HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Several of Hawaii’s Republican lawmakers met with the White House and federal officials to discuss longstanding problems for Native Hawaiians.
Hawaii state senators Brenton Awa and Samantha DeCorte, and state Rep. Diamond Garcia spoke to officials from the federal departments of the interior and defense to find ways to reduce the Native Hawaiian housing list.
“Some of the issues that matter is Hawaiian homelands issues, making sure that the waitlist is addressed, and getting federal partners to work with us to complete the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,” Rep. Garcia said.
He added that the meeting with the Department of the Interior (DOI) was “successful” and invited Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to Hawaii.
“We personally invited Secretary Burgum to Hawaii to hear firsthand from the Hawaiian people what issues matter most to us and how the federal government can help us directly,” Garcia said.
DeCorte said that their discussions with the military reassured that Native Hawaiians had “a seat at the table.”
“I want to emphasize the importance of ensuring that our lahui has a seat at the table,” she said. “We all remember how the military handled the clean up of Kahoolawe, so it’s important that we get in front of this from the very beginning to ensure transparency, accountability, and the interest of our people are prioritized.”
She added the military wants to “bring us to the table because they want to ensure they do it the right way.”
The lawmakers also brought up the military’s impact on Hawaii’s housing supply.
