NATIVE HAWAIIANS

Neil Abercrombie has worked closely with Senator Daniel K. Akaka on passage of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, called the Akaka Bill, since it was first introduced in 1999. In fact, Abercrombie successfully shepherded the legislation through the House committees and won approval by the full House in 2000 and 2007.

Senator Akaka and Rep. Abercrombie introduced the legislation again in 2009, and Abercrombie once again steered the bill through House Committee hearings and to the floor of the House for a vote in his last week as a Member of Congress. The Akaka Bill passed in the House on a 245 to 164 vote.

Abercrombie introduced and secured House passage of the first federal authorization for infrastructure funding for homestead land in Hawaii. The Hawaiian Homelands Homeownership Act passed the House in 2000 as part of a larger housing Bill, H.R.1776, later signed into law. Since the bill has been up for reauthorization, he has passed the Native Hawaiian Homeownership Opportunity Act on the House Floor three times under Democratic and Republican control.

On many occasions, programs benefitting Native Hawaiians have been attacked on the House Floor and targeted for elimination. Congressman Abercrombie successfully defended the programs and protected their federal funding. From 9 federal support for Native Hawaiian education to healthcare for Kalaupapa residents, he has worked at the committee level and spoke on the House floor to defend these worthy programs that help to sustain Hawaii’s native culture and ultimately benefit all who are beneficiaries of it.

In some cases, federal activities in the Hawaiian Islands have required Congress to take corrective actions. Congressman Abercrombie was part of the team that helped to remediate and return Kahoolawe to the people of Hawaii and he will continue the decade of effort he has made to see Makua Valley free from destructive military training.

In the last Congress, his position on the Resources Committee gave him the opportunity to cosponsor and secure committee passage of the Kalaupapa Memorial Act to authorize Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa to establish a memorial to honor those who were forcibly relocated to Kalaupapa. This legislation was ultimately included in the Omnibus Lands package of 2009.