[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 114 (Monday, July 27, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H8839-H8842]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF HAWAII STATEHOOD
Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 593) recognizing and celebrating the 50th
Anniversary of the entry of Hawaii into the Union as the 50th State, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 593
Whereas August 21, 2009, marks the 50th Anniversary of
President Dwight D. Eisenhower's signing of Proclamation
3309, which admitted Hawaii into the Union in compliance with
the Hawaii Admission Act, enacted by the United States
Congress on March 18, 1959;
Whereas Hawaii is ``a place like no other, with a people
like no other'' and bridges the mainland United States to the
Asia-Pacific region;
Whereas the 44th President of the United States, Barack
Obama, was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961;
Whereas Hawaii has contributed to the diversity of Congress
in electing--
(1) the first Native Hawaiian to serve in Congress, Prince
Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana`ole;
(2) the first Asian-American to serve in the Senate, Hiram
Fong;
(3) the first woman of color to serve in Congress, Patsy T.
Mink;
(4) the first Native Hawaiian to serve in the Senate,
Daniel Kahikina Akaka; and
(5) the first Japanese-American to serve in the Senate,
Daniel Ken Inouye;
Whereas Hawaii is an example to the rest of the world of
unity and positive race relations;
Whereas Pearl Harbor is a strategic military base for the
U.S. in the Pacific and also a historical site for the
Nation, being the location of the December 7, 1941, surprise
Japanese aerial attack that thrust the Nation into World War
II;
Whereas Hawaii is home to \1/4\ of the endangered species
in the United States;
Whereas Hawaii has 8 national parks, which preserve
volcanoes, complex ecosystems, a Hansen's disease colony, and
other sites of historical and cultural significance;
Whereas Kilauea ranks among the most active volcanoes on
Earth;
Whereas President Bush nominated the Papahanaumokuakea
Marine National Monument to the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Centre
for consideration to the World Heritage List;
Whereas Hawaii has produced musical legends ranging from
traditional favorites such as Alfred Apaka, Don Ho, and Genoa
Keawe, to Hawaii renaissance performers such as Eddie Kamae,
Raymond Kane, Gabby Pahinui, Israel Kamakawiwo`ole, the
Brothers Cazimero, and the Beamer Brothers, and continuing on
to contemporary stars such as Keali`i Reichel, Ledward
Kaapana, Jake Shimabukuro, and Raiatea Helm;
Whereas Hawaii is culturally rich, as the Hawaiian culture
has been protected through Hawaiian language immersion
schools, hula competitions such as the Merrie Monarch
Festival, canoeing voyages undertaken by vessels like the
Hokule`a, and the continuing historic preservation of
Hawaiian traditions;
Whereas the Hawaii Statehood Commission has held a Joint
Session of the Hawaii State Legislature in honor of statehood
and will be celebrating this milestone with a public
discussion and with the arrival of the USS Hawaii; and
Whereas for all of these reasons Hawaii is a truly unique
State: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes and
celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the entry of Hawaii into
the Union as the 50th State.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Clay) and the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Bachmann)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of House Resolution 593, a resolution recognizing
and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the entry of Hawaii into the
Union as our 50th State.
The gentleman from Hawaii, Mr. Neal Abercrombie, introduced this
measure on June 26, 2009; and having met all of the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform requirements and criteria, the bill is
now being considered today on the House floor. I should add that the
measure comes to the floor with bipartisan support from over 56
cosponsors, demonstrating this body's eagerness to celebrate the
admittance of our 50th State, the Aloha State.
Hawaii is one of our country's great treasures. Its cultural heritage
is rooted in centuries of precolonial history, and the State continues
to protect it with efforts such as Hawaiian language immersion schools
and cultural centers. It is home to Pearl Harbor, the headquarters of
the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet and the site of the surprise attack that
led the U.S. to enter the Second World War. Its eight national parks
preserve rich natural beauty and intricate ecosystems that support one-
fourth of the endangered species in the United States.
Hawaii also contributes to the racial and ethnic diversity of our
Nation and of this Congress. It elected this body's first woman of
color, Patsy T. Mink; as well as its first Asian American, Hiram Fong.
It has also elected Native Hawaiians to Congress, including Senator
Daniel Akaka. The State also enjoys being the childhood home State of
our current Commander in Chief, President Barack Obama.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating the
50th anniversary of the State of Hawaii by supporting this measure.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. BACHMANN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today in support of House Resolution 593.
This summer, on August 21, our Nation will celebrate the 50th
anniversary of the entry of the beautiful island of Hawaii into the
United States. It was in 1959, Madam Speaker, that then-President
Dwight David Eisenhower signed Proclamation 3309 proclaiming the
beautiful State of Hawaii as our 50th State.
