Press Releases

(Washington, DC) -- U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for all federal discretionary spending, said that the $1.7 trillion omnibus measure to fund the federal government for the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 includes billions in State and Defense Department funding focused on the Indo-Pacific and Hawaii’s role, a measure just signed into law by the President.

“This measure strengthens our national defense and bolsters our commitments to diplomacy, development and democracy throughout the Indo-Pacific, where the future of our country and world is being determined,” said Case. “It also recognizes Hawaii’s continued critical role through investments in facilities, personnel and institutions that are integral parts of our overall efforts, in addition to major contributors to our local economy.”

Provisions of special interest to Hawai‘i and for which Case advocated throughout the yearlong FY 2023 appropriations process include:

·        $22 million for the East-West Center.

 

·         $1.8 billion for implementation of the Indo-Pacific Strategy to counter malign influence and promote peace, prosperity and democracy in the region, an increase of over $100 million from the prior fiscal year.

 

·        Report language encouraging the Department of State to increase the number of scholarships available for Pacific Islanders to study in the United States, many of whom study at the University of Hawai‘i.

 

·         An $8 million increase for the Asia Pacific Regional Initiative, a key program supporting the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

This program enables the military to execute Theater Security Cooperation activities, such as humanitarian assistance and paying incremental personnel costs of training and exercising with foreign security forces. The initiative is a critical tool for the U.S. military to strengthen relationships throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

·         Support for the Coast Guard’s role in the Indo-Pacific and a required review of the Coast Guard’s assets in Oceania and facilities on O‘ahu.

 

State and Foreign Operations 

The FY 2023 measure, passed by Congress last Thursday, December 23rd and soon to be signed by the President, includes $59.7 billion in U.S. foreign assistance in public health, basic education, educational and cultural exchanges, climate change and other programs through the U.S. Department of State, Agency for International Development, contributions to the United Nations and its agencies and more.

It also implements provisions of Case’s BLUE Pacific Act, to increase overall U.S. engagement throughout the Pacific Island, and includes $22 million for the East-West Center.

“Our BLUE Pacific Act, together with funding for the East-West Center and other institutions and efforts focused in the Indo-Pacific, sends a powerful message to our critical Pacific Islands partners and allies that our country values our relationships, will invest further in them and will continue as an active and engaged partner in pursuit of our shared interests values,” said Case, who joined four congressional delegations to the Indo-Pacific this year including most recently Fiji.                                              

Programs and provisions secured by Case related to the Indo-Pacific and his BLUE Pacific Act include:

·        $1.8 billion for implementation of the Indo-Pacific Strategy to counter malign influence and promote peace, prosperity and democracy in the region, an increase of over $100 million.

 

·        Bill language requiring at least $150 million for the Pacific Islands region, almost double previous spending.

 

·        Increased funding for the Young Pacific Leaders Program, a Department of State program for emerging young leaders from Hawai‘i, Guam, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Solomon Islands and other Pacific nations.

 

·        Report language encouraging the Department of State to increase the number of scholarships available for Pacific Islanders to study in the United States, many of whom study at the University of Hawai‘i.

 

·        $430.5 million for the Peace Corps, an increase of $20 million over the FY 2022 enacted level, along with language encouraging the Peace Corps to prioritize the Pacific Islands in the return of volunteers.

 

·        Report language recommending no less than $20 million for climate resilient development and climate mitigation and adaptation efforts in the Pacific Islands.

 

·        Language in support of expanding the U.S. diplomatic presence in the Pacific Islands and expanding the programming of the U.S. Agency for Global Media in the region.

 

·        Report language requiring the Department of State to create a strategy on trade capacity building in the Pacific Islands.

 

·        Report language recommending the expansion of the International Law Enforcement Academy to the Pacific Islands, and supporting the Pacific Islands in their efforts to combat transnational crime. 

 

“As Hawai`i and the rest of our planet continue to confront the impacts of climate change, we must focus on our Pacific Island communities, as they and we act are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, extreme weather events, protracted droughts and land loss, to name just a few,” said Case.

The measure includes $2 billion in the State and Foreign Operations section to address climate change and other environmental programs, including:

·        $150 million for the Global Environment Facility, $1 million above the FY 2022 enacted level.

 

·        $125 million for the Clean Technology Fund.

 

·        $270 million for adaptation programs.

 

·        $260 million for clean energy programs.

 

 DEFENSE

 

The measure’s U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) provisions include another $1 billion to continue Red Hill defueling, closure, health and water quality monitoring and other efforts, over and above the $1.1 billion secured by the Hawai‘i Congressional delegation on an emergency basis earlier this year for FY 2022, together with various Case requests to strengthen oversight.

 

It also supports Case’s effort to expand and improve the military’s engagement with the local community throughout Hawai‘i, including a directive that the Secretary of Defense work with Hawai‘i government to address the disconnect between the services and various communities in Hawai‘i.

 

“The military must foster a better relationship with our local community to repair the damaged trust of Red Hill and rebuild support for various critical defense initiatives in our state,” said Case.

