[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 115 (Wednesday, September 8, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10585-S10586]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF HAWAII'S STATEHOOD

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, on August 21, 1999, the State of Hawaii 
celebrated its 40th anniversary as the 50th State of this great Nation.
  Statehood for Hawaii was not a sudden or impulsive idea. During the 
debate on statehood for Hawaii in the

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House of Representatives in March 1959, there were no fewer than 88 
bills pending that would have, if enacted, admitted Hawaii as a State. 
The people of Hawaii, through our territorial legislature, had 
petitioned the Congress for statehood on 17 different occasions.
  Back in the fifties, times were very different. In those days, the 
concept of statehood for a group of tiny islands in the middle of the 
Pacific Ocean seemed far-fetched to many. However, the admission of 
Alaska removed the doubts of those who felt the United States should be 
one contiguous land mass.
  After nearly 40 years of Congressional debates, investigations, 
hearings, and visitations, we achieved what so many of us in the 
Territory of Hawaii deeply desired. The State of Hawaii has come a long 
way since 1959 and I am very proud of the achievements of the people of 
Hawaii. I believe Hawaii has proven to be a credit to our Nation. I 
would like to take this opportunity to give my colleagues some insight 
into the tremendous changes that have taken place in the 50th State 
over the past 40 years.
  Hawaii has the reputation of being the ``Health State,'' and that 
reputation is well deserved. We lead the Nation in providing access to 
health care with more than 96 percent of the Hawaii population having 
health insurance. Hawaii leads the Nation with the lowest number of 
deaths from breast cancer, and ranks second in the Nation for the 
lowest number of deaths due to all cancers, heart disease, and 
diabetes.
  Our territory of 600,000 American citizens in 1959 has more than 
doubled in 40 years. No territory, with the exception of Oklahoma, ever 
possessed a population as large as Hawaii's at the time it sought 
statehood in the Union. Consider these facts. In 1959, Hawaii 
contributed into the U.S. Treasury $166 million in taxes, putting 
Hawaii ahead of 10 States in taxpayer contributions. The per capita 
income of Hawaii was $1,821, ranking it 25th amongst the States, and 
the total income was more than in eight States. Current per capita 
income is more than 14 times that original amount, ranking Hawaii 15th 
amongst the States. Further, last year the people of Hawaii contributed 
$2.7 billion to Federal coffers in the form of taxes.
  In 1959, sugar was king; 974,000 tons of sugar were produced in 
Hawaii. Though sugar is no longer king in Hawaii, agricultural has and 
continues to be a significant contributor to the state's economy 
providing nearly $3 billion in sales and more than 40,000 jobs. Sugar 
remains an important crop and pineapple production has been stable for 
many years. Additionally, diversified agriculture, including flowers, 
fruits, vegetables, macadamia nuts, coffee, and livestock, is a very 
bright spot in our State's economy. It is one of the few economic 
sectors experiencing growth. In 1987, diversified crops surpassed sugar 
in farm fate value in Hawaii and never looked back. After its pristine 
beaches and warm tropical waters, Hawaii's attraction lies in its green 
space. Without agricultural production, much of this lush green 
environment, many come to expect of Hawaii, would be lost.
  With sugar's downsizing, Hawaii is taking advantage of an opportunity 
that has been available in the islands in 150 years, that is, 
agricultural land is available in large quantities. The State is now 
taking an unobstructed look at agriculture in its broadest sense. 
Beyond traditional products, Hawaii and its year-round growing 
capability is ripe for development of high value products like herbal 
dietary supplements, cosmetics, ethical drugs, specialized fruits and 
vegetables, and natural industrial products. There is also potential 
for agriculture as a service industry in the areas of bioremediation of 
contaminants, carbon sequestering forest production, seed testing and 
propagation for use worldwide, and development of innovative pest 
management strategies.
  The State of Hawaii has become a world class player in the science 
and technology arena. Manua Kea, on the Island of Hawaii, is known 
internationally as the best site for optical, infrared, and millimeter/
submillimeter astronomy. It is the chosen site for all four of the new 
generation of 8- or 10-meter class telescopes now under construction in 
the Northern Hemisphere. The observatories include: the Gemini project, 
the Keck Observatory, Canada-France-Hawaii, the Joint Astronomy Center, 
Subaru, Smithsonian, and the California Institute of Technology. Eight 
nations are represented atop Manua Kea with the United States' presence 
most prominent.
  The Maui Research and Technology Park is fast earning a reputation as 
one of the world's most sophisticated high technology centers. MRTP is 
home to the Maui High Performance Computing Center, the newest of 12 
national supercomputing resource centers.
  The University of Hawaii's successful cloning of three generations of 
mice from adult cells stunned the international scientific community 
and has brought significant prestige and attention to the University 
and the State.
  Forty years ago, when the Members of Congress debated the suitability 
of Hawaii as a state, questions were raised about our Americanism. 
During World War II, the loyalty and patriotism of Americans of 
Japanese ancestry living in Hawaii were called into question. When we 
finally received the call to duty in early 1943, 1,500 Hawaii 
volunteers were sought by the U.S. Army. In less than a week, 15,000 
had volunteered, and Hawaii was not yet a State.
  We continue our strong commitment to military service. Hawaii is home 
to all the services, and we continue to demonstrate our support for our 
nation's military as a member of our Hawaii community. We are home to 
the USS Missouri and the USS Arizona memorials which symbolize the 
beginning and end of World War II, and pay tribute to the many brave 
men and women who have their lives for our nation. Hawaii has been 
bestowed with this high honor of stewardship that we will proudly 
uphold.
  Tripler Army Medical Center is a leader in medical care, medical 
education, and research. It has also earned national recognition for 
its work in telehealth technology applications, most appropriately 
called AKAMAI which in Hawaiian means ``brilliant or smart.'' The 
state-of-the-art Spark M. Matsunaga Veterans Medical Center will open 
in early 2000 at Tripler, and the two agencies have worked 
collaboratively to integrate services and information systems, 
providing both active duty personnel and veterans with the best medical 
care available anywhere. We are also very proud of the Center of 
Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, a 
military-civilian partnership that facilitates joint disaster response 
operations through research, education, and information management.
  It is clear that none of the concerns expressed in those years 
preceding statehood have become reality. Hawaii did not fall to 
communism. Hawaii's distance has not diminished the strength of the 
United States, but in fact has enhanced its military and economic power 
into the Asia-Pacific region. Further, Hawaii remains one of the 
greatest examples of a multiethnic society living in relative peace.
  I have had the privilege of serving the people of Hawaii in the U.S. 
Congress since statehood. Over these years, the people of Hawaii have 
proven their unfailing loyalty and devotion to America's ideals. 
Hawaii's achievements are a testament to our desire to continually 
share the best of who we are and what we have to offer our fellow 
Americans.
  So, as we celebrate 40 years of statehood, Hawaii looks toward the 
new millennium with pride, dignity and the hope for an even brighter 
future.

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