Hawaii is one of four United States that were independent prior to
statehood. The Kingdom of Hawaii existed from 1810 through 1893, and it
was an independent republic between 1894 and 1898, when it became a
United States territory. It was in 1900 that Hawaii was granted self-
governance; and though many attempts were made to achieve statehood,
Hawaii remained a territory for nearly 60 years.
The road to statehood for Hawaii was not without its challenges. One
of the most devastating times in the history of not only Hawaii but of
the Nation as well was the attack on Pearl Harbor and the outbreak of
World War II, which interrupted the drive for statehood. But, finally,
on August 21 victory was achieved in 1959 when Hawaii was admitted to
the Union.
[[Page H8840]]
During the last 50 years, Hawaii has contributed immeasurably to the
richness of our way of life here in the United States. The
contributions of Asian Pacific Americans have enhanced and benefited
our rich cultural heritage in so many ways, not the least of which
include the arts, sciences, mathematics, sports, commerce, and many
other aspects of American culture, not the least of which is great
American tourism.
Hawaii has also contributed to the diversity of our Congress by
electing, as my colleague said, the Native Hawaiian Members of
Congress: Prince Jonah Kalaniana'ole; the first Asian American Member
as well, as my colleague mentioned, Mr. Hiram Fong; the first woman of
color, and we are so pleased, Patsy Mink; and the first Native Hawaiian
to serve in the Senate, Daniel Akaka.
It is well known that Hawaii is home to some of the country's most
beautiful landmarks and landscapes and some of the most diverse weather
as well in the United States, including eight national parks, which
preserve volcanoes, our Nation's fragile ecosystem, and the sites of
historical national significance.
Hawaiians are also known to be a people with a great sense of pride
in their history, their tradition, which can be found in their
traditional music, dance, and sporting events.
Our Nation is so grateful to the contributions of Native Hawaiians.
But most of all it is the stunning beauty of these tropical islands
that leave many residents and visitors with a desire to share in the
experiences of our 50th State and return again and again and again for
Hawaii's wonderful, not-to-be-repeated hospitality.
Hawaii truly is a place like no other with a people like no other.
And this August we all gather to recognize and celebrate the 50th
anniversary of the entry of Hawaii into the Union as the 50th State.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 5 minutes
to my good friend and proud native of Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie).
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madam Speaker, mahalo nui. Thank you very much.
I thank Representative Clay very much for his gracious introduction
to this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I am filled with great emotion today. There are a lot
of dates being celebrated. Representative Clay's birthday is today,
and, of course, we want to wish him a very happy birthday.
I introduced this resolution on my birthday, June 26. It was about
that time 50 years ago that I understood that I would be able to go to
Hawaii. Just before that I had been informed that I had received a
teaching assistantship at the University of Hawaii and that I would be
soon on my way at the end of the summer to begin what became 50 years
in Hawaii. So I have that same anniversary.
The statehood, of course, came August 21, and the first week in
September, Neil Abercrombie arrived in Honolulu and knew almost
immediately that I would never leave if given the opportunity to stay.
{time} 1630
It is also going to be the birthday, of course, in a week or so, of
President Obama, born in Kapiolani Hospital, just down the road from
where I lived.
As I said, it is great emotion for me, a great time of nostalgia. I
arrived in Hawaii at the same time as President Obama's father. We met
those first days in our matriculation at the University of Hawaii. Of
course, I could not possibly conceive at that time that the young man
who was to be born out of the union of Ann Dunham and Barak, Sr., would
become President of the United States. So there is a great confluence
of history taking place over the next month or so with the entry of the
50th State, the last State of the Union.
As Mr. Clay indicated, there are also some very, very interesting
firsts, if you will. We were maybe the last State to come into the
Union, but we had some very, very interesting firsts, and I want to
congratulate Representative Bachmann on her superb pronunciation of
Prince Kuhio's last name, Kalanianaole. You said it perfectly. Thank
you very much indeed.
I know you must have struggled with that, because I remember my first
day in the classroom, the first Saturday, 8 o'clock in the morning,
teaching the lab course in sociology, determined to say the Hawaiian
names right, and I remember the first one was Samson Poomahealani, a
center on the football team. He became my good friend, and we
celebrated the 50th anniversary of our friendship just the past month
when we got together. Samson went on to do great things with the labor
movement in this country.
It is that kind of occasion. You can see it on my face, you can hear
it in my voice. This is a time of great joy for us.
Yes, the first Asian American Senator, Republican Senator Hiram Fong,
lived almost a century. He was the first Asian American, Chinese
American, Senator. And, of course, Patsy Mink, our beloved Patsy Mink,
whom we miss every day. And Danny Akaka, perhaps the best-loved person
in the Congress, of whom never a bad word has been said. Don't we all
wish the same could be said of us? And, of course, the Congressional
Medal of Honor winner, the third longest-serving Senator in the United
States, Daniel K. Inouye, serves now as the chairman of the
Appropriations Committee, the first Japanese American to serve in the
Senate.
