Senator Dan Inouye’s Record

Agriculture

Improving Food Safety and Reducing Crop Damage Caused by Pests

• Directed $128 million to manage pests, especially fruit flies, and prevent plant diseases.

Building World Class Research Facilities for Hawaii’s Agriculture Scientists

• Provided approximately $48 million to plan, design, and construct the Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo.

Helping Displaced Farm Workers Survive and Thrive

• Directed $54 million into the Rural Economic Transition Assistance Hawaii (RETAH) program.

Promoting Diversity to Reduce Imported Food Dependence and Improve Economic Competitiveness

• Supported many agricultural initiatives by providing in excess of $141.5 million over the years for various agricultural research including tropical fruits, pineapple, sugarcane, floriculture, coffee, macadamia nuts, vegetables, melons, livestock, and aquaculture.

Education

Improving Educational Opportunities for Low-income Children and Teens

• Directs approximately $46 million annually to help children from disadvantaged home settings.
• Provided an additional $33 million in economic stimulus funds for Title I programs.

Extending First Class Educational Services to Military Dependents

• Provides about $37 million annually for educating the children of military dependents.
• Directed an additional $53 million to be invested by the Department of Defense in the Joint Venture Education Forum (JVEF).

Educating Children with Special Needs

• Directs approximately $42 million annually to assist with the education of children with special needs.
• Provided an additional $43 million in the economic stimulus.

Upgrading Technology and Instructors Skills

• Provides $28 million annually to Hawaii’s Department of Education.

Providing Continuing Education to Hawaii’s Workforce

• Appropriates about $3.2 million annually for workforce training and community economic development programs.

Forging Stronger Educational, Cultural and Diplomatic Ties with Asia

• Invested more than $186 million in the East-West Center.

Providing Training and Apprenticeship Programs at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard

• Invested more than $17 million in the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Apprentice Program, which trains more than 100 candidates every year.

Expanding Native Hawaiian Education

• Invested $335.2 million to help Native Hawaiians educationally, professionally, and culturally.

Preserving, Protecting, and Sharing Native Hawaiian Art and Culture

• Appropriated nearly $7 million to support the Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program (NHCAP).
• Directed $6.3 million to the Native Hawaiian library and museum services.

Strengthening Educational Institutions that Serve Native Hawaiians

• Directed more than $83 million to Chaminade University, the University of Hawaii at Hilo and the University of Hawaii systems community colleges to serve diverse underserved populations, including Native Hawaiians.

Preserving and Protecting the Hawaiian Language

• Authored the Native American Languages Act (1990), which allows Native Hawaiian children the opportunity to obtain their entire K-12 education in Hawaiian.

Energy

Identifying Undersea Alternative Energy Sources

• Secured funding to establish the Hawaii Energy and Environmental Technology Initiative (about $5 million annually).

Bringing Hydrogen-powered Vehicles to Hawaii

• Directed about $10 million to develop hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles in Hawaii.

Encouraging Renewable Energy in Hawaii

• Directed about $5 million to the Hawaii Renewable Energy Development Venture (HREDV).  Funding will continue at $6 million annually.

Converting Plants into Power

• Directed nearly $2 million to University of Hawaii researchers working to identify and produce biomass energy sources (plants grown to generate electricity).

Environmental Protection

Protecting Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles

• Provided nearly $60 million to protect the endangered Hawaiian green sea turtle.

Protecting Hawaiian Monk Seal

• Directed more than $10 million to support monitoring the endangered monk seal population.

Eradicating the Brown Tree Snake Menace

• Invested more than $36 million in a host of brown tree snake eradication and prevention strategies.

Promoting Responsible Fishing Practices

• Appropriated more than $84 million in funding to ensure that Hawaii’s fisheries are wisely managed and well-protected.

Protecting our Coral Reef Ecosystems

• Invested about $58 million to conserve, map, assess and monitor Hawaii’s coral reef ecosystems.

Protecting Our Shorelines and Citizens

• Invested more than $59 million for coastal land and sea clean-up efforts, tsunamis and other natural hazard research programs, and the purchase of critical areas for conservation.

Responding to Climate Change Threats

• Secured $24.5 million to place Hawaii at the forefront of the nation’s response to climate change.

