Mark Takano: “Mahalo to my colleague from Hawaii, Congresswoman Gabbard, for the time. Mr. Speaker, on July 20, the world lost a kind…”

“Mahalo to my colleague from Hawaii, Congresswoman Gabbard, for the time. Mr. Speaker, on July 20, the world lost a kind man, this Congress lost a great leader, and many of us here lost a very dear friend. I didn't expect to have this welling of emotion. Mark Takai represented everything America wants in a public servant. He was selfless, he was humble, and he was passionate about strengthening his community and protecting his country. He served 17 years in the Hawaii National Guard, including a deployment to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. When he came home, he fought for the middle class and for the people of Hawaii. He will be remembered by me and many of us here for his incredible spirit, which he bravely maintained through his illness. He will be remembered for his easy laugh, which brought joy to all those who knew him. And he spent a lifetime working to give a voice to those who struggled to be heard. If I may depart from my prepared remarks for a moment, I remember going to Hawaii for his unofficial swearing-in in Honolulu with Leader Pelosi, and just seeing the outpouring of support from the people who elected him and the great hope in such a new young leader from the State of Hawaii, which has been going through great changes. Getting to know him here and watching him, the losses that I feel are just that he was so full of potential. He loved Congress. He loved serving. He loved the potential to change this institution into a better place.…”