[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 140 (Thursday, September 15, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H5513-H5519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING THE LATE HONORABLE MARK TAKAI
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 6, 2015, the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Gabbard) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
General Leave
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include
extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Hawaii?
There was no objection.
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, we are holding this Special Order today to
honor our colleague and friend, Mark Takai. Many of our colleagues are
here to share their own memories and remembrances of our friend.
In Hawaii, the word ``aloha'' holds a very special place in our
hearts. It is a word that we use every day to say hello and good-bye,
but, in saying that word, we are actually conveying a much deeper
meaning. In the deepest and truest sense of the word, aloha means I
come to you with an open heart and offer you my deepest respect, love,
and care. It is a word that describes a way of life. Living aloha
brings people together regardless of their unique backgrounds or things
like age, race, religion, or social class.
This open heart, this spirit of aloha, is what I think of when I
think of my colleague, my fellow soldier, and my friend, Mark Takai,
because he carried this aloha spirit with him wherever he went. He
shared it with everyone that he came into contact with.
During a celebration of Mark's life held in his hometown of Pearl
City on Oahu just a few weeks ago--this is the community that he served
for over 20 years as a State legislator--I heard from one of Mark's
high school teachers named Mike, who shared her amazement that not only
was Mark a great student, not only was he an all-American swimmer, but
he would spend his free time doing things like organizing voter
registration drives and get-out-the-vote parades in his neighborhood,
encouraging his community to make sure that their voice was heard.
As a student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Mark was a leader
among his peers, one of whom is here today, our colleague,
Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth. He served as president of the Associated
Students of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, was a champion on the
varsity team for 4 years, and was editor in chief of the campus
newspaper, Ka Leo O Hawaii.
I recently had an intern in my district office who is a part of ASUH,
and he told me about how the University of Hawaii student government
members today tell stories of the legends of Mark Takai's courage and
leadership as student president, taking on difficult issues like sexual
harassment and assault, resulting in his being sued by the University
of Hawaii professors union. But no matter the challenge, the
difficulty, or the obstacle, the legends are true; Mark Takai never
backed down.
At age 27, he was elected to the Hawaii State House of
Representatives, representing his hometown of Pearl
[[Page H5514]]
City and neighboring Aiea from 1994 to 2014. In 2002, I was elected to
the State House where I first got to know him, learning of his
commitment and passion for the University of Hawaii, and his and Sami's
love for all things Disney, showing me the memorabilia they brought
home from the Disney parks they visited around the world, and sharing
copies of the cookbook he distributed throughout his Pearl City
district, always making time, always ready with a helpful tip and a
helping hand.
In 2014, after a hard-fought campaign, Mark came here and joined us
in Congress, representing the First Congressional District of Hawaii.
While here, he served on the Committee on Armed Services, as well as
the Committee on Small Business, working hard always, putting first and
foremost his constituents. Even after he was diagnosed and going
through treatment, he was always there attending his committee
hearings, doing things that no one really expected he would do.
I was amazed, during our annual NDAA marathon markup session that
often lasts over 16 straight hours, Mark was there in the wee hours of
the morning passing out the Hawaii-made chocolate macadamia nuts to our
colleagues.
For 17 years, while simultaneously fulfilling his responsibilities as
an elected official, Mark also served as a citizen soldier in the
Hawaii Army National Guard, where he earned the rank of lieutenant
colonel, deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and
served as president of the Hawaii Army National Guard Association.
Because Mark had a master's degree in public health, he came into the
National Guard as a direct commissioned officer. What this meant in
practical terms was he didn't have to go through basic combat training
or OCS.
{time} 1100
When I came back to Hawaii from my basic training in South Carolina,
I was assigned to our medical command, the same unit as Mark. He was a
first lieutenant. I was a private first class. As I was rendering him a
salute, he would joke around, asking me to teach him how to render a
proper salute and how to march in a formation because he never got to
learn those through basic training.
Mark was incredibly proud to wear the uniform. He was deeply
committed to the National Guard, extremely active with the National
Guard Association both in Hawaii and here in Washington, always looking
to find ways to support the institution and its service to our soldiers
and airmen in Hawaii and across the country.
I have heard from so many of Mark's soldiers and peers in the Hawaii
Guard who express disbelief that he is actually gone and how much they
truly valued the time they spent with him and served with him.
Mark's service to Hawaii and our Nation spans nearly a quarter
century. His legacy of aloha and his commitment to service touched the
lives of so many people along the way.