Establishing and Expanding National Parks and Wildlife Refuges

• Over the years, hundreds of thousands of acres have been preserved for future generations.
• Big Island: Volcanoes National Park, Kahuku Ranch, City of Refuge, Puuhonua O Honaunau National Park.
• Maui: Haleakala National Park, Kealia Wlidlife Refuge and Waihee Preserve.
• Kauai: Kliauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and Hanalei National Wlidlife Refuge.
• Oahu: The James Campbell Wildlife Refuge, Waimea Valley, Moanalua Valley, Honouliuli Preserve, Pupukea-Paumalu.

Returning Kaho’olawe to Hawaii

• Authored legislation (1993) that directed the United States to convey Kaho’olawe and its surrounding waters back to the State of Hawaii, and appropriated $400 million for cleanup and restoration efforts of the island.

Equality for All

Recognizing Native Hawaiians Right to Sovereignty

• Hawaii Congressional Delegation is currently working to pass legislation acknowledging the inherent right of Native Hawaiians to self-determination and self-governance.
• Co-sponsored, with Senator Akaka, the landmark Apology Resolution (1993), a formal apology issued by the United States for its role in the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy on January 17, 1893.

Strengthening Community for Filipinos in Hawaii

• Provided nearly $3 million for the construction of the Filipino Community Center located in Waipahu.

Expanding Benefits for Filipino Veterans

• Introduced the Filipino Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act (2003), which provides a number of vital benefits to assist Filipino veterans and their spouses.
• Appropriated $198 million for payments to eligible Filipino World War II Veterans.

Providing Redress for Japanese Americans after World War II

• Helped pass the Civli Liberties Act (1988), a law that acknowledges the injustice of the forced evacuation, relocation and internment of U.S. citizens and permanent residents of Japanese ancestry during World War II.

Righting Wrongs for Native Americans

• Highlights from Senator Inouye’s tenure as Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee include: The Native American Graves and Repatriation Act, The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, The Indian Self-Determination Act, The Indian Health Care Act, The Native American Housing Assistance and Self- Determination Act, The Indian Child Welfare Act, The Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act, The Native American Languages Act, The Indian Energy Resources Act, The Indian Dams Safety Act, and Establishment of The National Museum of The American Indian in Washington.

Healthcare

Expanding Healthcare Access to All

• Directs about $15.7 million annually to 14 Community Health Centers, and provided an additional $2.7 million in economic stimulus funds to extend services to more uninsured members of our community.

Providing Dignity and Care for Older Native Hawaiians

• Directed $20 million in funding to the Administration on Aging, which dispenses grants to Native Hawaiian organizations.

Increasing Prevention and Early Detection Programs for Native Hawaiians

• Secured more than $115 million for Papa Ola Lokahi - Native Hawaiian Healthcare.

Increasing Cancer Research to Benefit Hawaiian Residents

• Secured $10 million for the planning and design of a new cancer center in Kakaako, and also secured an additional $8.5 million for a study on the causes and optimum treatment of cancer.

Honoring Commitments to our Veterans

• Secured $18 million in federal support for a $28 million state-run veterans’ home in Hilo.

Infrastructure

Maintaining Hawaii’s Critical Infrastructure

• Directs about $130 million annually in federal highway funds to support the State of Hawaii and the four counties.
• Provided $127 million in highway funds, with the economic stimulus package, to both create even more jobs and upgrade infrastructure

Improving Hawaii’s Public Transportation System

• Directs about $31 million annually to support the City and County of Honolulu’s The Bus, and secured another $40.6 million in the economic stimulus package.

Improving Air Safety, Security and Efficiency

• Secured about $28 million to support construction and new equipment upgrades for all of Hawaii’s airports.
• Approved $63.8 million of economic stimulus monies for explosive detection systems at Honolulu, Kahului, Hilo and Lihue airports and construction of a new air traffic control tower for the Kona airport.

Providing Affordable Housing Options for Lower-Income Residents

• Appropriates about $126.8 million annually to the state and counties to support the construction and upkeep of public housing communities across the islands.

Protecting Hawaii’s Water Supply

• Authorized $50.1 million in stimulus funds to protect Hawaii’s precious water supply, in addition to the $15.5 million allocated annually.

