Colleen Hanabusa

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Chair, I request an ``aye'' vote on this amendment. It is a very straightforward, commonsense amendment. It addresses what the people want to hear and want to know, that we are ready to address the worst-case scenario, and the Secretary will not issue a permit until it is addressed, it is not only identified, but that the applicant has both the technological skills plus the capabilities to do it and prevent such a spill. We are all interested in the jobs and the economic security of the gulf and all the neighboring States in that area, plus its ripple effect. That is why we want to see that it never happens again, and that is why we want the people, the people, to be confident that we in Congress have addressed their concerns. I request an ``aye'' vote.

Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. Madam Speaker, I would like to express my deep opposition to H.R. 3. Rather than focus on legislation that will help the millions of Americans struggling to recover from a national recession, the majority in this chamber have instead decided to take up an unreasonable piece of legislation that essentially declares war on women's access to healthcare. H.R. 3 is being called the ``No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.'' In fact, the healthcare legislation that President Obama signed into law last year already states that no federal taxpayer dollars may be use to fund abortion services. Additionally, the law requires that plans receiving federal funds must keep taxpayer dollars separate from funds for abortion services. Women in the United States simply do not get public funds for abortion services. However, under the guise of eliminating abortion funding, what this bill really does is limit access to reproductive healthcare for the millions of women who pay for insurance and medical expenses through their own private insurance plans. Finally, it is my firm belief that it is not the place of Congress to impede on women's reproductive freedom rights, which is exactly what this bill does. Instead of debating divisive partisan issues, we should be working to get the nation back on track. The Republican leadership has controlled the agenda in the House of Representatives for the last 18 weeks and has still not brought forth legislation that would help stimulate the economy and spur economic growth.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. Madam Speaker, there is no question the policy statement of any legislative body, including ours, is the budget. And what are we saying? I can tell you what the Republicans are saying. The Republicans are saying they haven't learned what caused the crash in 2008. They haven't learned because they still want to continue to give the tax breaks to the super wealthy, and they still refuse to address the costs of the wars and what the defense budget is all about. Instead, the Republicans want to balance this budget on the backs of our kapuna, our elderly. And they want to take away from those who receive Medicaid, those who need the help of government. You know, this is not how a great Nation should act. This is not what the United States of America stands for. All I can say is we should be ashamed because we are better and we are not sending the right message.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. I thank the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for making this wonderful gesture. I would like to thank Congresswoman Hirono for offering this amendment in that it does address the unique nature of Hawaii. Mr. Chairman, Hawaii's people have, really, only one way for commercial travel between our islands, and that is by way of air. So what this has done is it has leveled the playing field for us in terms of the ability to have our fair share of the airport improvements, because the best thing we can do is protect our consumers. Thank you again for agreeing to the amendment, and thank you to Mazie for offering it.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Speaker, we have got to get ahold of reality. We have got to ask: What is it? What is it that we're doing when we're not able to come to a CR? Look at what we're telling the people. And worse than anything else, we are defeating the main purpose for which we are here. We're here to build public confidence. We're here to make people feel good that we know what we're doing and that there is a bright future for all of us. Instead, the majority is proposing yet another series of budget cuts. Cuts, yes, we must get our budget under control, but we must do it smartly. And somehow that message isn't getting through. Two economists said that the cuts are shortsighted. Budget cuts to human capital, our infrastructure, the next generation of scientific and technological advances do nothing for us. As a matter of fact, those are going to set us back. Mr. Speaker, please, what we need to do, what the majority needs to do, is to say, yes, cuts, but smart cuts. And let's work together towards smart cuts.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Speaker, today, H.R. 1250 was introduced. Congresswoman Hirono, along with Mr. Young from Alaska, were among those, with myself, who signed onto this bill. It is the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2011. This is a very misunderstood act. Well, what does it do? It really establishes us as meeting the fiduciary obligations that we have to the Native Hawaiians. This is a trust obligation that's been created long ago with the creation of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920-- 1920, Mr. Speaker. In addition to that, when Hawaii became a State in 1959, in it was contained really a public trust obligation for the betterment of Native Hawaiians as defined by the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. And then, of course, in Public Law 103-150 we created the concept of the Apology Resolution and, in that, recognized that we owe a special apology to the Native Hawaiians and a process of reconciliation. This is what this act will do. It will give us the right to make things correct, and that is why I ask that you, along with the rest of the colleagues, support this.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Speaker, the people of America are asking us: What are we doing? We're going to vote today on another continuing resolution that extends the budget for another couple of weeks. People are asking: What's the matter with all of you? Why can't you just get it done? They're absolutely right. Mr. Speaker, the attitude of ``so be it'' cannot continue. Yes, we all understand that there is a deficit, and we all want to work to stop that; but we also realize that you simply can't just cut, that you have to do it smartly, that you've got to make smart cuts so it doesn't hurt what we are all striving for, which is the creation of jobs. People want jobs, and they want us to get this fiscal house in order. If you don't want to listen to us, Mr. Speaker, think about the military. Both sides of the aisle have always looked upon the military as something we share in common, and the military is saying a continuing resolution does not work.