Mazie Hirono: “today marks 6 months since fire tore through Lahaina and Upcountry Maui. We continue to see the heart and resilience of…”

“today marks 6 months since fire tore through Lahaina and Upcountry Maui. We continue to see the heart and resilience of our communities as we recover and remember the lives lost. As recovery efforts continue, I am grateful to the thousands of people who have come together from literally all over the world to support our neighbors on Maui. Maui's recovery will take time, resources, and continuity of effort. I will keep working with my partners to ensure Maui has the resources it needs to recover and rebuild. Supplemental Funding Mr. President, the national security supplemental package we are debating demonstrates our strong support for our allies at a time of rising global instability, recognizing that an investment in our partners is also an investment in our own national security. While the funding for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific currently included in this bill is critical, missing from this bill is the text of the recently renegotiated Compacts of Free Association, agreements with the Pacific Island nations, Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands. In exchange for economic assistance, the Compacts of Free Association provide our country with exclusive military access to these countries and their territorial waters. With their strategic location in the South Pacific, these countries provide a strategic buffer between the United States and China.…”