U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda

Today in Hilo, our community gathered for Memorial Day to honor the servicemembers who gave their lives in service to our country. We hold their families and loved ones close in our hearts, remember the freedoms they gave everything to protect, and honor them with gratitude and humility.

Donald Trump said he doesn’t think much about Americans’ finances. While he wages a war of choice in Iran, pushes a billion-dollar slush fund for his buddies, and fights for a royal ballroom in the White House, families in Hawaiʻi are being forced to make impossible choices. Gas prices in Hawaiʻi are now averaging $5.65 a gallon. Food prices keep climbing. Electricity costs are expected to surge even higher. Families are deciding whether they can afford groceries, medicine, rent, or the drive to work. This is the cost of indifference. It’s time to end this reckless war, lower costs, and put our working people first.

Happy to join @APAICS last week for its 32nd Annual Awards Gala, celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month alongside leaders from across the country. As America approaches 250 years, our celebration should tell the full story of this country, including the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities whose labor, leadership, culture, and service have helped shape it. Mahalo @APAICS and everyone who made this special evening possible.

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.

Who inspires our CAPAC members this AANHPI Heritage Month? From trailblazers to loved ones, our members are thinking of those who made sacrifices and helped pave the way for greater opportunity, representation, and success for AANHPI communities across our nation.

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.

The Filipino Fiesta in Waipahu was a powerful reminder of the strength and pride within our community. Seeing so many people come together to celebrate and share Filipino culture with the rest of Hawai’i is truly inspiring. Mahalo to everyone who worked hard to showcase the traditions, food, and history keep our island culture alive and strong.

Happy Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! This month and year-round, we celebrate the achievements, contributions, and sacrifices of the AANHPI community and recognize the indelible impact we’ve had on our nation.

I asked Secretary Hegseth a simple question: if President Trump ordered him to send troops to polling places in violation of federal law, would he follow the President or the Constitution? He didn’t answer. Instead, he deflected with a false claim that President Biden sent troops to polling locations in 15 states. When the question is whether to follow an illegal order or the Constitution, there is only one acceptable answer. Secretary Hegseth refused to give it.

Tokuda: Who are you beholden to? The President or the Constitution? Hegseth: *laughs* I very proudly serve this president and I very proudly swear an oath to defend the Constitution.

HEGSETH: I know that there is no country on planet earth that takes more measures to ensure that civilian harm or casualties are minimized than the United States of America and this War Department. And that is a fact. TOKUDA: You eliminated the department's civilian harm reduction staff

The Kona Low storms flooded fields, washed away crops, and pushed Hawaiʻi farmers deeper into crisis. And when our farmers struggle, our families who rely on them to put food on the table aren't far behind. That’s why I introduced amendments to deliver real relief in this Farm Bill, by: • Including $10 billion in economic assistance for specialty crop producers • Restoring $660 million to put local food in our schools • Rolling back Trump's agricultural tariffs and expediting refunds to farmers • Funding programs that help rural and island farmers manage high shipping costs • Protecting the Institute for Pacific Island Forestry in Hilo • Supporting rural health care facilities As it currently stands, this Farm Bill leaves families and farmers to weather the storm alone. Without true bipartisan negotiation and the critical provisions our rural communities need, it just isn't good enough.

Today, I took to the Floor to honor my late friend Doug LaMalfa and urge passage of The Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act. Doug and I shared a deep understanding, and a deep pain, for what our communities in Lahaina and Paradise endured. He knew that the "disaster after the disaster" comes when families finally receive help to rebuild, only to see it taxed away. Our people never counted on losing their homes, businesses, livelihoods, history, and loved ones. But they should be able to count on this: every dollar meant to help them rebuild, recover, and return home should stay with them, not in government coffers.