All of the stories and remembrances we will hear today I think
capture the essence of Mark, his heart for service, his spirit of
aloha, his love for God, his love for his family, and caring and
sharing aloha with everyone.
To our colleagues here today to share their memories of Mark, thank
you for opening your hearts as we honor and remember and say aloha to
our dear friend.
To Mark's staff, thank you for being strong, for serving Mark and our
State of Hawaii, and continuing to serve the people of Hawaii through
this difficult time.
Finally, I would like to recognize Mark's family, who have just
arrived here in the gallery. I would like to recognize Mark's wife,
Sami; his children, Matthew and Kaila; his parents, Erik and Naomi; and
his siblings, Nadine, Nikki, and Ross, all of whom have been incredibly
generous in sharing their time and opening their family to all of us,
to people across the State of Hawaii, and yesterday during the
beautiful and historic service that was held in Mark's honor.
I want you to know that you were always with him wherever he went. He
was always speaking about you proudly. You were the light of his life.
Mahalo, Mark, for the lasting impact that you had on all of us, for
sharing your aloha with us, and for dedicating your life to the service
of others.
I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Graham).
Ms. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for loaning me her
lei and hosting this Special Order in honor of our colleague and
friend, the late Congressman Mark Takai of Hawaii.
I was fortunate to develop a very close friendship with Mark, as we
were part of the same freshman class elected in 2014, and sat next to
each other on the House Armed Services Committee.
In the panhandle of Florida, the area I represent, we have an
attitude toward life we call ``The North Florida Way.'' It means we
care about public service, we take care of our neighbors, and we do
what is right. And even though the panhandle is about 5,000 miles from
Hawaii, The North Florida Way is a lot like the aloha spirit.
As we have learned here today, Congressman Takai embodies the aloha
spirit. As a public servant, he stands as a role model for all of us.
He first ran for public office at 27 years old, and served 10 years in
the Hawaii House of Representatives before coming to Congress. At the
same time, he was also serving in the Hawaii National Guard, where,
over 17 years, he earned the rank of lieutenant colonel and served in
Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Mark cared about his neighbors, representing the people of his State
with distinction, and always cared about those around him, as a father,
a husband, a friend, and a colleague. Sitting next to him in committee,
he would always greet me with a smile and a warm aloha. He cared about
doing what was right, especially for his fellow servicemembers in the
military.
As we remember Congressman Takai today, I hope we all continue to
honor his memory and aloha spirit throughout the end of our own
service. Let's all honor him by practicing a little more of the aloha
spirit every day.
Let's remember to represent our constituents, to care about each
other, and to do what is right. That is what Mark always did, and that
is what he would want us to do.
Mark was a role model for us all, in and out of Congress. Our
thoughts, prayers, and love are with his family.
Ms. GABBARD. I yield to the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo).
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and celebrate the life of
my good friend, Congressman Mark Takai of Hawaii.
Mark was a fierce advocate for the people of Hawaii and was a
champion of issues important to the AAPI community. Prior to his two
decades as a representative in the Hawaii State House, Mark briefly
lived in Guam, my home, and attended school there, which helped to
inform his perspectives on the unique challenges affecting the
territories.
Here in Congress, Mark was an embodiment of the aloha spirit. I
worked with him on a number of issues impacting Guam, Hawaii, and the
Pacific region. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I
truly appreciated his insights and views, especially his experiences as
lieutenant colonel in the Hawaii Army National Guard.
Mark's passing creates a void in Congress that cannot be replaced,
but his life and his legacy will forever live on in all of us who knew
him and in the many public policies that he helped to enact to make
life for all Americans better.
On behalf of the people of Guam, I extend my condolences to his wife,
Sami; his children, Matthew and Kaila; and the entire Takai family.
Mark, you will be deeply missed. As we say in Guam: Un Dangkulo na Si
Yu'os Ma'ase, Mark.
Ms. GABBARD. I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Ted Lieu).
Mr. TED LIEU of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about my
friend, Mark Takai.
We came in last year in the freshman class together. Through various
orientation events, my wife, Betty, and our children had the honor of
getting to know Mark's family, Sami, Matthew, and Kaila. Having gone to
his beautiful memorial ceremonies in Hawaii and here, we had the honor
of meeting Mark's extended family. The grace and dignity with which
they have handled this has been tremendous.
I want to talk a little bit about Mark. He was a joy to be around. He
[[Page H5515]]
was warm, he was happy, he was energetic, and he exemplifies the best
of America. Having served in our Armed Forces, serving the State
legislature and here in Congress, he always tried his best to represent
Americans and do what he thought was best.
