eVols at University of Hawaii at Manoa

Kahele, Kaialiʻi

University of Hawaii at Manoa Hamilton Library
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Public relations Speeches
EAP Speech regarding Pacific Diaspora
Congressman Kaialiʻi Kahele Papers
Public relations, Speeches and Statements
https://hdl.handle.net/10524/84291
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EAP Speech regarding Pacific Diaspora 
 
Who: U.S. Department of State, East Asia and Pacific (EAP) Affairs Bureau  
● Moderator: Camille Dawson, Director, Office of Public Diplomacy, Bureau of East 
Asian and Pacific Affairs: Intro and Program Overview (3 min) 
● Sandra Oudkirk, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Australia, New Zealand, and 
the Pacific Islands, U.S. Department of State: US foreign policy toward the Pacific (8-10 
min) 
● Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific 
Islander Senior Liaison: Administration's programs and goals for promoting diversity & 
inclusion and addressing anti-AAPI sentiment (5 min) 
● Craig Hart, Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia, U.S. Agency for 
International Development: USAID foreign assistance and COVID response to the 
Pacific Islands (8-10 min) 
● Erika Moritsugu: Points from HHS on US support for COVID response in the USAPI (5 
min) 
● Rep. Kai Kahele (HI-02): Perspectives from the Pacific Islander community in the 
United States - interests, expectations, aspirations (8-10 min) 
● Q&A (remaining time) 
○ Rep. Kahele: What should the U.S. government do to make sure the unique 
concerns of the Pacific Islander community are addressed? 
 
What: Town Hall with citizens and residents of the United States from Pacific Islander 
community  
 
When: Thursday, May 27 at 12pm HST/6pm EST. Plan to log on to Zoom 30 minutes before 
the program start time, in order to review the agenda, resolve any tech issues, and for last-
minute preparation.  
 
Where: https://zoom.us/j/91644177793  
 
Why: The objective is to build domestic understanding of and support for U.S. foreign policy 
priorities for the Pacific and EAP region, and to learn from diaspora leaders about issues of 
concern for their communities in the United States. Outreach to members of diaspora 
communities in the United States with interest in the implications of U.S. foreign policy for both 
the United States and their countries of origin will build domestic support for the 
Administration’s policies and provide an influential channel to communicate to the populations 
in those countries.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Speech: 
 
Aloha Kākou! 
 
Mahalo nui loa for inviting me to this important town hall to discuss the Pacific Islander diaspora 
and I want to thank the State Department, Secretary Blinken and the entire team at the Bureau of 
East Asian and Pacific Affairs as well as diplomats, ambassadors and staff who represent the 
United States throughout the Indo Pacific for all your hard work. The diplomacy and 
relationships each of you have with your counterparts in other countries and partner nations are 
vital to our nations success as a global leader.  As a Native Hawaiian who represents Hawaiʻi’s 
second congressional district, I am honored to be here today. When I think about Pacific 
Islanders who have left their homelands involuntarily or in search of opportunities elsewhere, I 
think about migrants from the Freely Associated States (FAS). These countries include the 
Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Palau. According to a 
June 2020 report by the US General Accountability Office,  GAO report, approximately 100,000 
FAS migrants reside disproportionately in Hawai’i, Guam, Washington, Arkansas, Oregon, 
California, Texas, the Northern Marianas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Missouri, Georgia, Colorado and 
Iowa.  
 
To give a quick historical overview, the United States has maintained bilateral Compacts of Free 
Association with the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and 
the Republic of Palau for approximately three decades. Under these agreements, the United 
States has exclusive access to military testing ranges in these countries. In exchange, FAS 
citizens can travel and work freely in the United States. This meant, in practical terms, that these 
areas became the areas with the largest nuclear weapons testing program in the world. Nuclear 
weapons were detonated on these isolated but pristine islands and atolls that were 1000 times 
more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima & Nagasaki. Through hese 
agreements the US allowed FAS citizens to access U.S. medical care as part of our obligation to 
those suffering from exposure to U.S. nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific from 1946 to 1958. 
 
Initially, FAS citizens living and working in our country legally received the basic standard 
federal benefits granted to permanent residents and other legal non-citizens. However, due to a 
technical error in the 1996 welfare reform bill, FAS citizens were rendered ineligible for 
Medicaid and other public benefits. Thankfully, in the December 2020 COVID-19 relief 
package, Medicare funding was restored back to our FAS citizens. However, it is long overdue 
for this technical error to be corrected, and Congressman Case has introduced legislation 
(“Compact Impact Fairness Act”) to address this issue.  This is the least the United States can do 
after the nuclear testing we performed in the Freely Associated States.  This is one of the factors 
in the Pacific diaspora - but there are many others.  
 
