Ed Case

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor and strong supporter of H. Res. 622, a resolution to recognize and honor the Filipino World War II veterans for their defense of democratic ideals and their important contribution to the outcome of World War II. As a member of the U.S. Philippines Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I am pleased that the House of Representatives is considering this important resolution and urge its passage. Just this past weekend, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the President of the Republic of Philippines, visited my home State of Hawaii and unveiled at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific a commemorative marker honoring Filipinos and Americans who served in World War II. President Macapagal-Arroyo's presence underlines the continuing closeness and importance of the relationship between our two countries. With more Filipino-Americans in my district than any other congressional district in the country, I was pleased that President George W. Bush, at my request, wrote a message on the occasion of the centennial anniversary of Filipino migration to Hawaii. We must also continue to celebrate and thank the early Filipino migrants who came to work in the sugar plantations of Hawaii and those who fought in support of the United States in World War II. But there is still much more to be done in support of these brave individuals. I have introduced legislation in both the 108th and l09th Congresses advancing the interests of the families of our Filipino World War II veterans, many of whom are still waiting in the Philippines to be reunited with their loved ones living in the United States. Earlier this Congress, I reintroduced the bill (H.R. 901) that provides for the sons and daughters of our Filipino World War II veterans to receive priority preference in their respective immigration categories. Because of the grassroots support by many in Hawaii and across the country and in the Philippines, I am proud to say that Congress is on the verge of successfully advancing legislation that will enable the children of our Filipino World War II veterans to join their parents in the United States. The objectives of H.R. 901 were included in the Senate's version of comprehensive immigration reform legislation. I continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to secure this provision in conference or to pass the free-standing bill. With the waning days of the 109th Congress upon us, we must stay vigilant and continue to urge Congress to make this and all issues affecting Filipino veterans a high priority in our busy Congressional schedule. I urge Congress to pass H. Res. 622 and to also consider H.R. 901 before the adjournment of the 109th Congress. Madam Speaker, I commend the Gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) for introducing this important measure. I ask all members to not only support this important resolution, but to also continue to support the full federal recognition and accessibility of benefits for Filipino veterans.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to and congratulate Kumu Hula George Lanakilakeikiahiali`i Na`ope, known in our Hawai`i as ``Uncle George,'' on being chosen as a 2006 National Heritage Fellow, our Nation's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Each year the National Endowment for the Arts awards the coveted National Heritage Fellowships to a select few masters of folk and traditional arts who demonstrate outstanding lifetime achievement and artistic merit. Fellows are carefully selected from among hundreds of nominees based on authenticity, excellence, and significance within a particular artistic tradition. There is no one more deserving than Hawai`i's own George Na`ope to receive this high honor for his contributions to the art of traditional hula and chant. George was born on February 25, 1928, in Kalihi, O`ahu and grew up in Hilo on the island of Hawai`i. He began his hula studies at the age of 3 and has dedicated his entire life to this ancient art form. Na`ope's first hula lessons were under the tutelage of Mary Kanaile Fujii, the mother of Edith Kanaka`ole, and his studies were directed by his great- grandmother Mary Malia Pukaokalani Na`ope and his grandfather Harry Na`ope. He further studied under Joseph Ila`laole and opened up the George Na`ope Hula School in Honolulu after his graduation from Hilo High School. George would later go on to a successful career traveling throughout the United States with the Ray Kinney Royal Hawaiian Review, performing regularly at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. He still found time to obtain his PhD from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and to teach hula in underserved communities. But his achievements did not stop there. George also served our country for 2 years in frontline combat during the Korean conflict with the X Corps of the American Corps of Engineers. After his return to Hawai`i he was appointed ``Promoter of Activities'' with the County of Hawaii. While serving in this capacity, he was recognized in 1960 by the Governor of the State of Hawai`i and Hawai`i State Legislature with the designation ``Living Golden Treasure''. George Na`ope was a prime catalyst for renewed interest in and study of traditional hula, chants, music, and other aspects of Hawaiian culture. It was also during this time and with George's patronage that the world-famous Merrie Monarch Festival was founded in 1962. This festival honors King David Kalakaua who was nicknamed the ``Merrie Monarch'' because of his support for music and the arts and his encouragement of the revival of Native Hawaiian traditions like hula and mele. Forty-four years later, the festival is still going strong and has become a must-see for Hawai`i residents and visitors. A lifelong teacher, George Na`ope has taught the dance of Hawai`i around the world and performed for dignitaries and world leaders. His lasting timeless contributions and influence, through the many students he inspired, as well as the many extraordinary contributions he made to the traditional arts heritage of Hawai`i and our Nation, are truly exceptional and worthy of national recognition. I close by saying to Uncle George: congratulations on receiving the National Heritage Fellowship and mahalo for all you have done for our Hawai`i and our Nation's cultural heritage. Aloha!

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 9, The Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006, which I am pleased to cosponsor, and in strong opposition to the amendment offered by Congressman Charlie Norwood. Over the last 40 years, efforts to renew and restore the VRA have been accomplished on a bipartisan basis. It is in that spirit that we have all worked together to bring the bill before us to the floor today. I would especially like to thank Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, and Congressmen Mel Watt and Steve Chabot for their leadership on this issue. Voting is the most important duty and right of Americans. By enacting the VRA, we tore down barriers to equal opportunity for minorities at the ballot box, removing the essential political mechanism that maintained the legal structure of segregation. As ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court, the equal right to vote is fundamental because it is ``preservative of all rights.'' It is with this in mind that I express great concern with the amendment proposed by my colleague, Mr. Norwood, as it essentially seeks to undermine the very means by which the VRA has maintained social justice. Currently, section 5 of the VRA applies to any state or county where a discriminatory test or device was used as of November 1, 1964, and where less than 50 percent of the voting age residents of the jurisdiction were registered to vote, or actually voted, in the presidential election of 1964, 1968, or 1972. The Norwood amendment would change the preclearance formula by using rolling voter registration data and voter turn-out data from the three most recent Presidential elections. My colleague argues that his amendment will ``modernize'' section 5. I believe that what his amendment really does is change the very focus of the preclearance provision, as it aims to make low voter turnout and registration the issues and not a recorded history of voting discrimination. In fact, if the Norwood amendment were enacted, it would make my home state of Hawaii--a state without any history whatsoever of voting discrimination--the only preclearance state in our nation. This demonstrates in spades that one cannot reduce discrimination nor the need for federal oversight to so simplistic and mechanistic formula. Reauthorization of the VRA gives us an opportunity to not only to reflect upon the progress we have made, but to maintain those gains that we have achieved. Adoption of the Norwood amendment would be a giant leap backwards. I urge my colleagues to oppose the Norwood amendment, and all other weakening amendments, and support final passage of H.R. 9, a true bipartisan bill. Mahalo, and aloha.