The measure includes Case’s requested funding for various national programs that are utilized by the military in Hawai‘i to support local communities.

 

Those requests include $80 million for Impact Aid education programs, $175 million for the Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative (REPI) that protects environmentally sensitive lands, and $260 million for the National Guard Youth Challenge, Starbase and other programs to help troubled youth.

 

Through REPI, DoD works with state and local governments, conservation organizations and willing private landowners to implement compatible uses of lands for the military mission and conservation.

For calendar year 2022, REPI will provide $19.2 million, which will be coupled with $15.1 million in partner contributions, to acquire and protect invaluable lands on O’ahu. 

The measure also supports the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI), which bolsters deterrence and maintains our competitive edge in the Indo-Pacific in recognition of threats posed by China and the need to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.

A key component of the PDI for FY 2023 is $393.2 million for the missile defense of Guam, which faces threats from ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles. Increased funding is also directed to joint exercises and other activities with our partners and allies in the region.

Other programs and provisions of specific relevance to Hawai‘i and requested and secured by Case include:

·        Funding for two SSN-774 Virginia Class attack submarines, which are critical to protecting the Indo-Pacific and will be maintained at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.

 

·        $317 million for Environmental Restoration, Formerly Used Defense Sites, which is $90 million over the President’s budget request. These funds will help accelerate efforts to remove unexploded ordnance and discarded military munitions in Hawai‘i and throughout the nation. 

 

·        $150 million for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, which maintains large scientific laboratories and other efforts at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

 

·        Retention of the military contracting preference language for Native American tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations.

 

·        $164 million for the X-Band Radar, which defends Hawai‘i from ballistic missile threats as the DoD pauses funding for Homeland Defense Radar-Hawai‘i and conducts a large study to reassess how to best protect Hawai‘i from missile attacks.

 

·        An $8 million increase for the Asia Pacific Regional Initiative, a key program supporting the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command headquartered in Hawai’i. This program enables the military to execute Theater Security Cooperation activities, such as humanitarian assistance and paying incremental personnel costs of training and exercising with foreign security forces. The initiative is a critical tool for the U.S. military to strengthen relationships throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

 

·        $39.2 billion for medical and health care programs, which includes the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), which allocates $582.5 million for cancer research. The CDMRP fills research gaps by funding high impact, high risk and high gain projects that other agencies may not venture to fund.

 Military Construction

The FY 2023 omnibus measure includes several Case requests through his membership on the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs.

These include $71 million for two critical community project funding requests, submitted jointly with Senators Schatz and Hirono, for the initial planning, design and construction phase for two water system distribution upgrades serving Fort Shafter and Tripler Army Medical Center.

The water systems at both locations have begun to fail and must be replaced to ensure access to clean drinking water. The medical center upgrade will support over 450,000 service members, veterans and their families that use the hospital. These beneficiaries come from not only Hawai‘i but from throughout the Indo-Pacific.

Case said that, in addition to the $1 billion provided through the Defense portion of the measure, another $25 million is provided to address the Red Hill Crisis for the planning and design of water treatment and distribution facilities construction. He added that the funds can also be used to design facilities to help remediate the Red Hill shaft.

There is also $50 million for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command planning and design and minor construction to advance critical projects in a strategically vital region of the world. The additional funds can 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 bill also provides a further $1.3 billion, an increase of $492 million above FY 2022, for the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan (SIOP), a $21 billion multi-year effort to upgrade the Navy’s four public shipyards. This includes over $621 million for Dry Dock 5 and $20 million for the planning and design for the Waterfront Production Facility at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Hawaii’s largest industrial employer with some 6,000 local employees.

“Keeping SIOP on track and fully funded is one of my top priorities on my Appropriations Committee,” said Case. “These additional funds are especially targeted at continuing the massive Pearl Harbor project to build a new $3.5 billion state-of-the-art drydock for the next generation of Navy submarines and surface ships, a project that will contribute tremendously not just to our national defense but to our local economy.”

 The bill funds critical defense infrastructure in Hawai‘i. These projects include $87.9 million for a new barracks on Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i, $103 million for upgrading the missile magazines at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and $111 million for a new company operations facility on Schofield Barracks.

Other specific programs and provisions requested and secured by Case include:

·         $29 million for the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Kapolei, which would improve the Hawai‘i National Guard’s facilities.

 

·         Provision directing the DoD to address Hawai‘i missile defense in the absence of the Homeland Defense Radar-Hawai‘i, which has been paused as the department conducts a large study to reassess how to best protect Hawai‘i from missile attacks. 

 

·         Provision directing the DoD to address underfunded and dilapidated Army infrastructure on O‘ahu via the Hawai‘i Infrastructure Readiness Initiative. 

Case’s Appropriations Committee is responsible for allocating some $1.7 trillion in funding to federal government agencies, departments and organizations on an annual basis.

A detailed summary of the FY 2023 omnibus is available here.

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