Neil Abercrombie: “I want to emphasize that the tenor of his remarks and the courtesy with which he put it forward, including his sense of…”

“I want to emphasize that the tenor of his remarks and the courtesy with which he put it forward, including his sense of humor, which is well recognized in the committee and appreciated, reflects that this legislation is not only bipartisan, it's nonpartisan. That is to say, it's not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue and has never been presented on this floor, through all the different sections of the Congress, from its introduction over the past 7 years and as it has moved through the Congress over past sessions, it has never ever been presented as a partisan issue, Republican or Democrat. And I say 'nonpartisan' because the committee reflects the full spectrum of the left of the Democratic Party and the right of the Republican Party. Whether you are characterized as a progressive or a conservative, this issue transcends that precisely for what Mr. Bishop so rightly pointed out. This bill directly affects and only affects the ceded lands and the Hawaiian homelands and the assets associated with Native Hawaiians in Hawaii.”