[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 6, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1171]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        THE HONORABLE MARK TAKAI

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JUDY CHU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 6, 2016

  Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Speaker, as Chair of the 
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I rise today to honor our 
colleague and friend, the Honorable Kyle Mark Takai of Hawaii, who 
passed away on July 20, 2016 at the age of 49 after a hard fought 
battle with pancreatic cancer.
   Mark was a true patriot, public servant, and friend who truly had 
the ``aloha spirit.'' From a young age, Mark's parents instilled in him 
a love of service and giving back to his community. This strong 
commitment to improving the lives of the people of Hawaii and all 
Americans was integrally woven into the fabric of his distinguished 
military and public service career.
   A graduate of the University of Hawaii, Mark was elected to the 
Hawaii State House of Representatives in 1994 at the age of 27 to 
represent his home district of Pearl City, Hawaii. He served for two 
decades before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 
2014. Throughout his tenure in the Hawaii State legislature, he was a 
strong champion for the military and our veterans, a cause he continued 
to champion in the U.S. Congress as a member of the House Armed 
Services Committee. As a proud member of the Hawaii Army National Guard 
who was deployed to the Middle East in 2009 as part of Operation Iraqi 
Freedom, Mark understood firsthand the sacrifice that our military men 
and women make every day to protect our freedoms and never stopped 
fighting for them.
   As a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus 
(CAPAC) in Congress, his vision and contributions helped to improve the 
lives of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders all 
across this country. This included notable efforts to reunite Filipino 
World War II veterans with their loved ones, secure treatment for 
atomic veterans suffering from service-related radiation exposure, and 
to commemorate the patriotism of Japanese Americans during World War 
II.
   Mark was also a strong proponent for cancer research. In fact, I 
will never forget the tears in his eyes when he first learned about 
Vice President Joe Biden's Cancer Moonshot initiative and the warm 
embrace they shared at the House Democratic Retreat. It gave Mark and 
millions of Americans hope that we will finally find a cure for cancer. 
In his memory, we will continue hoping and fighting until this becomes 
a reality.
   We in CAPAC value the privilege we had to work with Mark in 
Congress, and will never forget his warmth, kindness, and strong 
dedication to bettering our community and our country. On behalf of the 
50 Members of CAPAC, I thank Mark for his lifetime of leadership and 
service. I also thank his wife, Sami, their children, Matthew and 
Kaila, and his parents, Erik and Naomi, for sharing Mark with us and 
the people of Hawaii.
   The Asian American and Pacific Islander community has lost one of 
its great leaders, but his legacy will continue to live on through the 
lives he touched and the individuals he will continue to inspire for 
generations to come.

                          ____________________