There are some other dates I think of interest to all of us; 1778,
James Cook comes to Waimea Bay near Kauai. Then in 1795, Kamehameha I,
whose statue is very prominent in the Visitors Center right now,
establishing the Hawaiian monarchy.
On February 24, 1954, Mr. Speaker, a 250-pound petition containing
120,000 signatures in favor of statehood was delivered to the Congress,
and then in March of 1959, this House of Representatives passed the
Hawaii statehood bill, 323-89. I am sure the 89 all had a chance to
visit and regretted their votes against it. Of course, then President
Eisenhower signed the proclamation, making us the 50th State on August
24.
So, Mr. Speaker, I can say from the bottom of my heart that Hawaii
has given everything to me. I never conceived, as I indicated earlier,
that I would ever have a chance to represent Hawaii in Congress. It is
more than an honor and a privilege to do so.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. CLAY. I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. So I now ask all then to join with us in this joyous
occasion where we have the opportunity to celebrate friendships and
relationships of decades' standing to celebrate the transition of
Hawaii from the time of a pre-feudal kingdom, a kingdom, a shotgun
republic, a territory, and now a State of the Union, the last State of
the Union to this time.
We are filled with a great sense of gratitude for that which has been
given to us over these past 50 years, and, of course, pledge at this
time that even though we were last to join the Union, we are first
among those who appreciate, understand and take great pride in being a
State of the United States of America.
Mrs. BACHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to extend my
congratulations to my colleague, the distinguished gentleman Mr. Clay,
on his birthday today. It is also my brother's birthday today, and we
are so thrilled for this anniversary.
I come from a State which has recently celebrated its
sesquicentennial, 150 years, and we know Hawaii will be even more
beautiful when Hawaii celebrates its sesquicentennial.
We send a lot of Minnesota dollars to Hawaii with all the tourists
that we send. Our climate, you may not have noticed, is a little
different from that of Hawaii. Minnesotans love to visit, and we extend
the invitation to come back and enjoy our hospitality.
We have a lot of shoreline, too. We have about 15,000 lakes, and our
fish are about this big, our muskies. So please come and fish in
Minnesota, and we will return the favor and often come to visit the
beautiful State of Hawaii.
Mr. Speaker, with that, I yield back.
Mr. CLAY of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman, first for
the happy birthday wish, and I fish a lot, too, so I will try to make
it to Minnesota also to catch some of those big, whopping fish.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms.
Hirono).
[[Page H8841]]
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in wishing Mr. Clay a
happy birthday.
I rise in strong support of H. Res. 593, recognizing the 50th
anniversary of Hawaii's admission as the 50th State of the Union on
August 21, 1959.
As my colleagues have mentioned, Hawaii brings a lot to this Nation.
Our strategic location in the Pacific, our example of tolerance with
our multicultural population and mix of cultures, our special
relationship with and understanding of the Asia-Pacific region, and the
physical beauty and ecological diversity of our islands are just a few
of the assets we bring to this Nation.
I have very personal memories about the day Hawaii became a State. I
was in elementary school at Koko Head Elementary in Honolulu and was
given the honor of pinning the 50th star on our school flag at a
special school assembly before sending the flag up the flagpole.
All Hawaii celebrated that day. To many, statehood represented
recognition of a State whose multiethnic, multicultural base was
different from that of any other State, but whose sons and daughters
were just as American as the people of the other 49 States.
1959 was also the year I became a naturalized U.S. citizen, and
apparently was also the year that my colleague, Neil Abercrombie, came
to Hawaii. And things haven't been the same there since. Hawaii is a
great State, and it has given me opportunities that I never would have
had had my mother not brought me to this wonderful, beautiful State.
But we must always remember that the 50th State is also the native
land of Hawaii's indigenous population, the Native Hawaiians. I am
hopeful that this year we will be able to move forward to a
reconciliation with the Native Hawaiian people, who lost their country
and queen, by passing the Native Hawaii Government Reorganization Act.
This act will provide the Native Hawaiians with the same rights of
self-determination enjoyed by American Indians and Alaskan Natives.
Hawaii's population is made up of persons of Native Hawaiian,
Japanese, Chinese, Irish, German, Portuguese, Puerto Rican, Filipino,
French, Scottish, Korean, Samoan, Dutch, Tongan, Vietnamese, and
African descent and more, plus combinations of these various
ethnicities. It is not unusual, for example, for someone to identify
themselves as Hawaiian, German, Chinese and Filipino. Although we have
not eliminated prejudice, the people of Hawaii have learned to live
together and to enjoy the richness that the mix of cultures has brought
to our home.