Mr. CASE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment for the same reasons as have been articulated otherwise. But I also rise in opposition because of this amendment's specific impact on my State of Hawaii, because under his amendment, Hawaii would be, per se, subjected to a preclearance requirement solely because of relatively low turnout in recent presidential elections. Now, I am not proud that we have had a low turnout in recent Presidential elections; but I say to the gentleman very directly, the author of this amendment, that it is not because of any history of discrimination against our citizens with respect to voting, and we should not be subjected, by application of some mechanistic and standardized formula unrelated in any way to the facts to section 5 preclearance. And that really demonstrates the fallacy of the amendment, the removal from relevancy of applicable conditions in any State, past, present or future in determining who is and is not subject to preclearance. It is and should be relevant, and there are available means to come out from under preclearance. But this amendment is not that, and I urge its rejection.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Health Centers Renewal Act of 2006 (H.R. 5573), which would authorize appropriations for Fiscal Years 2007-2011 for health centers to meet the health care needs of our medically underserved populations. Health care centers (aka Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers (FQHC)) provide essential services to our communities. More than a thousand FQHCs serve over 15 million people in 3,700 communities across the United States. FQHCs not only provide primary and preventive care, but also meet emergency care needs in their communities. My State of Hawaii has 13 FQHCs across the state, and 10 of which are in my district alone. We are all well aware of the important role of FQHCs in providing cost-effective, quality health care to our poor and medically underserved communities. FQHCs exist in areas where economic, geographic, or cultural barriers limit access to primary health care for the working poor, the uninsured, and many high-risk and vulnerable populations. More important, these health care centers tailor their services to specific community characteristics and needs. When Congress established the FQHC system nearly 40 years ago, we intended a unique public-private partnership by providing direct funding to community organizations for the development and operation of these healthcare centers. Federal grants, on average, constitute 24 percent of the annual budget of FQHCs by assisting communities to find partners and recruit doctors and other health professionals. Today's passage of H.R. 5573 will continue that time-proven commitment and mission by helping to reduce health disparities, meeting health care needs, and providing a vital safety net in the health care system across our country and especially in my home. Mr. Speaker, I fully support the Health Centers Renewal Act and urge its expedited passage in the Senate.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1285, which would amend the Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act of 1999 by repealing a provision limiting the nonimmigrant classification for nurses working in health professional shortage areas. Nursing shortages continue to plague our country, especially our underserved areas like much of my district. A report released by the American Hospital Association (AHA) in April 2006 indicated that U.S. hospitals need approximately 118,000 Registered Nurses (RNs) just to fill current vacant positions. This is, nationwide, a vacancy rate of 8.5 percent. In November 2005, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, stated that more than 1.2 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2014. Even worse, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) reported that approximately 30 states had RN shortages in 2000. In my state of Hawaii, the University of Hawaii (UH) reported in 2000 that we faced a nursing shortage of more than 1,000 registered nurses; this shortage is projected to increase to approximately 2,000 by 2010. Like most states, UH found Hawaii's nursing workforce tired and burnt out due to incredible stress, understaffing issues, and increased overtime without adequate support staff. What is clear from the data already collected coupled with existing information regarding retention is that a worsening shortage of nurses means a worsening shortage of quality care for patients. These statistics and the trends and conclusions they reflect are nothing new, but what do we do about it? As one valuable initiative, in 1999 President Clinton signed into law P.L. 106-96, the Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act. This law provided for foreign nurses to obtain temporary work visas to come to the U.S. and work in places experiencing a shortage of health professionals. By allowing experienced health professionals, particularly nurses, from countries such as the Philippines into medically shortage underserved communities, the law has contributed greatly to keeping hospitals open and, more importantly, providing quality care to patients who otherwise would have no other place to seek treatment. Mr. Speaker, I fully support the goal of H.R. 1285 to extend this important legislation, the Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act of 1999, for an additional three years. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this and other initiatives to ensure that Americans continue to receive the health care they deserve.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of S. 1235, the Veterans' Benefits Act, which addresses a multitude of important issues facing our nation's veterans: life and health insurance, housing for our disabled and Native American veterans, adjustable rate mortgages, POW diseases, Tricare, homeless veterans, and veterans outreach. Section 104 of S. 1235 provides permanent authority for the Native American Direct Home Loan Program and extends eligibility for such loans to non-Native American spouses of Native Americans living on Native American trust lands. H.R. 3665, which I cosponsored and which passed the House last November, also contained this important provision. The Native American Direct Home Loan Program has been a highly successful veterans effort, particularly in my Hawaii where it applies to veterans living on lands held in trust under this Congress' Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920. The majority of these Hawaiian home lands are in my 2nd Congressional District, on the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Maui, Hawaii, and Lanai. Since the inception of this program, which was spearheaded by Hawaii Senator Spark Matsunaga, and continued by Senator Daniel Akaka, Native Hawaiian veterans have successfully utilized this direct home loan program for their acute housing needs, and, I am proud to say, with nominal delinquency. Over $20 million has been approved for over 200 loans in Hawaii, with 106 loans, totaling $7.5 million, pending. This is an incredible help not only with the needs of many veterans who would likely otherwise be precluded from quality housing, but with Hawaii's overall housing crisis. Due to its success over the last 13 years, the Native American Direct Home Loan Program, which initially started out as a pilot program, was twice extended by Congress, but is currently set to expire on December 31, 2005. It is vital to understand why this program is so important to our Native American veterans and why we should make the program permanent, as S. 1235 purposes. Of course, the most basic reason is the success of the overall program in honoring our commitment to our nation's veterans. Beyond that, Congress found some years ago that, during the entire history to that date of the program, not a single Native American veteran living on Indian trust lands or Hawaiian home lands had received a VA home loan under the VA's traditional home loan program. The reason for that was that the unique trust status of native lands did not lend itself to conventional lending practices because banks and other financial institutions did not recognize those lands as valid collateral. As part of our obligation to all of our Nation's veterans is to ensure that they are all able to tap fully into VA programs, the Native American Direct Home Loan Program addressed this unique and discrete challenge facing many Native American veterans and afforded them the same opportunity of homeownership availed their comrades-in-arms. This bill recognizes and improves upon the clear success of this effort, and I ask my colleagues to vote in favor of S. 1235. Mahalo.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of passage of S. 1165, the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act of 2005. I cointroduced the House version of this bill (H.R. 2866) with my colleague, Congressman Neil Abercrombie. S. 1165 expands the authorized boundary of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Honolulu, Hawaii, to include approximately 1,100 acres of land. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USFWS, has managed the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Kahuku, Hawaii, for the past 30 years to protect four endangered Hawaiian water birds-- the Hawaiian stilt (ae`o), the Hawaiian moorhen (`alae `ula), the Hawaiian coot (`alae ke`oke`o), and the Hawaiian duck (koloa maoli)-- and at least 25 different North American migratory birds. In 2005, USFWS acquired fee title to the 240-acre refuge located in two separate parcels. The expansion area will allow for acquisition of adjacent land to create a single, large, manageable, and ecologically intact unit that includes sufficient buffer land to reduce impacts on the Refuge. The acquisition will also facilitate a solution to area flooding problems. The expanded acreage would allow for restoration of critical wetland habitat, which would form the largest managed freshwater wetland on Oahu. It would connect the two existing units and create a protected corridor between them to provide essential habitat for four endangered waterbird species and migratory waterbirds. It would also protect the last remaining large-scale and intact coastal dune ecosystem on Oahu and preserve native strand plants and protect coastal wildlife such as threatened green sea turtles, seabirds, migratory shorebirds, and possibly the endangered Hawaiian monk seal. Support facilities could be constructed on upland areas to support environmental education and interpretation programs, visitor services, and habitat management programs. All land proposed for purchase is owned by the Estate of James Campbell, a willing seller. Heavy floods occur frequently in this area, devastating residents who live in the adjacent town of Kahuku. Because of the location and natural function of this floodplain, the land acquisition also serves as the crucial component for the proposed Kahuku flood control project by preserving the floodwater retention of these wetlands and providing an area where flood control design can be made more efficient. This habitat restoration proposal represents the most significant wetland enhancement project ever undertaken in Hawaii. By combining effective wetland restoration, endangered species conservation, environmental education, visitor opportunities, and flood control, benefits provided will serve not only the local communities, but also Hawai`i residents and visitors for generations to come.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join Chairman Honda and other members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus in commemorating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I am even more pleased that several Asian Pacific American organizations or governmental initiatives are holding their annual conventions in Hawaii this month. This includes the Federal Asian Pacific American Council and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. There are also several Filipino American organizations that will be hosting events this year in Hawaii, including the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, as 2006 marks the centennial of sustained immigration from the Philippines to the United States. The Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission in Hawaii, led by Elias Beniga, and the Smithsonian Filipino American Centennial Commemoration have done a wonderful job in providing commemorative activities across the country, including in Hawaii and Washington, D.C. I was pleased that Congress passed in December, H. Con. Res. 218, my resolution recognizing the centennial and acknowledging the contributions of Filipino-Americans to the United States. While there are many issues of importance, a timely issue I believe should be considered by Congress is the inclusion of my bill, H.R. 901, into any comprehensive immigration reform bill moving through Congress. H.R. 901 would prioritize the permanent immigration petitions of the sons and daughters of Filipino World War II Veterans who were extended U.S. citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1990. Most recently, I wrote to President Bush and Congressional leaders urging their inclusion of this provision in immigration reform legislation. I believe my bill fulfills one of the bedrock principles of our federal immigration policy--family reunification--and warrants special consideration given the unique history between the United States and the Philippines, as well as the contributions of our Filipino World War II veterans to our country and to U.S. national security interests. As we commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I celebrate the contributions of all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who call our country home, and I congratulate the Filipino American community for their centennial celebrations this year!

