Daniel Akaka

I am particularly concerned about the lack of progress being made regarding reciprocity.

These standards had not been updated since 1995 and little has been said about the updates.

Thank you very much, Senator Burris. I will have a third round here...

A big welcome to all of you. Thank you very much for your patience.

It is important for the Committee to understand the remaining challenges.

There is always room for improvement.

I applaud the efforts of VA employees in Hawaii.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has already protected and created jobs, strengthened infrastructure...

The recession has caused too many families in Hawaii to suffer from a job loss, a reduction in hours, a home foreclosure, a bankruptcy filing, an inability to obtain credit, or the elimination of state funding for an important social…

I was concerned, of course, when the legislation which was providing necessary State match drawdown of $15 million of Federal assistance that Senator Inouye and I also helped to secure was vetoed.

However, the pain that working families in Hawaii have felt would have been much worse had the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act not been enacted.

It is time Congress and our Nation take the next step with them in honoring their resilience.

This is likely, from a community-based organization perspective, likely the single most important public policy piece of legislation for Hawaiians today and for generations to come.

The birthplace in our Constitution of the doctrine of equal protection is also, it is the 14th Amendment

It is only fitting now, in the 50th anniversary of Hawaiian statehood that Congress and the United States take the next step toward bettering the lives of Native Hawaiians by reorganizing the Native Hawaiian government that was overthrown…

The authority that you are giving us as an entity, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, to do that, is a tremendous authority, a tremendous resource that we are providing our people.

Tribes have, and ought to continue to have the ability to define their own membership further

So we really appreciate the contributions that all of you and the panel have made.

Upon enactment of S. 1011, would Native Hawaiians be subject to the laws of the United States?

It creates a governing entity for Native Hawaiians.

Home ownership is the beginning for somebody to launch their lives off to a much better place.

The cost of living in Hawaii is much higher in comparison to other States.

The United States committed itself to a process of reconciliation with the Native Hawaiian people.

I would like to also extend that gratitude to Senator Inouye as well as Senator Murkowski, who has been a longstanding supporter with us in this effort.

The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act is clearly constitutional, because it fulfilled a compelling government interest