Post-Shutdown Report; What Issues Most Concern You?/Anonymous Online Survey

Aloha, Friend. The disruptive, unnecessary and disturbing federal government shutdown may be over, but our challenges are clearly not. From our unacceptably high cost of living to so many others, they demand action and results amidst continued division and polarization. In this latest e-newsletter, I report back to you again on just some of the issues I’m addressing on Capitol Hill as we approach the end of a very difficult year. I also again ask for your questions and input, especially by completing my short anonymous online survey (link here and again below) on what issues concern you most. Post-Shutdown. At 43 days, the federal government shutdown was the longest in our history, resulting from Congress’ failure to pass our regular annual appropriations measures funding our federal government by October 1st, the beginning of our fiscal year. And Congress’ failure to pass even a continuing resolution (CR) to continue funding government while we completed regular appropriations was a glaring instance of dysfunction, disrupting many lives, including our Hawaii’s some 24,000 federal civilian workers and 165,000 residents relying on food assistance. I worked throughout with my Congressional colleagues and my state, county and community partners to end the shutdown and help our especially impacted communities in whatever ways I could. I continue to work on the leftover effects of the shutdown, especially assuring that our federal workers receive their full back pay and that our federal programs are fully open and functioning again. The CR that finally passed continues government funding through January 30th, and so we must complete our remaining appropriations measures by then, pass another CR or face another shutdown. My House Appropriations Committee, responsible for federal funding and on which I’m serving my seventh year, completed all of our appropriations work well before the October 1st deadline. While I succeeded in including many provisions in our measures of benefit to our Hawai‘i and disagreed with other provisions (see here for summaries), overall I am proud that my Appropriations Committee, on a bipartisan basis, did our job to keep our government open. We still have work to do to get the rest of Congress to complete all measures by January 30th, and my efforts are devoted to that goal. The shutdown resulted in large part from a failure to address the health care crisis facing tens of millions of our fellow citizens, including 25,000 of Hawaii’s own, due to the impending expiration of critical assistance that avoids crippling increases in health insurance for our most in need. I said throughout that we cannot walk away from them, and my work during the shutdown was devoted largely to finding the necessary bipartisan solution to that crisis. After the shutdown ended, I joined 31 of my House colleagues from both parties on a letter (click here) to Senate leaders urging cooperation among all parts of Congress to achieve this necessary result. Epstein. Amidst so much division, one issue of agreement among Americans was demanding transparency and accountability for the actions of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his collaborators. This was resisted by the President and current Congressional majority throughout most of this year, until a “discharge petition” which I signed forced a full House vote on full release of the Epstein files. This week the measure passed the House with my vote and the Senate and was signed into law by the President; the administration now has thirty days to make the files public. I am focused on full compliance with this law, and I sincerely hope it will ensure full accountability for whoever participated with Epstein in these terrible crimes and provide some resolution for their victims. Trump Administration. We are completing ten months now of the highly divisive and polarizing second Trump administration. As I have reported back to you throughout this year, I have supported the administration where I can. One general area is national defense, especially in the Indo-Pacific, on which I especially focus with my colleagues on a bipartisan basis as a member of our House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, responsible for our defense and intelligence budgets. But I have opposed the Trump administration and its Congressional followers across a whole range of issues because I believe, and I believe most of my constituents believe, that they are the wrong policies for our country both domestically and internationally and are further undermining the foundations of our democracy. An updated summary of my actions, ranging from my legislation, votes, joint letters and speeches to lawsuits and more, is here. District Work. If there was one silver lining in the shutdown, I was able to spend more precious time back home with those I represent to check in and talk story across a whole range of constituents, not only to directly address shutdown issues, but to understand challenges and make sure I remain fully aligned in my Capitol Hill work. Most productive was another Walk Story, my third full week this year of walking neighborhoods through my district, talking story one-on-one wherever I found my constituents to listen to their concerns and answer questions. In Round 3, I walked the small businesses of Kapahulu and the industrial warehouses and offices of Sand Island, Kalihi Kai, Honolulu Airport and Mapunapuna, talking with hundreds of my constituents, of all ages, all walks of life, across the political spectrum, about all manner of concerns, but topped by the high costs of business and of living. Here is a quick reel highlighting my Walk Story Round 3; I am already looking forward to Round 4 soon. Veterans. I am deeply honored to represent more than 112,000 of our nation’s veterans and their ‘ohana throughout our Hawai‘i. And as we again commemorated their service on Veterans Day, I joined again in our annual ceremony, this year at the O‘ahu Veterans Center in Foster Village. I also sent out another annual Veterans Report (click here), and hosted a special in-person Veterans Talk Story community meeting on November 8th to provide an update on my Appropriations and other actions for veterans, listen to concern and answer questions. Here is a replay of my Veterans Talk Story. I especially urge our veterans to contact me here if you have any questions or need assistance with your benefits or any other matter. Your Input; Anonymous Online Survey. I continue to value and seek your input wherever and however I can. One way is through my districtwide anonymous online surveys asking for your views on various matters. I would really appreciate your taking my next survey here on your top concerns. Mahalo especially for your assistance on this; it is very important to my work. It is more critical than ever that I stay in touch with and hear from you as we work through this very difficult time and find the best way forward. The best way to keep up with what I’m doing, provide your concerns, get your questions answered and ask for assistance is by visiting my website at https://case.house.gov/. Please also feel free to call my Honolulu office at (808) 650-6688 or email me at [email protected].