I know we all dearly miss Mark. I know that when he said he is going
to be fine and is going to be in heaven, a smile comes to my face when
I think about Mark looking down at all of us and how happy he would be
to see us here today. We all miss him dearly.
Ms. GABBARD. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our
esteemed minority whip.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for taking this
Special Order hour.
We are all sad and lament the fact that an extraordinary human being
was taken from us far too early. I tell my colleagues, this picture
says it all: that wonderful, warm, accepting, engaging aloha smile that
is represented in this picture of our colleague, Mark Takai.
I join my colleagues in celebrating and remembering a life well
lived. Though he only served alongside us in this House for a short
time, he made a big impact on us all with his kindness, his sincerity,
and his intellect. All of us admired the steadfastness with which he
fought for his constituents and the courage with which he fought his
illness. All of us saw Mark on this floor, determined to serve his
constituents for as long as his health allowed him to do so.
As was said yesterday, Mark did not greet us with any self-pity or
any wringing of hands, but with a positive attitude to the end. I
wasn't with him at the very end, but my, how we were blessed to be with
him for the short time that we had him. What an example he set for all
of us to overcome adversity and welcome opportunities rather than
focusing on that which he could not do.
Not only was Mark an outstanding Member of Congress, he was, as has
been said by his fellow officer, a warrior willing to serve, to risk,
and to save this great country, its democracy, and its people.
As a lieutenant colonel in the Hawaii Army National Guard, he
deployed on Active Duty to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom. He earned the Army's Meritorious Service Medal for his
achievements there.
We all are standing here to speak of the meritorious service he gave
right here. Yes, on the battlefield; yes, at the point of the spear;
but right here as well. He drew on his experience in the Army as a
veteran when he served as chairman of the House Committee on Veterans,
Military, and International Affairs in the Hawaii legislature, and
later as a member of the House Committee on Armed Services here in
Congress.
A proud native of Hawaii, Mark dedicated his life and career to the
people of his beloved State. He was elected to the Hawaii House of
Representatives at the age of 27. I can empathize with that because I
was elected to the Maryland State Senate at the age of 27. We talked
about that. Some have entered earlier, but that was pretty early. It
gave us a great opportunity to serve.
Mark believed strongly that every child deserves a chance to learn in
a safe and nurturing environment. In my own State, there are 52 Judy
Centers named after my late wife, who died almost 20 years ago, that
serve 3-and 4-year-old children.
Mark had that same kind of compassion and concern and focus on making
sure that young people received all that we could give them early in
life so that they could succeed later in life, as Mark Takai did so
extraordinarily.
I have other words that I will submit for the Record because there
are so many of my colleagues who want to speak about Mark and their
relationship to him, their respect for him, their love for him, and his
love for us.
I thank Congresswoman Gabbard for taking this hour, and I thank her
for being such an example. Both of you define aloha.
God bless.
Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today in remembering the life of
our friend, Representative Mark Takai, who lost his battle against
cancer in July.
Though he only served alongside us in this House for a short time, he
made a big impact on us all with his kindness, his sincerity, and his
intellect.
All of us admired the steadfastness with which he fought for his
constituents and the courage with which he fought his illness.
Not only was Mark an outstanding member of Congress, he also served
our nation in uniform.
As a lieutenant colonel in the Hawaii Army National Guard, he
deployed on active duty to Kuwait in support of operation Iraqi
Freedom, and he earned the Army's Meritorious Service Medal for his
achievements there.
He drew on his experiences in the Army and as a veteran when he
served as chairman of the House Committee on Veterans, Military, and
International Affairs in the Hawaii Legislature and later as a member
of the House Committee on Armed Services here in Congress.
A proud native of Hawaii, Mark dedicated his life and career to the
people of his beloved state.
Elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives at the age of twenty-
seven, he spent two decades working hard to improve lives, strengthen
communities, and bring jobs and opportunity to Hawaii. He championed
education and fought for better schools.
Mark believed strongly that every child deserves a chance to learn in
a safe and nurturing environment.
He stood up for Hawaii's veterans and worked to combat homelessness
among those who were coming home from war.
Concerned about the dangers of climate change and rising sea levels,
Mark did more than just support green energy through tax credits; he
outfitted his own house with solar panels and drove an electric vehicle
to show others how easy it is to live sustainably.
When Mark ran for Congress in 2014 and won, all of us believed he
would be making a difference here in Washington for many, many years
ahead.
He was one of those who loved being a legislator, who had the
experience and talent to get things done in Congress.
