Hawaii House Delegation Highlights Hawaii Priorities in Defense Authorization Bill

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) and Congressman Mark Takai (HI-01), both members of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), released the statements below on the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) draft. Both members advocated and worked to ensure provisions critical to Hawaii were included in the bill. The full committee is scheduled to mark up and consider amendments to the Act tomorrow, April 27, where Members will have the opportunity to further amend the bill before it comes before the full House of Representatives.

"Hawaii's strategic role in the Asia-Pacific region is recognized and reinforced in this year's National Defense Authorization bill. The bill includes funding for critical infrastructure and facilities in Hawaii, strengthened missile defense capabilities against the threat posed by North Korea, and improved protections for our environment. Also included is Talia's Law, which we passed through the House earlier this year in order to protect military children from abuse," said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. "Unfortunately, there are some problem areas included within the bill, to include a continuation of harmful arbitrary sequestration cuts which negatively impact our service members, readiness, and capabilities. I will be highlighting areas of concern in the committee markup tomorrow, in order to ensure that the national strategic military assets of Hawaii, and of our country, are maintained and supported."

"I am very proud of the work that we have been able to accomplish, and, while not finished, the NDAA provides hundreds of millions of dollars of increased funding for Hawaii in infrastructure upgrades, new aircraft for an aging fleet, environmental protections, and increased defensive capabilities," said Rep. Mark Takai. "With the growing importance of the Asia-Pacific region, we must ensure that our state is fully equipped with state of the art defensive capabilities to meet the challenges of the 21st century, many of which will be at our doorstep. Over the past few months, we have listened to constituents, military leaders, and our business community, and have worked hard to incorporate their needs and concerns into this bill," Takai added.

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