[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 7, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H3477-H3479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AUTHORIZING USE OF EMANCIPATION HALL TO CELEBRATE BIRTHDAY OF KING
KAMEHAMEHA I
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
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and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 83) authorizing
the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event
to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha I.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:
H. Con. Res. 83
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring),
SECTION 1. USE OF EMANCIPATION HALL FOR EVENT TO CELEBRATE
BIRTHDAY OF KING KAMEHAMEHA I.
(a) Authorization.--Emancipation Hall in the Capitol
Visitor Center is authorized to be used for an event on June
8, 2014, to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha I.
(b) Preparations.--Physical preparations for the conduct of
the ceremony described in subsection (a) shall be carried out
in accordance with such conditions as may be prescribed by
the Architect of the Capitol.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Mrs. Miller) and the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Gabbard)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
on the concurrent resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 83, which authorizes
the use of Emancipation Hall on June 8 to celebrate the birthday of
King Kamehameha, a legendary figure in the State of Hawaii.
Commemorating the life and legacy of King Kamehameha is an
opportunity for the Hawaiian people to celebrate their very, very rich
history and culture, not just amongst themselves, but with the entire
world.
Such a celebration is fitting to take place in our Nation's Capitol,
where Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians alike can learn about this
extraordinary ruler.
On June 11, the people of Hawaii will celebrate the annual Kamehameha
Day, commemorating the life of Kamehameha the Great who, between 1795
and 1810, unified the islands into the Kingdom of Hawaii. The
resolution before us today will authorize the use of this space for the
celebration of his life and great accomplishments.
History, Mr. Speaker, documents King Kamehameha as a fierce warrior
who fought for unity and independence. Many people of his time and for
centuries later have placed a high regard on King Kamehameha for ruling
with fairness and compassion. He also opened up Hawaii to the rest of
the world through his leadership and encouragement of trade and
peaceful activity.
He is actually remembered for his law, which is known as the Law of
the Splintered Paddle, which specifically protects civilians in wartime
and is a model for human rights around the world today.
So it is more than fitting that the statute of King Kamehameha, which
was added to the National Statuary Hall collection by Hawaii in 1969,
is now prominently displayed in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol
Visitor Center.
I thank the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Gabbard) for introducing
this concurrent resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
I reserve the balance of my time
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, aloha. I rise in strong support of H. Con.
Res. 83, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
First, I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller), who I had
the pleasure and honor of serving with on the House Homeland Security
Committee, for her strong support of this resolution and her
recognition of the legacy and the history of King Kamehameha in Hawaii
and the lessons that we have all learned and that continue to remain
relevant to the people's work that we do here every day.
Your support and recognition of this means a lot to me personally,
but also to the people of my great home State of Hawaii, and I also
have to mention that my mother is from your home State of Michigan, so
I appreciate your home as well.
I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 83, authorizing the use of
Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to
celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha I.
Kamehameha was also known as Kamehameha the Great. He was a skilled
and intelligent military leader, monarch, and statesman. He established
his reputation and dynasty by uniting all of Hawaii under one rule,
thereby bringing and ensuring peace to the islands and protection to
his people during a time of Western colonialism.
He was born in a small town called North Kohala in my district on the
island of Hawaii around 1758, descending from the royal families of
Hawaii and Maui.
As a young man, he distinguished himself as a talented warrior and
military strategist. By 1795, Kamehameha had conquered the islands of
Maui, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Molokai, and Oahu. He later acquired Kauai and
Niihau through a treaty in 1810, uniting all of Hawaii under his
control and creating a kingdom recognized and respected around the
world.
As king, Kamehameha focused on governing Hawaii in a manner that
perpetuated the native Hawaiian culture while also integrating foreign
influences. He appointed governors for each island, made laws for the
protection of all, planted taro, built houses and irrigation ditches,
restored heiau, and promoted international trade.
Prominent European Otto von Kotzebue wrote:
The king is a man of great wisdom and tries to give his
people anything he considers useful. He wishes to increase
the happiness and not the wants of his people.
These words are as relevant back then as they are today.
One of Kamehameha's enduring legacies is the Kanawai Mamalahoe, or
Law of the Splintered Paddle, which serves as a model for human rights
policies on noncombatants during wartime.
It was created as a result of a military expedition in which
Kamehameha was violently struck by a fisherman trying to protect his
family. Chastened by this experience, Kamehameha declared:
Let every elderly person, woman, and child lie by the
roadside in safety.
This law, which provided for the safety of civilians, is estimated to
have saved thousands of lives during Kamehameha's military campaigns.
It became the very first written law of the Kingdom of Hawaii and
remains in the Hawaii State Constitution to this very day.
In 1871, Kamehameha Day was established to celebrate and honor one of
Hawaii's greatest leaders. Today, it is observed as a State holiday,
attracting tourists from around the world, filled with parades and lei
draping at the statues that exist in his honor.
One of these statutes is very proudly displayed here in Emancipation
Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center. Kamehameha is depicted with a spear
in his left hand, as a reminder that he brought wars to an end. His
right hand is extended with open palm as a gesture of the aloha spirit.
For the last 43 years, we have celebrated Kamehameha Day here in our
Nation's Capital. I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 83 to
authorize the use of Emancipation Hall as we continue this tradition in
celebrating the birthday of King Kamehameha I.
{time} 1515
Mr. Speaker, just in closing, I urge all of my colleagues to support
H. Con. Res. 83 so that we can continue this tradition and remember and
honor and apply the legacy and history of one of Hawaii's greatest
leaders.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I would just close by again
thanking my colleague from Hawaii (Ms. Gabbard) for introducing this
resolution. It was our great privilege to serve together on the House
Homeland Security Committee. I was somewhat sorry, but glad at the same
time, for her to now be a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
I also want to thank her for her service to our country in the
military before she came to Congress. It was interesting for me
listening to your comments about this great king and this
[[Page H3479]]
great leader of the great people of Hawaii.
And so certainly, Mr. Speaker, I would urge all of our colleagues to
support the concurrent resolution as well, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 83.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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