Aloha, Friend.

As we pass through the first six months of this Congress and Trump 2.0, my Congressional work continues intensely on two parallel tracks: addressing the ongoing confusion, chaos and in many cases outright danger to democracy of the Trump administration; and getting stuff done for our country, Hawai‘i and my constituents wherever, however, and with whomever I can, using all of my seniority, experience, relationship, committees, caucuses and other tools.

I want to update you further on my work, answer your questions and get your further guidance at my next Tele-Talk Story this coming Tuesday, July 29^th (details below). But here’s a quick report on some of my efforts.

The Trump administration. There are areas where I can work with the administration and current Congressional majority toward real results to real challenges, and I will pursue such efforts where possible. However, on balance I continue to oppose many of the initiatives of the Trump administration across a range of actions, from lawsuits and votes to legislation, speeches, media appearances, public statements, questioning and speeches especially in my House Appropriations Committee (more below), letters and otherwise. An updated summary of my actions is here.

I especially opposed the massive budget reconciliation measure which unfortunately passed Congress and is now law. Like any other large measure, it has provisions I support. But on balance: it provides huge tax breaks to those who least need it; devastates Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other bedrock safety nets for those in the most need; increases our national debt by fully $4 trillion; reverses decades of sound energy policy; hides various special interest giveaways in its 900 pages; and otherwise is not consistent with sound policy and our basic values. Here is a summary of the law. Its devastating consequences will be felt over many years, and I have joined my Hawai‘i congressional delegation colleagues in extensive and ongoing discussions with our state, county and community leaders to confirm and prepare for the measure’s impacts on Hawai‘i .

Working in Appropriations. My go-to efforts to both oppose the Trump administration and work for results for our country and Hawai‘i are through my House Appropriations Committee, which funds and oversees our entire federal government and where I am now serving my seventh year. These months are the peak of our Committee’s annual appropriations season as we deliberate twelve separate measures to fund government for the upcoming fiscal year.

In my last e-newsletter to you here, I reported on some of my efforts. The last six weeks have been especially intense in Appropriations, as I have both opposed many damaging initiatives and achieved some very good results for Hawai‘i. Here are highlights on a number of our measures detailing both:

• Military construction and veterans affairs. Here is my summary of the measure, and here are my remarks in Committee explaining how the bill fails to address critical military infrastructure needs throughout the Indo-Pacific. However, some of the projects I secured for Hawai‘i include:
  • $1.5 million for a pilot project using the most advanced technology to identify the remains of unidentified fallen servicemembers buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
  • $106 million for the American Battle Monument Commission, which manages the Honolulu Memorial at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
  • $60 million for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Grants for the Construction of Veterans Cemeteries Program, which regularly provides fundings to support Hawaii’s state cemeteries. 

• National defense and intelligence. Here is my summary. I spoke on the funding measure’s lack of a coordinated whole-of-government national defense strategy in the Indo-Pacific here, and on the lack of assistance to Ukraine here. Still, my Committee unanimously accepted my amendment to prohibit the use of Signal for any classified communications here. Some of the projects I secured for Hawai‘i include:
  • $30 million to continue efforts to replace O‘ahu’s aging air surveillance radar, which is needed to defend Hawai‘i from missile attacks.
  • Directing the Navy to control and eradicate invasive coral at naval installations, which addresses the invasive coral found at the mouth of Pearl Harbor.
  • Protecting the special defense contracting preference for Native Hawaiian businesses.