All of us are deeply saddened that our country lost Mark at such a
young age, with surely many great achievements ahead.
Losing a colleague is always difficult, but with Mark Takai it was
more than that--we lost someone who had quickly become our friend,
someone as warm as he was dependable, as jovial as he was wise.
My thoughts continue to be with Mark's wife Sami and their two
children, Matthew and Kaila.
My heart goes out to them and to the people of Hawaii's first
District he served so ably.
I also offer my condolences again to Senators Schatz and Hirono and
Representative Tulsi Gabbard, Mark's colleagues in the Hawaii
Congressional delegation, who worked closely with him every day.
We will miss him dearly in the halls of Congress, and I thank
Representative Gabbard for leading the effort to pay tribute to him in
the United States House of Representatives today.
{time} 1115
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California
(Mr. Takano).
Mr. TAKANO. Mahalo to my colleague from Hawaii, Congresswoman
Gabbard, for the time.
Mr. Speaker, on July 20, the world lost a kind man, this Congress
lost a great leader, and many of us here lost a very dear friend.
I didn't expect to have this welling of emotion.
Mark Takai represented everything America wants in a public servant.
He was selfless, he was humble, and he was passionate about
strengthening his community and protecting his country.
He served 17 years in the Hawaii National Guard, including a
deployment to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. When he
came home, he fought for the middle class and for the people of Hawaii.
He will be remembered by me and many of us here for his incredible
spirit, which he bravely maintained through his illness. He will be
remembered for his easy laugh, which brought joy to all those who knew
him. And he spent a lifetime working to give a voice to those who
struggled to be heard.
If I may depart from my prepared remarks for a moment, I remember
going to Hawaii for his unofficial swearing-in in Honolulu with Leader
Pelosi, and just seeing the outpouring of support from the people who
elected him and the great hope in such a new young leader from the
State of Hawaii, which has been going through great changes.
Getting to know him here and watching him, the losses that I feel are
just that he was so full of potential. He loved Congress. He loved
serving. He loved the potential to change this institution into a
better place. He
[[Page H5516]]
reached out to Republicans, not a mean bone in his body.
I hesitate to say this last part because I can't say the name of the
restaurant that we both went to in Southeast, in that part of town, but
it serves double-fried Korean chicken wings, and he thanked me very
much that we could share it. He loved food.
I feel very lucky to have called him a friend. I will miss him very
much.
Thank you. Mahalo to you, Mark Takai, for having been my friend.
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California
(Mr. Aguilar).
Mr. AGUILAR. Mahalo, Ms. Gabbard. I appreciate the gentlewoman from
Hawaii yielding to me to talk about my colleague and my friend Mark
Takai.
As I stand here in aloha attire, I am sure my colleague would admire
my dress, yet shake his head at my tie. We do love our rules here in
Congress, but even the Speaker acknowledged yesterday that Mark
continually talked with him about the need to embrace the aloha spirit
and to maybe, just maybe, relax our rules occasionally.
Like many in our class, I met Mark during freshman orientation in
December of 2014, when we were both elected. Instantly, all of us
gravitated to him. He was easy to love.
As I reflect on the impact that he had on me, I am struck by four key
things that you will continue to hear my colleagues share in their
stories.
First was his pleasant attitude, demeanor, smile, and his full-
hearted laugh. He had a deep concern for his colleagues, even as he
battled his illness. I can't tell you the number of times he would sit
right up here and we would talk about the bills and the issues of the
day, and I would try to say something to make him laugh, and he would
give that big smile and that full-throated laugh. He took a lot of
pride in that. I am not sure there is anyone in this Chamber who didn't
enjoy spending time with Mark. He was just that special.
Second was his pride in Hawaii and of his service in the military.
Mark's eyes never got bigger than when I told him that my wife, Alisha,
and I were going to attend the 70th anniversary ceremony in Hawaii
aboard the USS Missouri, with a bipartisan delegation led by Mr.
Forbes. He was so happy that I would get an opportunity to meet Admiral
Harris, but also to see Oahu and to enjoy its beauty.
He was the best mayor Oahu never had is the reality of the situation.
Whether it was restaurants, beaches, hiking trails, military
installations, he always had a suggestion of something you should see
and do.
We have to go--again, we can't say the restaurant names. You have to
go to ``blank,'' and he would tell you the restaurant's name that
started with a Z and he said was the President's favorite. And that
turned into: Let's go there right now. And so Sami and Alisha and I, we
went to this restaurant that is unique to Hawaii that Mark said was the
President's favorite. When you walked in with Mark, you were bound to
be recognized because he knew everybody; and you were going to eat
whatever he said, as well.