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 781, which congratulates and commends charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education and the public school system. Charter schools have been and continue to be a modern-day public education story filled with successes and accomplishments. These schools contain the key ingredient in successful schools: active participation not only from teachers and students, but of the entire community. When the whole community--from parents, to businesses and community organizations, to entire neighborhoods--has a critical role in contributing to their local schools, the outcomes are tremendous. These schools have consistently enabled students to achieve academically and contribute positively to their communities. In my state of Hawai`i, charter schools have been an exciting development in public education in decades. With more and more charter schools emerging each year, currently 27, they have managed to succeed despite institutional opposition in bringing their brand of education in the communities. These growing pains and other obstacles make this national recognition even more deserved. But for these very reasons, charter schools also deserve their fair share of resources from federal and state governments. A specific source of great pride within the Hawai`i charter school community is the development of Native Hawaiian charter schools. Na Lei Na`auao, the Hawaiian Charter School Alliance, serves over 1,500 Native Hawaiian public school students. The Alliance, whose focus is ``Education with Aloha'' seeks to enable Native Hawaiian students to achieve educational success with culturally-driven methods. The Native Hawaiian charter schools and Hawai`i's other charter schools, both existing and future, need a federal government to be clear and unequivocal in its continued support for the concept of charter schools. They also need full parity in funding between traditional public schools and charter schools. H. Res. 781 is welcome and needed, but these great words must now be partnered with action. I look forward to working with my colleagues and other charter schools believers toward this realization of the dream.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the courage of the first United States Marines to scale the summit of Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima is a small rocky island only two miles wide and four miles long located approximately 650 miles south of Tokyo, Japan. It is a volcanic island, much like the islands of my home state of Hawaii. A place where cool Pacific breezes rush over soft beaches and birds sing songs learned during lonely flights across the wide ocean. For a brief moment in time, the Island of Iwo Jima became the central battleground between the Empire of Japan and the Allied Forces during those terrible and dark days of World War II. The Allied Forces were determined to take the island in preparation for a final attack on Japan, and the Japanese were unbendable in their desire to defend Iwo Jima and to prevent the Allies from moving any closer to the main islands of Japan. On February 19, 1945, approximately 70,000 American and other Allied Forces and 22,000 Japanese soldiers locked themselves in a horrific battle that would begin the final phase of the War in the Pacific. Entrenched in a series of interlocking caves, blockhouses, and pillboxes, the Japanese fought with determination to defend their island. Debarking off a naval armada of more than 450 ships, the Allies, led by the United States, brought the full weight of their highly trained and battle-tested troops to bear with the determined goal of taking the rocky island no matter what the cost. The battle for Iwo Jima would be one of the fiercest conflicts of the Second World War. 6,821 Marines were killed in action, and 19,217 Marines were wounded. Of the 22,000 Japanese defenders, only 1,083 survived. On February 23, 1945, the fifth day of the battle, Marines from the 5th Division were ordered to ascend the slopes of Mt. Suribachi, the main peak controlling the island. Four Marine squads worked their way up the mountain and, at 10:30 a.m., the officer in charge, 1st Lieutenant Harold G. Schrier, along with the platoon leader, Sergeant Ernest Thomas, and Sergeant Henry Hansen, Corporal Charles W. Lindberg, Radioman, Private First Class Raymond E. Jacobs, Private James R. Michels, Private Philip L. Ward, and Corpsman, PhMac John H. Bradley, raised the American flag over Mt. Suribachi. Today, when our National remembers the brave U.S. Marines of Iwo Jima, we often visualize the commanding bronze statue resting on the banks of the Potomac River. Most Americans do not realize that this memorial actually depicts the second, much larger flag that was raised on Mt. Suribachi, signaling the courage and determination of the United States to all on Iwo Jima and at sea. In my home state of Hawaii, the Iwo Jima USMC Memorial Association, Inc. is working to raise the funds necessary to build a memorial to recognize the American Marines who raised the first American flag on Mt. Suribachi. I applaud their efforts, and hope that every citizen across the Nation will support those groups dedicated to recognizing the courage of American Marines everywhere.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I am most pleased to introduce the Native American Languages Amendments Act of 2006. This is a reintroduction in revised form of my bill, H.R. 2362, from the 108th Congress. This vital legislation will authorize the Secretary of Education to provide grants to or enter into contracts with Native American language educational organizations, Native American language colleges, Indian tribal governments, organizations that demonstrate the potential to become Native American language educational organizations, or consortia of such entities, to establish Native American language nests for students under the age of 7 and their families. It will also authorize grants to operate, expand, and increase the number of Native American language survival schools throughout the country for Native American children and Native American language-speaking children. The bill also authorizes the establishment of four demonstration projects that will provide assistance to Native American language survival schools and Native American language nests. The programs selected are well known nationally: all have over ten years of highly successful operation, and are all Native American controlled. The demonstration sites range from a statewide system to a small localized program for under fifty students, and from programs restricted to elementary students to programs that go through high school and beyond. They include programs on reservations, programs in highly remote areas, and programs in urban areas. Students enrolled in them include children who are first language speakers and students from families where the language has not been spoken for three generations. They include programs with special strengths in teacher training and in resource materials development. The four sites selected are the four research sites in an ongoing national study of academic effectiveness by prominent Native American and non-Native American educational researchers and major research entities with extensive experience in the field. The demonstration programs are authorized to use technology in cooperating and coordinating their work with each other and with other participating Native American language programs. They will provide direction to the Secretary of Education in developing site visit evaluations of programs and may conduct follow-up data collection that will be valuable in providing direction to schools. Lastly, the bill provides direction relative to addressing barriers that have prevented Native Americans from accessing education in Native American languages. It also directs the Secretary of Education to provide for the inclusion of Native American language nests and Native American language survival schools in federal support for private schools and charter schools. The Native American Languages Amendments Act of 2006 is consistent with longstanding federal self-determination policies toward native peoples, which support the promotion of economic and social self- sufficiency, as well as the preservation and revitalization of native culture, languages, art, history, religion, and values. Since language is a significant factor in the perpetuation of native cultures, the federal government enacted the Native American Languages Act of 1990 urging federal support for Native American languages, and the Native American Languages Act Amendments of 1992 establishing a grant program at the Administration for Native Americans to fund the preservation of Native American languages. My bill continues this commitment by our federal government to ensure the survival of these unique cultures and languages. In my home state, I am proud that the people of Hawaii and the State of Hawaii have strongly supported the revitalization of Hawaiian culture, art, and language. In 1978, for example, the State of Hawaii wrote into its constitution a specific declaration that Hawaiian is one of our two official languages, along with English. This was a remarkable reversal from decades in which the very survival of the Native Hawaiian language was at risk due to benign neglect and to conscious efforts to discourage its use. There is also support for Hawaiian language programs in both our public and private schools. At the forefront of these efforts have been supporters of Aha Punana Leo, a Hawaiian language immersion program which has endeavored to include both students and parents in an exciting and innovative way to revitalize Hawaiian language and culture. Ms. Namaka Rawlins, Director of Aha Punana Leo, and her husband, Dr. William (Pila) Wilson, have been pivotal in these efforts. The lessons of family and community involvement in the preservation of the Hawaiian language that they and others have proven are and can be used by other native communities and cultures across the country. While the Aha Punana Leo program initially started with pre-school students, Hawaiian language survival schools were also established to allow for students to graduate from high school. Over 2,000 students are currently enrolled in Hawaiian language nests and survival schools. A Hawaiian language center--Hale Kuamoo--was eventually established at the University of Hawaii at Hilo with the collaboration of Aha Punana Leo as well as a Native College--Ka Haka Ula O Keelikolani College. Both programs have been crucial in providing training to teachers in Hawaiian language, college courses in Hawaiian, and graduate education in Hawaiian language and culture. The revitalization of the Hawaiian language in my state has been instrumental in the preservation of Hawaiian culture, which is important to all of us who call Hawaii home. Today's legislation will take this lesson nationwide in continuing the commitment made by the federal government in 1990 and the progress that has been made since that time to preserve Native American languages, including the Hawaiian language. Mahalo, and aloha.