Political Quotes

“I'm rising to give my strong support for the amendment before us, and I would like to thank my colleague from Alaska (Mr. Young) for his steadfast support and championing of the issues and concerns of Native communities throughout our country. This amendment does a simple thing: it ensures that Native students across the country have access to support which meets the unique cultural and language needs of these communities. This support has been there now for decades, and it's important and crucial that we continue this. For my home State of Hawaii, the Native Hawaiian Education Program, which the amendment reauthorizes and which does not exist in the underlying measure, is a vital resource for our Native Hawaiian community. Last district period when I was home over the Fourth of July, I had the opportunity to travel to a few different islands where I met with teachers, parents, students, and other stakeholders and learned firsthand about the many accomplishments of this program. By passing this amendment, we're empowering and educating the next generation in communities that have largely been underserved and at the same time preserving rich and unique culture, language, and values of our Native people. With that, I insert into the Record numerous letters of support that I've received from my constituents explaining in a very personal way the important success stories of the Native Hawaiian Education Programs over the years.…”