Aloha, Friend.

The disruptive, unnecessary and disturbing federal government shutdown may be over, but our challenges are clearly not. From our unacceptably high cost of living to so many others, they demand action and results amidst continued division and polarization.

In this latest e-newsletter, I report back to you again on just some of the issues I’m addressing on Capitol Hill as we approach the end of a very difficult year. I also again ask for your questions and input, especially by completing my short anonymous online survey (link here and again below) on what issues concern you most.

Post-Shutdown. At 43 days, the federal government shutdown was the longest in our history, resulting from Congress’ failure to pass our regular annual appropriations measures funding our federal government by October 1^st, the beginning of our fiscal year. And Congress’ failure to pass even a continuing resolution (CR) to continue funding government while we completed regular appropriations was a glaring instance of dysfunction, disrupting many lives, including our Hawaii’s some 24,000 federal civilian workers and 165,000 residents relying on food assistance.

I worked throughout with my Congressional colleagues and my state, county and community partners to end the shutdown and help our especially impacted communities in whatever ways I could. I continue to work on the leftover effects of the shutdown, especially assuring that our federal workers receive their full back pay and that our federal programs are fully open and functioning again.

The CR that finally passed continues government funding through January 30^th, and so we must complete our remaining appropriations measures by then, pass another CR or face another shutdown. My House Appropriations Committee, responsible for federal funding and on which I’m serving my seventh year, completed all of our appropriations work well before the October 1^st deadline. While I succeeded in including many provisions in our measures of benefit to our Hawai‘i and disagreed with other provisions (see here for summaries), overall I am proud that my Appropriations Committee, on a bipartisan basis, did our job to keep our government open. We still have work to do to get the rest of Congress to complete all measures by January 30^th, and my efforts are devoted to that goal.

The shutdown resulted in large part from a failure to address the health care crisis facing tens of millions of our fellow citizens, including 25,000 of Hawaii’s own, due to the impending expiration of critical assistance that avoids crippling increases in health insurance for our most in need. I said throughout that we cannot walk away from them, and my work during the shutdown was devoted largely to finding the necessary bipartisan solution to that crisis. After the shutdown ended, I joined 31 of my House colleagues from both parties on a letter (click here) to Senate leaders urging cooperation among all parts of Congress to achieve this necessary result.

Epstein. Amidst so much division, one issue of agreement among Americans was demanding transparency and accountability for the actions of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his collaborators. This was resisted by the President and current Congressional majority throughout most of this year, until a “discharge petition” which I signed forced a full House vote on full release of the Epstein files. This week the measure passed the House with my vote and the Senate and was signed into law by the President; the administration now has thirty days to make the files public. I am focused on full compliance with this law, and I sincerely hope it will ensure full accountability for whoever participated with Epstein in these terrible crimes and provide some resolution for their victims.

Trump Administration. We are completing ten months now of the highly divisive and polarizing second Trump administration. As I have reported back to you throughout this year, I have supported the administration where I can. One general area is national defense, especially in the Indo-Pacific, on which I especially focus with my colleagues on a bipartisan basis as a member of our House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, responsible for our defense and intelligence budgets.

But I have opposed the Trump administration and its Congressional followers across a whole range of issues because I believe, and I believe most of my constituents believe, that they are the wrong policies for our country both domestically and internationally and are further undermining the foundations of our democracy. An updated summary of my actions, ranging from my legislation, votes, joint letters and speeches to lawsuits and more, is here.

District Work. If there was one silver lining in the shutdown, I was able to spend more precious time back home with those I represent to check in and talk story across a whole range of constituents, not only to directly address shutdown issues, but to understand challenges and make sure I remain fully aligned in my Capitol Hill work. Most productive was another Walk Story, my third full week this year of walking neighborhoods through my district, talking story one-on-one wherever I found my constituents to listen to their concerns and answer questions.

In Round 3, I walked the small businesses of Kapahulu and the industrial warehouses and offices of Sand Island, Kalihi Kai, Honolulu Airport and Mapunapuna, talking with hundreds of my constituents, of all ages, all walks of life, across the political spectrum, about all manner of concerns, but topped by the high costs of business and of living. Here is a quick reel highlighting my Walk Story Round 3; I am already looking forward to Round 4 soon.

Veterans. I am deeply honored to represent more than 112,000 of our nation’s veterans and their ‘ohana throughout our Hawai‘i. And as we again commemorated their service on Veterans Day, I joined again in our annual ceremony, this year at the O‘ahu Veterans Center in Foster Village. I also sent out another annual Veterans Report (click here), and hosted a special in-person Veterans Talk Story community meeting on November 8^th to provide an update on my Appropriations and other actions for veterans, listen to concern and answer questions. Here is a replay of my Veterans Talk Story. I especially urge our veterans to contact me here if you have any questions or need assistance with your benefits or any other matter.

Your Input; Anonymous Online Survey. I continue to value and seek your input wherever and however I can. One way is through my districtwide anonymous online surveys asking for your views on various matters. I would really appreciate your taking my next survey here on your top concerns. Mahalo especially for your assistance on this; it is very important to my work.

It is more critical than ever that I stay in touch with and hear from you as we work through this very difficult time and find the best way forward. The best way to keep up with what I’m doing, provide your concerns, get your questions answered and ask for assistance is by visiting my website at https://case.house.gov/. Please also feel free to call my Honolulu office at (808) 650-6688 or email me at [email protected].

Contact Me