King Kamehameha

Floor Speech

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Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, today, in my home State of Hawaii, we are celebrating King Kamehameha Day to honor the legacy of King Kamehameha I, who established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810.

King Kamehameha knew that for a nation to be vibrant, its citizens must feel safe and secure. He proclaimed the Kanawai Mamalahoe, the Law of the Splintered Paddle, as the law of the land. This law, still enshrined in the Hawaii State Constitution today, protects the unalienable rights of all men and women to be safe and secure in their home.

Kamehameha also knew that, to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of his people, it was imperative to create economic opportunities. He invested resources to maintain viable fish ponds and taro patches, protect freshwater streams, fertile soils, and forestlands; he built schools and trained an entire new generation of leaders.

As we observe Kamehameha Day, it is a true day of aloha for the people of Hawaii. Those who are visiting the Capitol this week may have seen the many fragrant and beautiful flower leis draped on the statue of King Kamehameha in Emancipation Hall.

All this week, in Hawaii, across the State, there will be further lei-draping ceremonies taking place to pay homage to the legacy of Hawaii's first King.

As legislators, we are called upon to embody the servant leadership and the humility of leaders like King Kamehameha I.

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