The Army cannot keep threatening to take our land while claiming to negotiate in good faith. We have 39 months to sit down and do this the right way. Condemnation is not a "practical impracticality" when you are talking about our home and leaving it up to future generations of Hawaiians to determine the sovereignty and autonomy of these lands.

Friday, May 15th, the nation observes Peace Officers Memorial Day. This year’s observance is especially difficult and deeply personal for our Maui ʻohana. Officer Suzanne O was added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial this spring. Officer O, a beloved daughter, sister, partner, auntie and friend, was killed in the line of duty in August 2025. Today, we remember and honor the courage and the sacrifice of officers like Suzanne O, who have paid the ultimate price to keep our communities and our families safe.

RT @CAPAC: Who inspires our CAPAC members this AANHPI Heritage Month? From trailblazers to loved ones, our members are thinking of those w…

I led the House in a moment of silence honoring the life and service of Colleen Hanabusa, a proud daughter of Waiʻanae, a tita at heart, and a former member of this House. Colleen made history as the first AANHPI woman in the nation to lead a legislative body, but she knew being “the first” meant holding the door open so you are not the last. Her legacy lives on in the leaders she mentored, the people she believed in, and the confidence she gave so many of us before we saw it in ourselves. They broke the mold when they made her. Mahalo, Colleen.

Checked in with local businesses across Waialua and Lāʻie, including North Shore Soap Company, Haleiwa Distilling Company, Nani’s Cafe, and J-Slips Hawaiʻi, many of whom are still recovering from lost inventory, slower foot traffic, and the pressure of keeping their doors open while also showing up for their neighbors. We appreciate them doing everything they can to keep each other and our community members afloat. I also stopped by the SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Waialua to mahalo the team helping small businesses understand what support is available, navigate the disaster loan process, and get connected with recovery resources.

Mahalo to Joey Cadiz from Laulau Solutions and to our farmers in Kahuku and Lāʻie for walking us through the devastation left by the Kona Low storms, from lost crops and equipment to fields still flooded & loʻi needing restoration. Our farmers and ranchers are essential to our food security and future. I'll keep fighting to make sure federal disaster assistance and cleanup efforts move quickly and actually reach the people doing the hard work of restoring the land, feeding our communities, and carrying this recovery forward.

Mahalo to the hardworking team at Kauaʻi Coffee for having me back as they continue navigating uncertainty around lease negotiations, tariffs, and the future of Hawaiʻi-grown coffee. Kauaʻi Coffee is the largest coffee producer in the United States, but its strength has always come from the workers, many of whom return year after year and have deep ties to coffee farming, this company, and this community. I’ll keep doing what I can to support the workers and families whose livelihoods are tied to Kauaʻi Coffee and the future of Hawaiʻi agriculture.

Mahalo to folks at Ka Paʻalana Māʻili and Tūtū and Me Hānapepe for welcoming me. It was truly meaningful to spend time with the parents, caregivers, educators, staff, and keiki who make these early learning sites so special. I’m continuing to push to protect Native Hawaiian education funding and to make sure the dollars Congress appropriates are actually delivered, so Partners in Development Foundation programs have the stability and support they need to keep their doors open and continue serving our communities. Every dollar invested in our keiki is an investment in our future.

Grateful to community leaders like Uncle Chevy for taking me around Pa’akea Road so we could see first hand where the hardest hit areas were and the debris and flooding that remain months after the Kona lows. We’ve been talking with the Navy, Army Corp of Engineers and State DOT about what we need to do quickly to mitigate and prevent future flooding. Mahalo to so many in the community that always step up to take care of neighbors — now we have to do the same.

Mahalo to the students of Waiʻanae High School for taking me through their new health learning lab, the first of its kind in a Hawaiʻi public school. Inspiring to see them demonstrate their skills and talk about their plans to pursue careers in the ER, pediatrics, radiology, pharmacy and more! Thank you to the teachers, staff, partners and funders giving our students hands-on experience and helping prepare the next generation of healthcare workers Hawaiʻi needs.