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. Thank you, both gentlemen from Oregon. I would like to first begin by extending heartfelt condolences to the people of Japan, and they should all know that we will stand by them as they work to recover from this tragic disaster. But I would also like to say thank you to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have come up to me today and they've asked a single question. Is everything all right at home? Is your family all right? Do you have family in Japan? It didn't matter whether one was an R or one was a D. Those concerns were extremely genuine. As I walked over here, the Capitol guard asked me, Ms. Hanabusa, is everything okay at home? And then it struck me what this is all about. We are people, and we are always going to be there to help others. We must also look at why Hawaii has really been prepared for these kinds of disasters. I do congratulate both the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, as well as our officials back home who did an excellent job preparing. But I would also like people to consider what it cost and how we were able to come here. Remember when the good Senator from Hawaii, Senator Inouye, did that unspeakable thing, that earmark called the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. And, yes, it was an earmark. He had the foresight, as only, for example, like my good colleagues from Oregon and people who represent their districts, to know what that district needs and started way back when with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. And that has grown. If you watched the news this morning, as I did from 3 o'clock in the morning, you could hear them saying, our projections are this, we're looking at what's going on, and we think it's going to be about 2 feet. We got those projections before they hit Hawaii. You know what? They were right. What do we have to attribute to that? The fact that there was wisdom and there was funding and there was the recognition that a Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was essential. It's not only for Hawaii. It's for the whole Pacific. When they wanted information of what it meant for Guam, what it meant in Japan, what it meant for the west coast, who was the expert? The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. It is unfortunate that in H.R. 1 it stands massive cuts. It is also unfortunate that people look upon it like it's ``that earmark'' and therefore should be cut. I ask my same colleagues on both sides who said, Is everything all right at home, to realize that and to recognize that the one way you can help protect not only the people of the State of Hawaii, but the west coast, as well as anyone in the Pacific Rim, is to set aside labels and to recognize that it is funding like that that goes to save lives. That is what we can rely upon. So when we remember this unfortunate and tragic day, let us also remember how fortunate we were because we had information and we were prepared, and how inexpensive being prepared is when you look at the investments that have been made. Thank you very much.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Speaker, we know that the economy is getting better. We know the job numbers are getting better, but we're still not there. We still have not addressed the cries of the people of this great Nation. We do know that essential to addressing the cries is a sense of public confidence, and tied to that public confidence is something that is essential to everyone, and that is feeling safe in your home and being able to provide for your family. That is what two bills are about to address in this legislative body, two bills that should not pass-- the attempts by the Republicans to defund two major programs that address what the people want and what the people need. One, of course, is the Federal Housing Administration's Refinance Program and the other is the Emergency Homeowner Loan Program. That's for people who are without jobs through no fault of their own, either through unemployment or just simply medical conditions. Thirty thousand to 50,000 people were to be helped with that particular program. The other one is, of course, the underwater loan. Sixty-seven percent of homes in Nevada fall in that category; 25 percent in the Nation. Mr. Speaker, let's concentrate on giving people public confidence and hope in the future.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment of the gentleman from Texas. This amendment proposes to cut all funding for the East-West Center-- a shortsighted and impulsive measure that takes away from a program that has done so much on behalf of our Nation. Due to its strategic location half way between the continental U.S. and Asia, the East-West Center has served as an unparalleled resource; a bridge between the United States and our allies in the Pacific. For more than 50 years, it has been working to further diplomatic efforts between China, Japan, and other Asian countries through collaborations on education and research. Finally, Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that one of America's biggest opportunities will be culminating later this year with the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Meeting. The East-West Center will serve as the anchor to this meeting. For the first time since 1993, the United States will be hosting leaders of 20 other member economies. At this event, our Nation is poised to showcase our best and brightest, illustrating President Obama's goal to out-innovate, out-build, and out-educate our competitors. This is our chance to show the world what Americans are capable of. I believe that there is no better place in America for this than the East-West Center. However, if we decide to eliminate this center for collaboration between the U.S and Asia, if we take away the mere $10 million that they require; we are sending a message that rejects our diplomatic relationships with Asia, rejects our strides in innovation, and rejects our ability to be capable hosts at one of the most important meetings of the next 10 years.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. I thank the gentleman from Washington for yielding. Mr. Chairman, the amendment that I had offered and that I am withdrawing has to do with the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant. The reason it is so critical to the people in Hawaii is that it is not like any other block grant. It really fulfills a trust obligation which this Congress created in 1920 by way of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. That act recognized that it was necessary to return native Hawaiians to the land for the preservation of their culture, their traditions and their values. What the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant did was actually facilitate that. It is a very successful program, nonpartisan in Hawaii, one that our Republican Governor considers to be her legacy and one that has done exactly--exactly--what we want to see these grants do.