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the outstanding work of the District of Hawaii United States Marshals Service, recipients of the 2005 USMS Distinguished Small District Director's Honorary Award. Last year, the District successfully accommodated significant workload and productivity increases in law enforcement and prisoner supervisions functions. The District was also exceptionally busy in ensuring the security of our federal judiciary, where proceedings of late have been highly charged. The District also continued its highly successful partnership with other federal, state, and local law enforcement entities through the Hawaii Fugitive Task Force, a unit of the Hawaii High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area that focuses on the arrest of dangerous fugitives wanted on federal and state felony warrants for drug-related crimes. For his work on the Hawaii Fugitive Task Force, Criminal Investigator/Deputy United States Marshal Glenn Ferreira received the Hawaii Federal Top Cop Award by the Hawaii State Law Enforcement Officers Association. This award is significant for the District as it is the first time, in its fifty year history, that the association has recognized a member of the United States Marshals Service. I would like to extend a sincere mahalo (thank you) to Mark ``Dutch'' Hanohano, United States Marshal for the District of Hawaii, and to our District's eighteen Deputy Marshals for their service and contributions to our state and our country. I would also like to thank all our United States Marshals that work daily to keep our communities and our nation safe. Mahalo, and aloha.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 692, a resolution introduced by my esteemed colleague from American Samoa and Ranking Member of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific--Congressman Eni Faleomavaega--commending the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands for their incalculable contributions and sacrifices they made to the United States nuclear testing program throughout the 1940s and 1950s in the Marshall Islands. This year will mark the 60th anniversary of the United States' commencement of nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands. Over a period of twelve years, from 1946 to 1958, the United States of America conducted sixty-seven atmospheric nuclear weapons tests in the Marshall Islands. The tests resulted in a combined yield of 108 megatons, roughly the destructive force of over 7,000 times that of the bomb used on Hiroshima. The worst of these tests, the Bravo shot, was a l5- megaton thermonuclear device, which in itself carried 1,000 times the destructive power of the Hiroshima bomb. It was detonated on March 1, 1954, on Bikini Atoll, and caused dangerous levels of radioactive fallout to be released over 7,000 square miles, including the populated atolls of Rongelap and Utrik. It is vital that our country remember the contributions of the Marshallese to our national security and to world peace. While recognizing such contributions, our country over the years has sought to address the legacy of our nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands in our initial Compact with the Republic of the Marshall Islands in 1986 and in our ongoing bilateral relations with the RMI government. Just recently, our governments renegotiated the compact agreement. I am aware that the RMI government has filed a ``changed circumstances'' petition with the U.S. government, which still must be negotiated. It is time our country come to closure on the changed circumstances petition and address our country's long-standing nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands and its ramifications on the lives of its residents, particularly those of the affected atolls. I also believe that we must ensure that the U.S. Department of Energy's medical assistance program is fulfilling its obligation to its beneficiaries in the Marshall Islands. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 692 and to work on addressing these crucial remaining issues.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the courage of the first United States Marines to scale the summit of Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima is a small rocky island only two miles wide and four miles long located approximately 650 miles south of Tokyo, Japan. It is a volcanic island, much like the islands of my home state of Hawaii. A place where cool Pacific breezes rush over soft beaches and birds sing songs learned during lonely flights across the wide ocean. For a brief moment in time, the Island of Iwo Jima became the central battleground between the Empire of Japan and the Allied Forces during those terrible and dark days of World War II. The Allied Forces were determined to take the island in preparation for a final attack on Japan, and the Japanese were unbendable in their desire to defend Iwo Jima and to prevent the Allies from moving any closer to the main islands of Japan. On February 19, 1945, approximately 70,000 American and other Allied Forces and 22,000 Japanese soldiers locked themselves in a horrific battle that would begin the final phase of the War in the Pacific. Entrenched in a series of interlocking caves, blockhouses, and pillboxes, the Japanese fought with determination to defend their island. Debarking off a naval armada of more than 450 ships, the Allies, led by the United States, brought the full weight of their highly trained and battle-tested troops to bear with the determined goal of taking the rocky island no matter what the cost. The battle for Iwo Jima would be one of the fiercest conflicts of the Second World War. Almost 7,000 Americans were killed in action. More than 20,000 Americans were wounded. Of the 22,000 Japanese defenders, only 1,083 survived. On February 23, 1945, the fifth day of the battle, Marines from the 5th Division were ordered to ascend the slopes of Mt. Suribachi, the main peak controlling the island. Four Marine squads worked their way up the mountain and, at 10:30 a.m., the officer in charge, 1st Lieutenant Harold G. Schrier, along with the platoon leader, Sergeant Ernest Thomas, and Sergeant Henry Hansen, Corporal Charles W. Lindberg, Radioman, Private First Class Raymond E. Jacobs, Private James R. Michels, Private Philip L. Ward, and Corpsman, PhMac John H. Bradley, raised the American flag over Mt. Suribachi. Today, when our Nation remembers the brave U.S. Marines of Iwo Jima, we often visualize the commanding bronze statue resting on the banks of the Potomac River. Most Americans do not realize that this memorial actually depicts the second, much larger flag that was raised on Mt. Suribachi, signaling the courage and determination of the United States to all on Iwo Jima and at sea. In my home state of Hawaii, the Iwo Jima United States Memorial Association is working to raise the funds necessary to build a memorial to recognize the American Marines who raised the first American flag on Mt. Suribachi. I applaud their efforts, and hope that every citizen across the nation will support those groups dedicated to recognizing the courage of American Marines everywhere.