Today we also celebrate the achievements of people from Hawaii whose
notable efforts have paved the way for other Americans, such as Olympic
champion and cultural ambassador Duke Kahanamoku, astronaut Ellison
Onizuka, as mentioned previously Congresswoman Patsy Mink and President
Barack Obama, to name a few.
I urge my colleagues to vote for H. Res. 593.
Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to my friend, the delegate
from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).
(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the gentleman
from Missouri, for his management of this important bill, and also the
gentlelady from Minnesota for her support. I didn't realize there were
fish in Minnesota that big. Maybe if she would catch a 1,000-pound
marlin, she would see how big a 1,000-pound marlin would be. But, at
any rate, I thank her for her support.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 593, recognizing and
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the entry of Hawaii into the Union
as the 50th State. I commend my colleagues, Congressman Abercrombie and
Mazie Hirono, for their introduction of this resolution.
My strong interest in this legislation, Mr. Speaker, is that half of
my life was spent in Hawaii during my youth that I spent there. The
eight main islands of Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Molokai,
Kauai and Niihau span over 1,500 miles in the Pacific Ocean, and Hawaii
is the only State comprised of islands. It is home to one-fourth of the
endangered species list, as well as eight national parks, which serve
to protect volcanoes, rain forest, coral reefs and other complex
ecosystems.
In addition to being visually astounding, Hawaii was one of the first
States to significantly contribute to the diversity of Congress. The
first Native Hawaiian, the first Asian American, the first woman of
color, the first Native Hawaiian to serve in the Senate, all hailed
from the great State of Hawaii.
A favorite of Elvis Presley, whom I had the privilege of meeting when
I was working as a youth performer at the Polynesian Cultural Center,
Hawaii is also legendary for some of the most famous singers in Don Ho,
Melveen Leed, the late Alfred Apaka and Genoa Keawe.
The State also has made great efforts to preserve its culture with
Hawaiian language immersion schools, hula competitions and traditional
canoe voyages. And what a great thing to remember that it was Duke
Kahanamoku, the father of surfing, which now has become an
international sport. And a byproduct of surfing, by the way, happens to
be the skateboard, which originated from the great State of Hawaii.
I also want to note, Mr. Speaker, Hawaii is proud to give to our
Nation her first native son, who is currently the 44th president of the
United States, President Barack Obama. At the height of the
presidential campaign last year, Mr. Speaker, I remember there was a
national blogger going around saying that I was working as a special
agent of Barack Obama, and the reason for my travel to Indonesia and to
also visit the school in Jakarta, where Barack Obama had attended, was
to destroy any records that would indicate that President Obama was
born in Indonesia, which would obviously have him disqualified to run
as a candidate for President.
Well, Mr. Speaker, this blog continues today, giving such gross
misinformation to the American people. I just want to say it is
absolute nonsense, and those responsible for this blog should stop it,
as I am sure there are better things that they can do than to discredit
our President. President Obama was born in Kapiolani Hospital,
Honolulu, Hawaii, period.
Mr. Speaker, the State of Hawaii is also remembered for Pearl Harbor.
Yes, it has its consequences, reminiscent also of the tremendous
disservice and the problem that we did in mistreatment of over 100,000
Japanese Americans. They are Americans who happened to be of Japanese
ancestry.
{time} 1645
It has also produced the 100th Battalion 442nd Infantry, the most
decorated unit ever in the history of the United States Army, with
18,000 individual decorations for heroism and bravery in the field of
battle, over 9,000 Purple Hearts, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses,
and, ironically, only one Medal of Honor, but we corrected that
mistake. We now have 19 Japanese Americans who were awarded the Medal
of Honor, which, as my colleague from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) said,
Senator Inouye was one of those recipients to receive the Medal of
Honor. For 50 years, members of the unit in Hawaii have brought unique
and diverse elements to the culture of the United States. I think it
was Michelle Obama who said, ``If you want to understand more about the
President, go to Hawaii, and you will understand his sense of
philosophy, his sense of caring, his sense of wanting to share and to
make sure that we have proper treatment and how we should be treating
our fellow human beings.''
To strive to support the endeavors of the islands of the Pacific and
to not hesitate to offer any resounding support, I urge my colleagues
to support this resolution. I think it is worthwhile, and we ought to
give due recognition to the great State of Hawaii. Again, I thank my
good friend from Missouri.
Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend from American
Samoa for that interesting history and perspective on Hawaii. I want to
urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 50th anniversary of
Hawaii's entrance into the Union as our 50th State by supporting this
measure.
I yield back the balance of my time.
[[Page H8842]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cummings). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 593, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mrs. BACHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not
present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
____________________