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Speaker, we are here to speak about the CR, this continuing resolution, which is going to set forth the budget for the rest of this fiscal year. Yes, it is true we all have a responsibility for the budget, but the bottom line for each and every one of us is how does this budget affect us, how does it affect the people that we represent? Let's look at what the CR does. I think we all know that in the creation of jobs we must invest in America. We must invest in each and every one of you. When you look at a CR that basically eliminates and puts a chilling effect on all of the major investments that we need, we know that's not the right way to go. But more importantly than that, this is a CR that's going to cut, cut the future, cut those students, 200,000 of them, who rely on Head Start. We all know that we've got to invest in them now. It's also going to cut those middle class kids who are going to college on Pell grants $800 a piece. So when we hear about the budget generally, let's not forget, it's the people. It's the kids that matter.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. Madam Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Ms. HANABUSA. Madam Chair, I don't believe there's anyone in this body who doesn't believe we must get ahold of our budget. I don't believe that there's anyone in this body who doesn't feel that when we do that, we've got to keep in mind that we serve the people, and we also must keep in mind that the one thing that we all are here to do is not to make their lives worse but to try to make their lives better, and in addition to that, we are here to try to build that public confidence which is the only way we will see the rise in our economy. Madam Chair, when I looked at the amendment, the thing that struck me the most is that in my district, there was a provision in here that zeros out what is called the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant. It goes to zero. It's at $13 million now. In that same section, it also zeros out the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Public and Indian Housing revitalization of severely distressed public housing. It zeros out the Department of Housing and Urban Development's public and Indian housing. It zeros out the Department of Housing and Urban Development's community planning and development brownfields redevelopment, just to name some of the programs that have been zeroed out. Let me tell you about the program of native Hawaiians. This is a program that, in our difficult economic times, managed to build, managed to build roads, managed to build programs. This is a program that was leveraged, leveraged so we had construction projects going, so we had housing developments going, and we have zeroed them out, $13 million, zeroed them out. When we start to look at the budget and we start to think about what we must cut, the one thing I would like to think that we put a lot of credence in is which one of these programs is being leveraged and doing what we want. In addition to that, Madam Chair, look at community health systems. Everyone knows the Hawaiian Islands are islands. The only mode of transportation for our people between islands is expensive airfare. We don't have a ferry system. We definitely don't have roads that join our islands. It's airlines. For the underserved, they have to fly for health care. So community health systems, when we cut $1 billion out of that budget, $1 billion, imagine what that means for the provision of one of the most essential, essential parts of a person's life, the feeling of knowing that you have health care, and we have cut that out of the budget. It's not only Hawaii; it's elsewhere. But think about what that means. And for small communities who rely on CDBG, the Community Development Block Grant program, we've cut it approximately $2.5 billion. Why? That is what gets services to the people. This is what we have. We have already discussed the fact many times that we are cutting Head Start. There are 200,000 young kids who are not going to get that opportunity. We are cutting the Pell Grants, and that, of course, is going to make a reduction of about $800 per middle class family. These are all part of this amendment as well. But for myself, as someone who represents this State that's gotten zeroed out on a program that has done exactly--exactly--what government wants to see done, which is to make jobs, to give opportunities, we have cut it. Now, why would we do that? That is because we have not taken into consideration or remembered what we are here to do. We are here to serve the people, Madam Chair. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Speaker, about 15 years ago, there was a commercial that is really applicable to today. It was about a woman who looked through hamburger buns and asked, ``Where's the beef?'' The American people are asking us, Where's the jobs? We managed to survive and avoid the Great Depression of this century. Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, what we need to do to continue with our recovery is to build public confidence. The only way we are going to build that public confidence is for people to feel that we are looking at what is so essential to their futures, so essential to the building of their confidence back in themselves and in government, and that is the creation of jobs. Mr. Speaker, I believe all Members of this Congress must look to that. We must get down and address jobs. That is what we are here to do. That is what we need to do, or we will have failed the people who have sent us here.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Speaker, when the Health Care Reform Act was passed, it had in it section 1560. That section recognizes the Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act. Why? Because we have the lowest premiums in the Nation and we have one of the best coverages afforded for that. And why is that? Because we recognized very early on that you need to do a series of things. One, you need to share risks; two, you need to cover everyone; and, three, you need to make things available. Health care has to be available. And for that, we have a great system, a system that still needs to be tweaked, a system that will benefit from the Affordable Health Care Act. What does that tell you? It took us 36 years to get it right, and we're still working on it. And my colleagues across the aisle want to repeal something that hasn't been around for a year. Now, the American people do not want that. They want us to learn from when things are done right. Look at what we've done--36 years and we're getting it right. But it's still not perfect. We've got to keep listening, and we've got to hear the people.

Ms. HANABUSA

Ms. HANABUSA. ``Articles in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the 5th Article of the original Constitution.''