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of S. 2089, legislation which provides permanent recognition--the naming of the prominent Kapalama post office in Honolulu, Hawaii--of the late, great U.S. Senator Hiram L. Fong of Hawaii, whose long life--he died in August 2004 at the age of 97--was dedicated to reshaping, for the betterment of all, the social and political landscape of twentieth- century Hawaii. S. 2089, introduced by Senator Daniel Akaka, and cosponsored by Senator Daniel Inouye, passed the Senate on March 3. I was pleased to cointroduce its companion, H.R. 4509, with Congressman Neil Abercrombie on December 13, 2005. Born into poverty in Honolulu in October 1907, Hiram L. Fong was the seventh of 11 children of Chinese-immigrant parents. His father, Fong Sau Howe, originally from China's Kwangtung Province, arrived in Hawaii in 1872, one of 45,000 Chinese immigrants who came to Hawaii to work on the plantations of the islands' once dominant sugar industry. His mother, Fong Lum Shee, arrived in Hawaii when she was 10 years old to work as a maid. By all accounts, Hiram Fong was enterprising, even as a child. He shined shoes, delivered poi, sold newspapers, led visitors to local tourist spots as well as caddied nine holes of golf for 25 cents. He attended Hawaii's public schools and was a member of McKinley High School's famous class of 1924, whose 216 members, many of them first- generation immigrants, became some of Hawaii's most distinguished lawyers, business executives, and public servants. Hiram Fong himself became the first resident of Hawaii to receive the Horatio Alger Award for overcoming poverty to achieve great success in law, business, and public service. As a student at the University of Hawaii, Fong found time to edit the student paper and the yearbook, become a member of the volleyball, rifle and debate teams, and serve as president of the YMCA and Chinese Students Alliance, all the while working at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard as a supply clerk. He somehow managed to graduate from the University of Hawaii with honors in 1930 after just 3 years. After working at what was then the Suburban Water System of Oahu from 1930 to 1932, Hiram Fong attended Harvard Law School. Upon graduation in 1935, he returned to Honolulu to work as a deputy city attorney. In 1938, when he was 31, he founded the law firm of Fong, Miho, Choy and Robinson, and entered and won a race for a seat in the Territorial House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he forged a coalition of independent Republicans and Democrats to win election as speaker of the Territorial House, where he would serve a total of 14 years, including three terms as speaker. Hiram Fong's political career was interrupted by World War II, when he was called to active duty with the Army Air Corps. He served as judge advocate with the 7th Fighter Command of the Seventh Air Force. He later retired as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. As a member of the Hawaii Territorial House, Fong supported legislation designed to help organized labor and working families. In 1945, he supported what became known as the ``Little Wagner Act,'' which allowed agriculture workers to unionize. It was Hiram Fong's understanding of and identification with Hawaii's laborers and plantation workers and fellow immigrant families that enabled him, a Republican in an increasingly Democratic Party-dominated Hawaii, to continue winning elections. His one electoral defeat, which ended the first phase of his political career, came in 1954, when he lost his race for re-election to the Territorial House seat by a mere 31 votes. Hiram Fong then focused on real estate, insurance, and investments, and established a number of successful island firms: Finance Factors, Finance Realty, Finance Home Builders, and Finance Investment, to name a few. In the Statehood year of 1959, Fong embarked on the second phase of his political career by running for and winning one of the two new United States Senate seats created for the newly established State of Hawaii. He won re-election in 1964 and 1970, and served with honor and distinction, beloved by all in his native Hawaii and beyond, until his retirement on January 2, 1977. At his retirement, Senator Fong was the ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on the Post Office and Civil Service. But even then, Senator Fong, as he was universally known thereafter with great affection, returned home to his various business enterprises and to the devotion of his expanded family. Well into his nineties, he was a remarkable sight as he strode through downtown Honolulu on his way to and from work, excited by what the day brought and eager to continue his long string of accomplishments. At his death, his body lay in state in Hawaii's State Capitol as whole generations of citizens paid tribute to a remarkable man who led a remarkable life. It is both fitting and appropriate that we provide this modest memorial, as he would have wished, in order to remember the essence of public service and a life well lived by Hawaii's quintessential native son, Hiram L. Fong. I would like to thank our House Leadership, Congressman Tom Davis, chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, and Congressman Henry Waxman, the committee's ranking member, for their assistance in moving this bill expeditiously to the House floor. I also appreciate the support of my colleagues on this measure. I am certain that Senator Fong's family and friends, and all of Hawaii, are appreciative of all of your support. Mahalo. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the Kekaha Federal Credit Union on winning the 2005 Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award. Chartered in 1938 to serve the employees of the Kekaha Sugar Company, the Kekaha Federal Credit Union has expanded its membership to include all businesses and individuals throughout the island of Kauai. It also acts as a Community Development Credit Union, catering to the financial needs of low-income individuals. The Kekaha Federal Credit Union has over 1,500 members. In January 2004, the Kekaha Federal Credit Union initiated a partnership with the Kekaha Elementary School to support and encourage student achievement and raise school-wide standardized rest scores. Kekaha Elementary School serves a community of 3,700 residents, dominated by low-income, native Hawaiian and immigrant families. At the school, 11 percent of the student body speak English as a second language, 49 percent are Native Hawaiian (a historically disadvantaged group), and 62 percent qualify for free or reduced lunches due to low- income status. Many students live in single-parent homes or face situations that are not conducive to learning. As part of their partnership, the credit union and the school established the Maximum Communication Journal program, also known as the MAX Program. The MAX Program has become the cornerstone to learning at the school, as students must keep a journal of class activities and homework, including notes and notices from teachers and the school. Each student is then required to have his/her parents or guardians read and sign the MAX notebook each week. This ensures communication between the students, parents, teachers, and the school. With the incentive of prizes that include boogie boards, movie passes and bicycles, students are instructed to write in their MAX journals and have their parents read and sign it every week. In order to earn a chance to win a prize, students have to write in their MAX journals and have their parents read and sign it every week. Prizes were also given to the class with the highest percentage of completed and signed journals. Prizes are given at the school's monthly assembly. Often, parents and guardians attend these assemblies. By all measures, this program has been a great success. The program's goal of 80 percent student participation has been achieved for the past four semesters and, more importantly, Kekaha Elementary School has achieved passing levels in the State of Hawaii standardized tests each of the last two times the tests have been administered. Students and parents alike are excited and have a sense of accomplishment. Billy Smith, the principal of Kekaha Elementary School, explained: ``The celebration assemblies are fun and crazy. Parents are invited to attend and the kids are happy and excited.'' Students have become more responsible as they see tangible results for their MAX participation. Dora Maxwell is recognized as one of the original pioneers of the credit union movement. This award was created to promote social responsibility among credit unions by formally recognizing and celebrating their social achievements. The Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Recognition Award is awarded to credit unions, based on seven asset-size categories, and to specific chapters for outstanding social responsibility projects in the community in which they are located. I want to recognize and commend Kekaha Federal Credit Union not only for sponsoring this important and innovative program, but for receiving this national recognition by the Credit Union National Association. This award is just another example of the great work and strong personal relationships that our credit unions provide their respective communities, and represents a perfect union of the very best of credit unions and community service.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, as we continue our commitment to securing our nation's borders, I would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to one of our outstanding border patrol agents, a former resident of Kailua, Hawaii and a real ``local boy'': Thomas H. Nuetzel. Today, at the 2005 Commissioner's Annual Awards Ceremony, Tom will receive the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection's Top Humanitarian Award in recognition of his bravery and service. Tom is currently assigned to the Office of Field Operations at the Douglas Port of Entry in Arizona. In July, while on the way home from dinner, Tom, his wife Dawn, and their two children observed a rollover vehicle accident. The couple stopped to assist the two adults and two young children trapped in the vehicle. The driver told Tom that there were several full gas cans in the trunk of the overturned vehicle. The heavy rainfall, flooding, and severe lightening magnified a critical situation. Tom and Dawn immediately called Emergency Medical Services. Then, standing in knee-deep water, Dawn kept the passengers calm as Tom extracted each family member through a broken window. The passengers awaited the arrival of EMS in Tom and Dawn's car. All victims of the rollover accident are doing well, thanks to the selflessness of Tom and Dawn Nuetzel. Again, I extend a sincere mahalo (thank you) to Tom and Dawn for their act of courage and compassion. I would also like to thank all our border patrol agents that work daily to keep our nation safe and secure. Mahalo, and aloha!