Security

Strengthening the Military Presence in Hawaii

• Invested more than $431 million to maintain our defenses in the Pacific.
• Provided an additional $451 million for Military housing requirements.
• Directed more than $944 million to the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) to support state-of-the-art missile defense testing and systems.
• One of the Army’s most elite combat teams - The 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division Stryker Brigade Combat Team - now calls Hawaii home.
• Secured more than $106 million to install 40 C-17 crews in Hawaii, which are used to provide humanitarian relief around the world.

National Disaster Preparedness

• Provides about $5 million annually for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center in Hawaii, which focuses on disaster preparedness training.
• Provided more than $23 million for tsunami hazard mitigation.
• Provided $80.1 million to address natural disasters in Hawaii, such as damage caused by heavy rains, floods, earthquakes, and other events.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)Pacific Operations

• Provides more than $2 million annually to increase FEMAs operations by ensuring 24/7 staffing, developing a leadership core and growing a significant stockpile of emergency supplies.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

• Directed $64 million in TSA funds to Hawaii, along with approximately $60 million safety upgrades at Honolulu, Kahului, Hilo and Lihue airports.

Technology

Advancing Science, Technology and Innovation, Sector by Sector

• Directs more than $60 million to support the Maui High Performance Computing Center (MHPCC), providing researchers access to state-of-the-art computing hardware, software tools and applications, high-speed communications technology, and high-performance storage technologies.

Illuminating Scientists Understanding of the Sun

• Secured $150 million to help solar physicists from 22 diverse scientific institutions build a next generation ground-based solar telescope on Maui.
• Provided $300 million to build the new solar telescope Facility.

Improving Military Maritime Technology While Creating Jobs

• Helped create The National Defense Center of Excellence for Research in Ocean Sciences, or CEROS (1992).  Since its inception, CEROS has provided more than $100 million to R&D companies in Hawaii and nationwide to support nearly 250 projects.

Solving the Military’s Toughest Challenges While Creating Jobs

• Helped establish the Pacific-based Joint Information Technology Center (2001). Akimeka, a fast-growing Native Hawaii company, is the primary support contractor at the Center, and currently employs over 130 people in Hawaii, Maryland and Texas, and has an annual budget of approximately $27 million.

Incubating Small Hawaii Tech Companies to Create Jobs

• Established The Hawaii Technology Development Venture (2004), which supports small Hawaii high tech companies interested in doing research and development for the Military.
• Over the past five years, this project has received more than $24 million and awarded nearly 80 direct projects.

Harnessing Biotechnology to Improve Public Health

• Building on an annual investment of approximately $25 million, the Akamai project advances new dual-use medical technologies and services for war-fighters and their families Hawaii.

Increasing Employment Opportunities for Women in Technology

• Provided $9 million in funding over the past 10 years to the Women in Technology project, which was developed to bring girls, women and other underrepresented groups into science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers.

Construction

Military Construction

• Air Force: $370.7 invested for housing, C-17 facilities, major electrical and hydrant fuel upgrade for Hickam Air Force Base.
• Army: $1.7 billion invested for housing at Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Air Field, upgrades to Pohakuloa Training Area, improvements to Saddle Road on the Big Island and the Drum Road and Tank Tralis at Helemano Military Reservation, and significant warfighter facliities and capabliities at Schofield Barracks.
• Hawaii National Guard: $57.1 million invested in Maui Armory, Barbers Point facliities, Army Reserve Center at Fort Shafter, Consolidated Training Facility at Hickam, and Regional Training Institute at Bellows Air Force Station.
• Marines: $326.1 million invested in housing, spiritual Facility, and telecommunications upgrades.
• Navy: $1 blilion invested in the Pearl Harbor Shipyard, housing, electrical and infrastructure upgrades to Navy Region, Pacific Warfighting Center, and the U.S. Pacific Command Headquarters.
• Pacific Missile Range Facility: $65.39 million invested in housing, Missile test and advanced radar detection facliities.
• Regional Security Operations Center: $297.8 million invested to replace existing center in Kunia.

Privatized Military Housing

• Navy: Invested about $942 million to bulid 1,931 units and renovated 1,030 units.
• Army: Invested about $756 million to bulid 2,222 new units and renovate 316 units.
• Air Force: Invested about $42 million to bulid 744 new units and renovate 371 units.