On the recordFebruary 23, 2010
I rise today in support of the rule for H.R. 2314, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act. I appreciate the leadership of Chairwoman Slaughter, of Congressman Polis and of the work of the Rules Committee in crafting a fair rule. All amendments submitted to the Rules Committee were made in order, including two amendments from the minority. As coauthor of this bill, I am concerned about the impact and intent of the Hastings and Flake amendments. However, the openness and fairness of the rule is consistent with a bill that has been more than 10 years in the making. There have been 12 congressional hearings on this bill, five of which were held in Hawaii. It has been marked up by committees in both Chambers. The House passed the bill twice--first in 2000 and again in 2007. The rule also makes in order the Abercrombie substitute amendment, which reflects a compromise between the Hawaii Congressional Delegation, the State of Hawaii, the Obama administration, Indian Country, and the Native Hawaiian community. There have been many falsehoods and inaccurate statements made about this bill over the years. One of the many misrepresentations is that this bill is race-based legislation. Native Hawaiians are the native indigenous people of Hawaii.