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Madam Speaker, as an original cosponsor of H.R. 3899, the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act, and as a committed member of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine, I rise in support of its passage, as Title VII in H.R. 3199, the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005. I would like to thank Congressman Mark Souder, the chief sponsor of H.R. 3889, for his leadership in addressing our methamphetamine epidemic. Last year, Congressman Souder visited my district in order to fully understand first-hand the unique challenges we in Hawaii face, to hear of our efforts to keep drugs out of our homes and communities, and to see our successes in our fight against the scourge of crystal methamphetamine, ice. And he just returned to address the 2nd Annual National Methamphetamine Legislative and Policy Conference of the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws, Congressman Souder has not just talked, but acted. We in Hawaii share many of the same concerns as others in our Nation in regard to the need to support drug control, education, prevention, and treatment efforts. However, our geographic isolation, not only from the contiguous United States but also from our neighbor islands to the island of Oahu, must be taken into account as we work to end the scourge of crystal methamphetamine. General drug abuse, of course, has plagued many of our communities for decades. To target what is needed to prevent this abuse now and in the future, we must first understand what causes it and then focus our efforts on overcoming those causes. And uniquely, it is up to our Federal Government to take the lead on the issue as it is the only entity with the resources and ability to coordinate the indispensable multi-pronged approach to stamping out drug abuse. Title VII of H.R. 3199 is essential in our efforts to address methamphetamine trafficking, both in the United States and abroad. It would classify pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine, the major methamphetamine precursor chemicals, as ``Scheduled Listed Chemicals.'' It would repeal the federal ``blister pack exemption'' that currently allows unlimited sales of pseudoephedrine pills. The bill would also require information sharing from importers on the ``chain of custody'' from foreign manufacturer to U.S. shores of methamphetamine precursor chemicals. Title VII would also strengthen Federal penalties against traffickers and smugglers. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on initiatives to provide the federal resources and support we need in our fight against methamphetamine. Mahalo, thank you, for this opportunity to express support for Title VII of H.R. 3199.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I am truly honored today to introduce, with my colleague, Congressman Neil Abercrombie, the Kalaupapa Memorial Act of 2005, legislation authorizing the establishment of a memorial at a suitable location or locations at Kalawao or Kalaupapa within the boundaries of Kalaupapa National Historical Park located on the island of Molokai, in my home State of Hawaii, to honor and perpetuate the memory of those individuals who were forcibly relocated to the Kalaupapa Peninsula from 1866 to 1969. Kalaupapa National Historical Park, encompassing most of the isolated and haunting Kalaupapa Peninsula and adjacent lands, was established 25 years ago on December 22, 1980. In advance of celebrating its 25th anniversary, our National Park Service is hosting day-long commemorative activities today at Kalaupapa, and it is entirely fitting that we offer this measure during this time of renewed commemoration. Kalaupapa National Historical Park is a very special and beautiful park with a rich and tragic history. While the park is widely known for the isolation and settlement of Hansen's disease patients from 1866 until 1969, Native Hawaiians inhabited the Kalaupapa Peninsula for 900 years prior to being forcibly removed from their homelands between 1865 and 1895. Surrounded on three sides by ocean and the fourth by steep cliffs, Kalaupapa is spectacularly breathtaking and ecologically diverse, home to nearly 20 federally listed threatened and endangered species of plants and animals. When one visits Kalaupapa today, it is like stepping back in time. Due to its steep cliffs and isolated geography, the Kalaupapa Peninsula was used by the Kingdom of Hawaii, and subsequently the Territory and State of Hawaii, as an isolation settlement for individuals considered to have Hansen's disease, widely known as leprosy, for nearly a century. By law, individuals were forcibly separated from their families and isolated at Kalaupapa to ``protect the welfare of society.'' These isolation laws, dating back to 1865, were not abolished until 1969. Although the World Health Organization still documents over a million registered cases of Hansen's disease worldwide, today it is considered one of the least contagious of all communicable diseases due to established and successful drug treatments. In Hawaii, those needing medical treatment outside of Kalaupapa are able to go to the Hale Mohalu wing of Leahi Hospital in Honolulu. However, that is now, and the history of Kalaupapa is otherwise. Between 1866 and 1896, the first 5,000 individuals were forcibly relocated to Kalaupapa, most of whom lived at Kalawao. The second wave of patients (approximately 3,000) occurred after 1896 until 1969, when most of the community lived on the Kalaupapa side of the peninsula. Most of these unfortunate fellow citizens died on the peninsula; while many of their final resting places are known and remembered, many are not. It is right and appropriate that these many lives be remembered, both individually and collectively, within the boundaries of the world to which they were condemned for life, through maintenance of the park itself, the history of the settlement, and an appropriate memorial. Ka Ohana O Kaluapapa, a non-profit organization consisting of patient residents at Kalaupapa National Historical Park and their family members and friends, was established in August 2003 for just this purpose: to promote the value and dignity of the 8,000+ individuals (at least 90 percent of who were Native Hawaiian) who were forcibly relocated to the Kalaupapa Peninsula. Since its establishment, Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa has sought to honor and perpetuate the memory of these 8,000+ individuals through the establishment of a memorial at a suitable location or locations at Kalawao or Kalaupapa within the boundaries of Kalaupapa National Historical Park. I fully support its efforts, which have broad-based support from the Kalaupapa Advisory Council and the community. The national and international significance of Kalaupapa is the rich and tragic history of the lives and memories of those individuals who were forcibly relocated to the Kalaupapa Peninsula between 1866 and 1969. It is fitting and appropriate that our nation, through the National Park Service, ensure that they are never forgotten through the establishment of a memorial. I therefore believe that the establishment of a memorial is consistent with the basis for the park's establishment. It is timely. And it will enhance the purpose of the park, which is to ``preserve and interpret the Kalaupapa settlement for the education and inspiration of present and future generations.'' I look forward to working with my House colleagues, particularly members of the House Resources Committee, the National Park Service, and the Hawaii congressional delegation, in passing this legislation.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, aloha and annyong ha shimnikka! I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 487, which supports the goals and ideals of Korean American Day and, in doing so, recognizes the rich history of Korean immigration to our country dating back well over a century now and the broad and deep contributions of Korean Americans to all facets of our diverse American life. The history of our country's Korean American community is commonly traced to January 13, 1903, when the SS Gaelic arrived in Honolulu Harbor carrying our first immigrants from Korea. The 56 men, 21 women, and 25 children who stepped onto my Hawaii's shores that day marked the beginning of the remarkable Korean cultural thread that has woven itself so deeply and uniquely into our American tapestry. Today, 1.2 million Americans of Korean ancestry live throughout our Nation, with 41,000 in Hawaii alone. Korean American contributions in our Hawaii, built on the foundation of dedication and sacrifice by their predecessors, have been notable in a plethora of fields, ranging from government, law, finance, technology, medicine, and business, to arts, sports, education, and military service. As just some examples, Chief Justice Ronald Moon of the Hawaii Supreme Court is the first Korean American in our country to serve on a state supreme court. Others are recipients of the Hawaii Korean American Foundation's 2005 Light of the Orient Award: Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim, Honolulu City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi, community advocates Agnes Rho Chun, Reverend Tongjin Samuel Lee, Frank Min, Evelyn Choi Shon, and Duk Hee Lee Murabayashi. And, of course, our most well-known American of Korean ancestry is professional golfer Michelle Wie. But what proud father would not take the opportunity as well to highlight his own two favorite Korean Americans: James Kahele Case and David Espenett Case. My sons carry a quarter Korean ethnicity gifted them by their grandmother, Grace Moon, who emigrated to Hawaii from Korea shortly after the Korean War, and so join this great community in the responsibility of bringing forward this great heritage, American style, into the coming generations. In closing, I thank Congressmen Tom Davis, Charles Rangel, Michael Capuano, and Ed Royce, the chief sponsors of this measure, for providing us all with this opportunity to recognize the many contributions of Korean Americans, past, present and future. Kamsamnida to them, and to all Korean Americans, wherever you might be.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 798, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2005, which I was pleased to cosponsor originally. I commend the dedicated work of the Science Committee in bringing this bipartisan bill to the floor today. I would also like to thank Congressmen Bart Gordon, Ben Calvert, and Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert, the bill's chief sponsors, for their leadership on this issue. Last year, 30 methamphetamine labs--including sites where only the chemical were found--were seized in Hawaii. While I fully understand that this number is small in comparison to other states in our country, the number of methamphetamine laboratories is unfortunately growing in our more isolated rural communities like those in Hawaii's Second Congressional District. H.R. 798 would provide federal support and guidance to our states with rapidly expanding number of closed methamphetamine laboratory sites. The bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency to develop the voluntary guidelines for use by state and local officials and would establish a research program to address the environmental effects from contamination caused by methamphetamine labs and examine ways to clean up such labs and minimize adverse health effects. H.R. 798 would also direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to conduct research into methamphetamine detection technologies and calls for a separate study by the National Academy of Sciences to examine research on the effects that methamphetamine labs have on the residents of the buildings in which the laboratories were located. I look forward to continuing to work with any likeminded colleagues on our Congressional Methamphetamine Caucus and otherwise to provide the federal support we need in our collective fight against the national crisis of crystal methamphetamine. Mahalo (thank you) for this opportunity to express support for H.R. 798.