Furthermore, as we continue to celebrate “Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific 
Islanders” month for the remainder of May, I believe that the federal government should do more 
to recognize the significant contributions of our Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.  
 
AANHPIs, including those in the Freely Associated States, enroll in the military at higher rates 
than other ethnicities throughout the country. Yet, while the Department of Veteran’s Affairs  
has centers and programs dedicated to - American Indians, Alaska Natives, and rural 
populations, there are no VA centers specifically dedicated to the population of NH, PI, and 
USAPI veterans. In fact the closest VA Hospital to Hawaii is 2500 miles away in California. 
That is why I have requested funding to establish a VA Center for Native Hawaiian, Pacific 
Islander, and U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islander Health in my FY22 Milcon-VA appropriations 
requests. Furthermore, I am an original cosponsor of Congressman Sablan’s VA Advisory 
Committee on United States Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States. This legislation will 
give veterans of the outlying areas and freely associated states a voice within the VA and a space 
to advocate for equal treatment.  
 
In closing, Pacific Islanders have contributed significantly to U.S. security and prosperity, but 
historically, this population has been overlooked and treated unfairly. Given the current security 
environment and increased attention to China’s activities in the Pacific, I think this region is 
finally getting the attention it deserves. I am a proud member of the Pacific Islands Caucus in the 
U.S. House of Representatives, and a signature legislation of the caucus is Congressman Case’s 
Boosting Long-Term U.S. Engagement in the Pacific (BLUE) Pacific Act. The bill would 
significantly expand U.S. engagement with the Pacific Islands region. It includes proposed 
authorizations of almost $1 billion total in U.S. assistance for the Pacific Islands region over the 
next five fiscal years, which I think is greatly needed.  
 
Mahalo again for the opportunity to be here today and I’m happy to answer any questions you 
may have.  
 
Q&A PREP 
●   Foreign Affairs/Diplomacy: BLUE Pacific Act 
○   I am a cosponsor of the Boosting Long-Term U.S. Engagement in the 
Pacific (BLUE) Pacific Act, which is the signature legislation of the Pacific 
Islands Caucus led by Congressman Case. 
○   The Blue Pacific Act would significantly expand U.S. engagement with 
the Pacific Islands region. It includes proposed authorizations of almost $1 
billion total in U.S. assistance for the Pacific Islands region over the next five 
fiscal years. Specifically, the bill: 
■   Expands U.S. diplomatic and development presence in the Pacific 
Islands; 
■   Increases U.S. security cooperation and assistance to address 
regional maritime security, transnational crime and law enforcement 
issues, including Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing; 
■   Deepens and diversifies bilateral and multilateral trade between the 
U.S. and the region and invests in trade capacity building programs for the 
region; 
■   Supports regional economic and social development in areas of 
public health, education, infrastructure, climate change resilience and 
adaptation, and more; 
■   Builds on existing regional institutions and frameworks, including 
efforts of like-minded allies and partners of the United States; 
■   Promotes shared values like press freedom and gender equality; 
and 
■   Strengthens people-to-people relationships and civil society. 
●   National Security/Defense: Pacific Deterrence Initiative 
○   As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am a strong 
supporter of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI), which is a plan to invest 
$4.68 billion into vital military capabilities to deter China in the Pacific region in 
the FY22 defense appropriations bill. 
○   There is a long list of projects supported by the PDI, but just to name a 
few... 
■   Guam Defense System (GDS). Provides fixed and persistent 360-
degree air missile defense from the Second Island Chain using current, tested 
open architecture Programs of Record and precision, long-range strike 
capability. 
■   Tactical Multi-Mission Over-the-Horizon Radar (TACMOR). 
High Frequency radar system in Palau provides persistent, long-range, detect 
and track air and surface targets. 
■   Homeland Defense Radar – Hawaii (HDR-H). HDR-H represents 
the solution gap in our ability to detect, track, discriminate, and defeat 
ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic threats. 
 


English

EAP Speech regarding Pacific Diaspora

Remarks to Kanuikapono Public Charter School 2021 Puka Kula

Congressman Kahele statement in support of the impeachment and immediate removal of President Trump

Congressman Kaialiʻi Kahele statement on the passing of former Hawaiʻi County Mayor William “Billy” P. Kenoi

Hawai‘i delegation calls for comprehensive IG evaluation into Navy’s ability to safely operate Red Hill

Hawai‘i congressional delegation: Navy has failed to safely manage fuel operations, must provide affected families with safe water, access to lodging, laundry, other necessities

Remarks to NEA aspiring educators

Kahele statement on President Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress

PACAF Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Heritage Month speech

Kahele: Hawaiʻi community health centers to receive nearly $32 million in American Rescue Plan Act awards

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

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