Aloha, Friend.
I just got home for Congress’ August district work period after a very full July on Capitol Hill addressing critical issues from inflation and the cost of living to public safety, climate change and more. Here are some of the highlights as well as upcoming events.
Appropriations. One of my top July priorities was to work with my fellow House Appropriations Committee members to advance our twelve Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations bills funding our federal government for the upcoming year. I summarized those measures and their many provisions for our Hawai‘i and Indo-Pacific in my last Congressional e-newsletter to you here. We have now approved six of those bills, and as always I am working with Senators Schatz and Hirono along with Congressman Kahele to coordinate our appropriations efforts with the Senate’s.
NDAA. Another annual priority is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes and directs our nation’s defense efforts for the next year. The NDAA took on extra importance this year given our focus on remediating, defueling and closing Red Hill. The House passed our Fiscal Year 2023 NDAA with another $1.1 billion authorized for Red Hill. The measure also includes many other priorities for our Hawai’i and Indo-Pacific, including all nine of my Floor amendments (amendments which were adopted after committee by the full House). More here.
CHIPS. I also strongly supported a major bipartisan measure the House and Senate passed and the President is about to sign. Our Chips and Science Act will end our overdependence on China and other countries for the essential microchips and semiconductors that run so much of our modern life, strengthening national security, reducing prices and increasing domestic manufacturing and jobs. It also includes provisions to broaden science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) participation at emerging research institutions and in underrepresented and minority populations; our Hawai‘i is well positioned to benefit from this major increase in STEM education and research. More here.
Civil Rights. Twenty-five years ago in the Hawai‘i State Legislature, I was one of the lone votes in support of same-gender marriage. I’ve always been deeply proud of that vote, gratified that the great majority of our country and world have since come to support it, and fully supportive of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell decision recognizing it as a basic right. With at least one Supreme Court Justice now stating that Obergefell should be reversed, Congress must confirm as a matter of federal law that same gender couples can marry. On July 19th the full House passed our Respect for Marriage Act here to do just that.
Ukraine. On July 21st I had an emotional and inspiring meeting in my DC office with Ukraine doctors and medical professionals serving the severely wounded and disabled. Congress’ Open World educational exchange program was sending them to Hawai‘i, hosted by our Honolulu Rotary Club, to review best practices in our military and civilian trauma hospitals and rehab facilities. One guest gave me one of her husband’s Ukrainian Army shirts; he is on the war’s frontlines. It was a stark reminder not only of the real human tragedy of this brutal invasion but of the necessity that Russia not succeed.
Delegation. I also led a delegation of my Congressional colleagues back to Hawai‘i for a weekend to review our every-two-years Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) defense exercises with 28 partner nations as well as our overall challenges and opportunities in Hawai‘i and the Indo-Pacific. This was another opportunity to educate my colleagues on our part of the world and to develop and strengthen relationships to work toward common goals. Our visits included Red Hill, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, and the USS Essex, a Marine ship at sea, where I also found several of our local ‘ohana serving aboard. One of my colleagues, Rep. Young Kim of California, is a proud graduate of St. Andrews Priory, and I took her back for a trip down memory lane.
District App Challenge/Talk Story. Back home, I’m again hosting our annual Congressional App Challenge, established by Congress to encourage youth participation and foster creativity and innovation in computer science through a student competition hosted by Members of Congress to create software applications (apps) for smartphones, tablets or other computers. For more information go here. I’m also hosting another Tele-Talk Story with Congressman Case on Thursday, September 1st, 6:00-7:30PM Hawai‘i time, to update you on my work, listen to your concerns and answer your questions. Details will be posted here soon.
In these difficult and unsettling times, my mission remains to work in Congress to (1) contribute to national leadership for our country and world, (2) assure that our Hawaii’s own needs are met, and (3) assist you and yours with your own individual concerns. There is much more on my efforts and how I can help on my website at case.house.gov.
Please email me at [email protected] or call me at (808) 650-6688 with any questions or needs.
As always, I deeply appreciate your consideration and assistance as we all work to find the best way forward for our country and Hawai‘i.
Be safe and be well.