• Agriculture, rural development, and food and drug safety. I explained why I voted against the measure here. However, some of the projects I secured for Hawai‘i include:
  • $5 million for Education Grants for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, addressing the educational needs of food and agricultural sciences-related disciplines and preparing low-income students for careers related to food, agricultural and natural resources.  
  • $123 million for the USDA Wildlife Damage Management Program, which helps to prevent the spread of the Brown Tree Snake to Hawai‘i.  
  • $3 million for Agricultural Canine Detection and Surveillance of invasive species and diseases, an increase of $500,000.  
• Homeland security. Here is my summary. I spoke on how federal assistance is critical for communities devastated by disaster including the Maui wildfire and the critical need to support our nation’s cybersecurity here. My Committee approved my request for $1 million in Congressionally-designated funding to modernize the operations center at Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA). Some of the other projects I secured for Hawai‘i include:
  • $355 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants, which support state and local emergency management agencies like HIEMA. 
  • $360 million for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which is a major source of funding for county fire departments.
  • $360 million for FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program. 
• Legislative branch (Congress). I explained my vote against the bill here as weakening Congress as a fully-functioning, separate, independent co-equal branch of government. I was still able to secure support for programs including:
  • $20.6 million in funding to help pay for student interns in House Member Offices. 
  • An amendment that allows the recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program, also known as Dreamers, to work in the United States Congress. The amendment passed by a vote of 32 to 29. 
  • $1.9 million for the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services which helps coordinate services for individuals with disabilities including Members of Congress, staff and visitors to the Capitol.  
• Housing and transportation. I voted against this measure as well, although it did include support for all seven of my Community Project Funding requests here. Some of the other projects that I secured for Hawai‘i include:
  • $18.3 million for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant Program, which supports the building, acquisition and rehabilitation of affordable homes.
  • $5 million for core housing research partnerships with Native Hawaiian serving institutions among other minority serving institutions.
  • $56 million for the Self-Help and Assisted Homeownership Opportunity Program.
• Energy and water. While I voted against this measure, it did include support for many Hawai‘i projects including millions for programs that aid in the preservation of Hawaii’s coastlines across all seven inhabited islands as seen here. Some of the other projects that I secured for Hawai‘i include:
  • $12 million for a program which conducts research and development of biological, chemical, cultural and ecological capabilities for controlling invasive aquatic plants.
  • Language modifying a clean energy program under Department of Energy (DOE) that has been widely beneficial for Hawai‘i. The newly named Energy Technology Innovation Office, previously known as the Energy Transitions Initiative, supports island and remote communities by providing personalized technical and financial assistance. I recently introduced legislation make to make this program permanent. (See here for more details.)
• Interior and the environment. I voted against this measure here because it cut billions from programs and agencies that support public lands and our nation’s natural resources. I spoke in Committee specifically on how the bill proposed to cut nearly $2 billion in federal support for state funding for Drinking Water and Clean Water programs here. The bill did support several of my priority requests for Hawai‘i, including:
  • $5 million for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s State of the Birds Activities to respond to the urgent needs of critically endangered birds that now face possible extinction. These funds will help save numerous endemic birds in Hawai‘i that have been devastated by climate change and avian malaria.  
  • $45 million for the U.S. Geological Survey Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program.  
  • $66 million for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate Adaptation Science Centers, which includes the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center based out of the University of Hawai‘i-Mānoa. These centers provide regionally relevant scientific information, tools and techniques to resource managers and communities in Hawai‘i in response to our changing climate.  
• Foreign assistance. I voted against this measure here and spoke in Committee about how this bill emboldens the People’s Republic of China here. I was, though, able to secure continued funding of $16.7 million for Honolulu’s East West Center despite the administration’s attempt to zero out all funding. The Committee also supported my requests for other programs critical to our partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific, including:
  • $1.8 billion for the implementation of the Indo-Pacific Strategy, which promotes peace, prosperity and democracy in the region. 
  • $175 million for the Pacific Islands region, the same as FY 2025 enacted levels.
  • $3 million for the Advancing Port Enhancement and Customs Security program in the Pacific Islands.

As my Appropriations work for the upcoming fiscal year continues, I also continue to coordinate closely with my Hawai‘i Congressional delegation colleagues, especially Senator Schatz as he serves on my counterpart committee, Senate Appropriations.

Continuing constituent services. My continuing mission is to help lead our country, help our Hawai‘i, and help my constituents with your individual questions and concerns. This last mission of constituent services, in areas like Social Security and veterans benefits, immigration, taxes and more, is ongoing regardless of who is President or who controls Congress. Here are a few examples of successful constituent services over the last six weeks:

• We helped a constituent clear up a matter with the Veterans Administration.
• We helped a constituent expedite her travel document petition so that she could see her mother for the first time in eight years.
• We helped a constituent secure some federal information so that her family could proceed with funeral services for a relative.
• We helped expedite the work visa of a highly specialized surgeon from Japan so that he could commence practice in Hawai‘i.
• We arranged Capitol and White House tours for various constituents on family summer visits to DC.

There’s more on my constituent services here: https://case.house.gov/forms/casework/. If you have any individual questions or concerns, especially on federal government matters, please call us at (808) 650-6688 or email us at [email protected] and we will help however we can.

Walk Story Round 2. In my May 7^th e-newsletter, I reported on my first “Walk Story”, when, on a week home, I busted out of the intense inside-DC World noise bubble, cancelled all my meetings and just hit the road to talk story one-on-one with my constituents where you live, work and play. Over that week I met hundreds of the folks I serve as I walked the communities of Kalama Valley, Niu Valley, ‘Āina Haina, Wai‘alae, Nui Valley, McCully, Pearlridge, Waimalu, Pearl City, Pacific Palisades, Mililani Mauka, Waipi‘o Acres, Waipahu, ‘Ewa Beach, ‘Ewa Villages, Kalaeloa and Kapolei. I was able to talk personally with a highly diverse and representative part of my constituency, many of whom don’t regularly engage with their government, just going about their lives and expressing their views and concerns for our country, Hawai‘i, family, workplaces and communities.

It was such an invaluable week that in early July I devoted another full week back home, this time walking through the communities of Pālolo, Kaimukī, Mō‘ili‘ili, Kalihi, Salt Lake, Āliamanu, Foster Village, Moanalua, Hālawa and ‘Aiea. Here is my report on my Walk Story 2.0, what I learned, and what I took back to DC for my ongoing work there, and here is a quick slideshow on my walk. I’m already looking forward to Round 3.

Live Districtwide Tele-Talk Story Tuesday, July 29^th, 6PM to 7:30PM Hawai‘i Time. I’m also hosting another live districtwide tele-talk story this coming Tuesday evening, to go with my eight in-person and tele-talk stories earlier this year and 55 since I returned to Congress in 2019. As always, I’ll report back from Congress, listen to your concerns and guidance and answer your questions. Many constituents will receive a phone call right before 6PM from (808) 650-6688 and can just stay on the line to join. More information on how to join by phone or on Facebook, as well as submitting questions in advance, is here or at https://case.house.gov/events/.

There is much more information on my activities representing you and our Hawai‘i in Congress at https://case.house.gov/. As always, I welcome your questions and comments at [email protected] or (808) 650-6688.