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, colleagues and fellow Americans, aloha and mabuhay. I rise today to provide richly deserved recognition in the Halls of our Nation's Congress for a great people and culture whose century-old journey on our shores has personified the very essence of our American experience. I speak in strong support of H. Con. Res. 218 which I introduced with the co-sponsorship of many like-minded colleagues to recognize the centennial of sustained immigration from the Philippines to our country and to acknowledge the incredible contributions of Filipino-Americans to our country over the last century. And I do so with great pride and deep humility as the representative of the congressional district with the most Filipino-Americans and the State with the largest percentage of Filipino-Americans nationally and with sincere gratitude to my cosponsors, to Government Reform Chair Davis and Ranking Member Waxman, to the gentlemen from Utah and Illinois, and to our collective leadership for bringing this measure to this floor expeditiously. Mr. Speaker, those whose heritage lies in the great archipelago of the Philippines have journeyed to our country and lived among us for centuries. But the modern day Filipino-American immigrant experience which has given rise to our current day Filipino-American community traces its roots to December 1906 when 15 Filipino contract laborers, or sakadas, arrived from Luzon aboard the ship Doric and began work in the sugar cane fields of Keaau on the Island of Hawaii. In the same year, the first class of pensionados arrived from the Philippines to gain an education with the intent of returning home, although many stayed on. These early sakada and pensionado roots sparked a sustained emigration from the Philippines to the United States which, over the last century, has numbered upwards of 60,000 a year, marking Filipinos as our second largest immigrant group from the Asia-Pacific region. Many continued to emigrate to Hawaii to work in the sugar fields. The Hawaii Sugar Planters Association records reflect over 125,000 immigrants from the Philippines up to the year 1946 alone, and they form the base of today's 275,000 Filipino-Americans living in Hawaii, well over 20 percent of our total population. As previously noted, it is not just my State which has benefited from the growth and maturity of our Filipino-American community, which now numbers 2.4 million nationwide, including 1.1 million in California alone. But it is in Hawaii where the full extent of the trials and tribulations and accomplishments and successes of Filipino-Americans has played out over the past century. Early generations worked long and back-breaking hours to bring the means to bring their families to Hawaii. And then those generations fought for basic rights and benefits on the plantations of Hawaii. And then they began to move beyond the plantations into other aspects of Hawaii society and to take advantage of the equalizing opportunity of education. And then those generations who benefited from the foundation of their forefathers built a broader base in the political, economic and social fabric of Hawaii until, a century later, the successes, both individually and collectively, are everywhere. Just some of the past few decades in Hawaii alone: Benjamin Cayetano, Governor; Benjamin Menor, Mario Ramil, and Simeon Acoba, justices of the Hawaii Supreme Court; Daniel Kihano and Robert Bunda, speaker of the Hawaii State House and Senate, respectively; Angela Baraquio, Miss America; Antonio Taguba, general, United States Army; Eduardo Malapit and Lorraine Rodero-Inouye, mayors; Emme Tomimbang, TV news anchor; Benny Agbayani, professional baseball player. These are just some of the more recognizable names, for Hawaii's Filipino-Americans are succeeding like their mainland counterparts throughout the full range of our society, from our military where Filipino-Americans have demonstrated decades of bravery and loyalty to our country and have one of the highest enlistment rates, to the professions, entertainment, business and well beyond. Last weekend, Hawaii's Filipino-American community and its many admirers and friends kicked off a yearlong celebration of its centennial under the leadership of the Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission, Elias Beniga, chair. This weekend, we will dedicate a marker to the original sakadas at Keaau, where it all began. And nationally, our Smithsonian is undertaking a yearly celebration as well, titled the Filipino American Story, a Century of Challenge and Change, with commemorative events, exhibits and educational opportunities here in Washington, D.C., and at other sites nationally. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that neither the original sakadas nor many who followed them here could have envisioned what the last century reaped for them and theirs, nor that we would all stand here today and over the next year to commemorate an incredible century, nor that we would collectively look forward with such eager anticipation to the story our Filipino-American community will write over the next century. Yet that is exactly what we are doing and should do for this is the story not just of Filipino-Americans, but the story of our America. Mahalo, dios ti agnina, and salamat po.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. President, I rise today in full support of a bill I have cointroduced to provide a small token of permanent recognition-- the naming of the prominent Kapalama post office in Honolulu, Hawaii-- of the late, great U.S. Senator Hiram L. Fong of Hawaii, whose long life--he died last August at the age of 97--was dedicated to reshaping, for the betterment of all, the social and political landscape of twentieth-century Hawaii. Born into poverty in Honolulu on October 1907, Hiram L. Fong was the seventh of 11 children of Chinese-immigrant parents. His father, Fong Sau Howe, originally from China's Kwangtung Province, arrived in Hawaii in 1872, one of 45,000 Chinese immigrants who came to Hawaii to work on the plantations of the islands' once dominant sugar industry. His mother, Fong Lum Shee, arrived in Hawaii when she was 10 years old to work as a maid. By all accounts, Hiram Fong was enterprising, even as a child. He shined shoes, delivered poi, sold newspapers, led visitors to local tourist spots as well as caddied nine holes of golf for 25 cents. He attended Hawaii's public schools and was a member of McKinley High School's famous class of 1924, whose 216 members, many of them first- generation immigrants, became some of Hawaii's most distinguished lawyers, business executives, and public servants. Hiram Fong himself became the first resident of Hawaii to receive the Horatio Alger Award for overcoming poverty to achieve great success in law, business, and public service. As a student at the University of Hawaii, Fong found time to edit the student paper and the yearbook, become a member of the volleyball, rifle and debate teams, and serve as president of the YMCA and Chinese Students Alliance, all the while working at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard as a supply clerk. He somehow managed to graduate from the University of Hawaii with honors in 1930 after just three years. After working at what was then the Suburban Water System of Oahu from 1930 to 1932, Hiram Fong attended Harvard Law School. Upon graduation in 1935, he returned to Honolulu to work as a deputy city attorney. In 1938, when he was 31, he founded the law firm of Fong, Miho, Choy and Robinson, and entered and won a race for a seat in the Territorial House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he forged a coalition of independent Republicans and Democrats to win election as speaker of the Territorial House, where he would serve a total of 14 years, including three terms as speaker. Hiram Fong's political career was interrupted by World War II, when he was called to active duty with the Army Air Corps. He served as judge advocate with the 7th Fighter Command of the Seventh Air Force. He later retired as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. As a member of the Hawaii Territorial House, Fong supported legislation designed to help organized labor and working families. In 1945, he supported what became known as the ``Little Wagner Act,'' which allowed agriculture workers to unionize. It was Hiram Fong's understanding of and identification with Hawaii's laborers and plantation workers and fellow immigrant families that enabled him, a Republican in an increasingly Democratic Party-dominated Hawaii, to continue winning elections. His one electoral defeat, which ended the first phase of his political career, came in 1954, when he lost his race for re-election to the Territorial House seat by a mere 31 votes. Hiram Fong then focused on real estate, insurance, and investments, and established a number of successful island firms: Finance Factors, Finance Realty, Finance Home Builders, and Finance Investment, to name a few. In the statehood year of 1959, Fong embarked on the second phase of his political career by running for and winning one of the two new United States Senate seats created for the newly established State of Hawaii. He won re-election in 1964 and 1970, and served with honor and distinction, beloved by all in his native Hawaii and beyond, until his retirement on January 2, 1977. At his retirement, Senator Fong was the ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on Post Office and Civil Service. But even then, Senator Fong, as he was universally known thereafter with great affection, returned home and to his various business enterprises and to the devotion of and to his expanded family. Well into his nineties, he was a remarkable sight as he strode through downtown Honolulu on his way to and from work, excited by what the day brought and eager to continue his long string of accomplishments. At his death, his body lay in state in Hawaii's State Capitol as whole generations of citizens paid tribute to a remarkable man who led a remarkable life. It is both fitting and appropriate that we provide this modest memorial, as he would have wished, in order to remember the essence of public service and a life well lived by Hawaii's quintessential native son, Hiram L. Fong.

