MY AGENDA: ENHANCING HAWAII'S DEFENSE COMMUNITY
My top priority as U.S. Senator will be to grow our economy and create good jobs. For Hawai’i that means in part maintaining and enhancing our current economic drivers. At upwards of a quarter of our total economy and our second largest employer (after tourism), our defense community is not only an integral part of our fabric but a key economic pillar. For your Senator, that means providing strong leadership in DC that knows and values Hawai’i’s military and its contributions to our national defense, and advocates effectively for our defense presence and to maximize its local contributions.
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Ten Principles. I will be guided by these ten principles.
(1) Hawai`i will continue to have a unique and growing responsibility and role in our national defense in this Pacific Century.
(2) Our defense community can and should continue to provide growing, diverse and quality job opportunities for Hawai’i’s citizens.
(3) We can best enhance Hawai’i’s defense community by growing our national economy; that ensures a realistic and affordable national defense.
(4) Hawai`i defense spending benefits all sectors of our economy, especially our small businesses when their access to federal contracts is ensured.
(5) We should facilitate defense-private partnerships uniquely suited to Hawai’i such as marine and alternate energy research and development.
(6) We cannot take Hawai’i’s defense community for granted in the face of what will be decades of substantial budgets pressures.
(7) We must assure our defense community what it needs to fulfill its mission, to include reasonable bases and training facilities, affordable housing and quality education.
(8) We must also ensure that our defense community remains a responsible and vested partner in Hawai’i’s future, to include protecting our environment and culture.
(9) We must strengthen efforts to integrate Hawai’i’s defense and civilian communities and to avoid stovepipe thinking.
(10) A Senator matters, from ensuring a strong, responsible and affordable national defense, to representing the interests and addressing the needs of Hawai’i’s military, protecting and strengthening defense installations and programs, and assuring that Hawai’i’s businesses and workers have full access to economic opportunities and jobs.
Ten Specifics. As examples, my agenda on enhancing Hawai’i’s defense presence will include these ten specifics.
1. Generational defense review. Participate in leading a generational review of national defense policy with an increased focus on the Asia-Pacific region.
2. Budget advocacy. Oppose “sequestration” of the defense budget or any other indiscriminate across-the-board defense cuts; advocate for budget decisions based on realistic assessments of threats and capabilities.
3. BRAC prep. Work with Hawai’i’s military and civilian communities to improve all Hawai’i defense installations (to include Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard) to prevent closures from any next Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.
4. Targeted federal programs. Authorize federal programs and appropriate federal funds for public-private partnerships in alternate energy and other Hawai’i-suited R & D to leverage defense efforts into private economic diversification.
5. UH. Continue and enhance the University of Hawai’i’s longstanding role in defense-related R & D through its applied research lab and otherwise.
6. Neighbor Islands. Assure that defense community programs and expenditures are distributed equitably beyond O’ahu.
7. Hawai’i business. Ensure that Hawai’i businesses and products, from construction to energy to agriculture and beyond, are provided full access to defense procurement, to include expansion of the Defense Logistics Agency’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center.
8. Small/veterans/women/Native Hawaiian businesses. Strengthen federal procurement preference law to assure full participation by Hawai’i businesses.
9. Federal impact aid. Fully and fairly fund federal impact aid programs to ensure that Hawai’i public education is compensated for military dependents.
10. Open door/ showing up/integration. Maintain an open door policy for and spend time with Hawai’i’s defense community; support all efforts to develop joint military/civilian advocacy for enhancing Hawai’i’s defense presence such as the Military Affairs Council of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawai’i.
With strong and effective leadership on these and other initiatives, we can assure that Hawai’i’s defense community remains a responsible and sustainable foundation of our national defense and our local economy.
