issue before us today and this legislation for the first time through the ``Tiger King,'' which in addition to a plethora of colorful real-life characters also shined a spotlight on the dark side… Read more »

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of my bill, H.R. 7045. This  legislation would require the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, to conduct a study to identify lands in the State of Hawai‘i that merit inclusion in  the National Forest System. Hawai‘i is the most isolated island chain… Read more »

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this bipartisan, bicameral measure to treat the commissioned officers of one of our Nation's seven uniformed services, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, with the same basic statutory recruitment, advancement, retention, and benefit structure, and with the same respect, as is accorded to… Read more »

Mr. Speaker, S. 914, the Coordinated Ocean Observations and Research Act, would reauthorize the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009, called IOOS for short. For over 10 years now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, has implemented this data-driven national regional partnership to successfully improve safety, enhance the… Read more »

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 910, the National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2020. For decades, the Sea Grant College Program has provided essential oceans-focused research and support for our communities nation-wide and especially now as we face the impacts of climate change on coastal… Read more »

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and honor the longstanding friendship and continued alliance between two great nations: the United States and the Republic of Korea. Seventy years ago, American and Allied servicemembers and civilians bravely came to the defense of South Korea, fighting alongside so many brave Korean citizens against North Korean aggression. While three long… Read more »

Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the upcoming 75th anniversary of the United Nations and recognize the continued importance of multilateral action as we pursue a more peaceful, prosperous and just world. On October 24, 1945, less than two months after the world emerged from the deadliest conflict in human history, the United Nations Charter entered into force, formally creating… Read more »

Mr. Speaker, the air, land and oceans of our Earth are in mortal danger and must be saved.  But it is our oceans that are the most vast and unknown of these with the most complex and extensive risk, from climate change, to pollution, extraction and marine debris. Debris is especially acute in my own Pacific and its epicenter, the 1,500 mile Hawaiian Islands chain, which acts as… Read more »

Madam Speaker: As the proud Representative of the district with the highest percentage of Asian Americans in the country, I rise today in strong support of H.Res.908 to condemn any and all forms of anti-Asian discrimination during and beyond this COVID-19 pandemic. Our country confronts not only the novel coronavirus but also a virus of racism and hate. We cannot allow the one to… Read more »

Madam Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for H.R. 4990, the Election Technology Research Act, of which I am a proud cosponsor. My return to Congress in 2019 was prompted in part 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. This committed Caucus, whose slogan… Read more »