Mr. CASE

Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1492, which I am truly honored, especially representing Hawaii, the State with the highest number of Americans of Japanese ancestry, to cosponsor. I, like others, express my deepest appreciation on behalf not only of our AJAs, but all Americans, to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda), the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), for bringing this vital measure before the people's House. The internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II is a tragic and shameful chapter in our history, replete with misunderstanding by too many and courage by too few. Although AJAs on the U.S. mainland, particularly the west coast, bore the brunt of this national mistake, Japanese-Americans throughout our country were affected. After Pearl Harbor, about 10,000 people in Hawaii were investigated, and almost 1,500, mostly AJAs, were detained on all of Hawaii's main islands. The principal camps were at Sand Island and Honouliuli on Oahu. I attach to these remarks a compelling article from the June 2, 2004, Honolulu Star-Bulletin reporting the remembrances of some of Hawaii's surviving detainees. Mr. Speaker, it is right and appropriate that we provide for permanent memorials of this difficult time, when good people did bad things out of fear and ignorance. I especially appreciate that among these memorials will be Honouliuli, so that the people of Hawaii and elsewhere may put a place and a reality to the words of Harry Urata, of Hawaii, who said: ``They made a mistake. Everybody makes mistakes. But don't repeat that.'' Mahalo. [From the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, June 2, 2004] The WWII Internments--``A Sad Time . . . A Challenging Time'' (By Rosemarie Bernardo) In March 1943, FBI agents arrived at the Honolulu Planning Mill in Kakaako where Shozo Takahashi worked as a woodworker. Authorities issued Takahashi a warrant for his arrest, but allowed him to go home to pick up some of his belongings. His brother and wife dropped him off at the FBI office, where he was questioned. Takahashi was then taken to the immigration station, where he was photographed and fingerprinted. All the while, he wondered what he had done to be treated like a criminal. But it would take the federal government 45 years to tell Takahashi why it detained him at the Honouliuli internment camp. An exhibit will open Saturday at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, 2454 S. Beretania St., telling the story of Takahashi and other Japanese Americans who were detained at internment camps in Hawaii during Word War II. Takahashi and other former internees are expected to attend the opening from 1 to 3 p.m. ``Dark Clouds Over Paradise: The Hawaii Internees Story'' will be displayed in the center's community gallery Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until July 31. Admission is free. Many people are not familiar with the history of Japanese Americans who were held in internment camps in Hawaii, said Keiko Bonk, president and executive director of the Japanese Cultural Center. The detained Japanese ``had to ask themselves these serious questions of who they were and where they belong and how these things could be happening to them,'' Bonk said. ``It was quite a sad time, as well as a challenging time for the Japanese community,'' she said. The Japanese have to speak and educate people about the injustices, Bonk added. About 10,000 people in Hawaii were investigated shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack. Buddhist priests, ministers, Japanese school principals and community leaders were detained on the night of Dec. 7, 1941. Within two years, the FBI picked up a number of kibei--Japanese Americans who moved to Japan during their youth to obtain an education and later returned to the United States. An estimated 1,250 Japanese Americans were detained in Hawaii during the war. Japanese Americans, along with some Germans and Italians, were held at internment camps on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island before they were transported to a Sand Island camp in May 1942. Officials later decided that detainees should be held inland to avoid the possibility of an attack. Detainees were taken to Honouliuli in Leeward Oahu on March 1, 1943. Takahashi said they were treated well. ``We all cooperate, no trouble,'' said Takahashi, whose wife, Yuriko, assisted as an interpreter. He noted that detainees had the opportunity to do various jobs in the camp to earn coupons at 10 cents an hour. Takahashi said he and another man counted spoons before and after meals after they had heard that a detainee at Sand Island had sharpened a spoon into the shape of a knife in an attempt to commit suicide. ``If we miss some, gotta go all over,'' Takahashi said. Takahashi said he took English classes, played his violin and attended Christian services on Sundays, when he prayed for the war to end. At Honouliuli, Takahashi met Harry Urata, and the two became friends. Yuriko Takahashi, who remained in Kaimuki, sent Takahashi a fingerprint of their first daughter, who was born in October 1943. In his excitement, Takahashi showed it to Urata. It was only then when Urata learned that Takahashi's wife was his former coworker. A year later, Takahashi went on a conditional release from Honouliuli. He was required to report to authorities once a month until he was let go in February 1945. Takahashi, a kibei who was educated, underwent ROTC training and taught in Japan for 24 years before he returned to Hawaii, wrote to the government in 1988 and requested a copy of his internment records. A report cited in Takahashi's 1992 autobiography ``An Autobiography of a Kibei-Nisei'' stated he had dual citizenship and had ``never attempted to be expatriated.'' It further stated that he lived in Japan for more than 20 years, where he attended school, received military training and taught students for four years. It also mentioned that he was a Japanese-language teacher in Honolulu for three years. Takahashi said the authorities thought he was pro-Japanese. Both Takahashi and Urata, who were born in Hawaii, had taught at the Waialae Japanese Language School at different times before the war started. After the internment, Takahashi worked as a carpenter with his brother-in-law. He later returned to teaching at Japanese schools in Honolulu, had two more children and built a house for his family in Kaimuki, where he and his wife still live. Takahashi, now 89, continues to take English classes once a week. In March 1943, Urata was called to the principal's office at Mid-Pacific Institute, where two FBI officers were waiting. The officers questioned Urata for two days before he was taken to the immigration station, where he was held for two weeks in a shack surrounded by a barbed-wire fence. He joined other Japanese Americans, many of them issei (first-generation Japanese), at Honouliuli. Urata read books in English and Japanese, played his guitar and sang songs to occupy his time. He also played baseball, practiced kendo and cut kiawe bushes outside the camp, which was also surrounded by a barbed-wire fence. ``You get to go out from the wire, fresh air,'' Urata said. While he was being held in Honouliuli, Urata said he often wondered why he was detained because he was an American citizen. ``Everytime I used to think like that inside the camp. I thought it was a mistake,'' Urata said. Urata speculated he was held at the camp because he was a kibei who left for Japan when he was 6 and returned to Hawaii 13 years later. Urata said he was among 69 men who were sent to the Tule Lake internment camp from Honouliuli in November 1944 after he described himself as being ``hardheaded.'' After he was released from Tule Lake, he taught Japanese at the University of Minnesota for a couple of months before returning to Honolulu in December 1945, the year the war ended. Urata opened a music studio in Palama, where he taught piano, guitar and voice lessons to generations of students. His studio moved to a few other locations before it settled in its current location in downtown Honolulu. He later married and continues to give voice lessons. More than four decades later, Takahashi, Urata and thousands of former surviving internees each received a $20,000 reparation check and a letter of apology from the U.S. government for its injustice toward Japanese Americans during the war. Urata, 85, said he is not bitter about his experience. ``They made mistakes,'' Urata said. ``Everybody makes mistakes. But don't repeat that.''