Third was how driven and competitive he was. Don't take that smile
and that laugh to mean that he was a pushover. He was absolutely driven
to represent his region and to do his job effectively. He would quiz me
on the politics of my district, asking me questions about my race and
giving me advice. He would talk about his own race and races in the
past, and it was clear that he wasn't a pushover when it came to
politics and fighting for his communities.
But he always had a plan, and that wasn't ever more evident than when
he stayed on the floor just about the entire day, State of the Union
Day 2015, to get a prime seat for the State of the Union. I still have
the photo--I looked at it last night--of him directly behind Leader
Pelosi. She was next to Whip Hoyer, and he is beside John Lewis. Mark
was a freshman, sitting right there within camera-shot, wearing his
lei, and he wanted everyone back home to know he had arrived. It was
brilliant.
The last point was about his family. He truly loved his family and
his faith. As fathers spending a significant amount of time away from
our two kids, we talked about them often, how proud we were of them,
how much we missed them, and how we used technology to try to fill the
void in communication. Attending weekend sporting events for swimming
and soccer for Matthew and Kaila, even if it meant traveling and being
home for only 30 hours, he wanted to do it. He wanted to be there. He
wanted to be present.
Your dad loved you so, so much, and he talked about you so, so often.
Sami, I don't know how you do it. But he would comment on that. He
would look at me, and we would be huddled in the back back there, and
he would say: We wouldn't be able to do anything without our wives. And
I said: Yeah, of course. We know that. He says: No, no, no. I mean you
should know that. You should send a text message or something to Alisha
right now.
We spent a relatively short amount of time with him here in
Washington, D.C., but he touched our lives and was a source of strength
and humor. I will always remember his spirit, his faith, and his
commitment to his community.
Aloha, friend.
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California
(Ms. Pelosi), our leader.
Ms. PELOSI. What a beautiful picture of Mark.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Gabbard for bringing us together
in this Special Order to salute a very special person, our colleague,
Mark Takai.
It is a solemn privilege for all of us today to give voice to the
sorrow of the U.S. Congress at the passing of our colleague and dear
friend. We have lost someone truly special, a person who held the
respect and friendship of colleagues on both sides of the aisle, on
both sides of the Capitol, up and down Pennsylvania Avenue.
In fact, the President himself paid tribute to Mark when he died. He
said: ``Michelle and I were saddened to learn of the passing of
Representative Mark Takai.
``Mark was always a fighter,'' the President said. ``It's the spirit
he brought to more than two decades of public service on behalf of the
people of Hawaii.
``He stood up for America's most vulnerable. He championed our troops
and veterans, and proudly wore our Nation's uniform. And his relentless
push for cancer research inspired countless Americans fighting the same
battle as him.
``Simply put, our country is better off,'' the President said, ``our
country is better off because of Mark's contributions. He leaves a
legacy of courage, of service, and of hope.''
Michelle and he said: ``Our thoughts and prayers are with Mark's
wife, Sami, their two children, and many friends and family.''
Many of the friends and family are here today: Sami, of course;
Matthew and Kaila; his parents, Mark's parents, Erik and Naomi; his
sister, Nadine; her husband, Ronnie, and daughter Nelani; his sister,
Nikki; his brother, Ross; his father-in-law, Gary Kai; and all of the
people of Hawaii who may be watching this, certainly all of our
colleagues.
He was effective from the start, I think, because he was such an
experienced legislator, 20 years in the Hawaii Legislature, and that
made him, with his energy and as our colleague, Mr. Aguilar said, his
competitiveness.
Who but a competitive soul, and an imaginative one, would be bringing
leis--I guess it is lei, singular is plural--to Selma to match what
happened in the sixties, when Martin Luther King and our colleague John
Lewis wore leis in the march. And who but he would, only a few weeks in
Congress, decide that all these hundreds of lei would be sent from
Hawaii for people to wear on the 50th anniversary of Selma.
As I said yesterday in Statuary Hall, many of the Members were
thinking, ``Why didn't I think of that?'' but that is how Mark was. I
don't want to say competitive, but nonetheless.
As far as his seating here, Mr. Aguilar, I was privileged to appoint
him as a part of the escort committee. Because of the President's
origins in Hawaii, I wanted Hawaii to be represented on the escort
committee; but as you said, he exploited the opportunity, and we were
glad that he did.
I really wish that he were here, but I wish that everyone could have
seen him on our codel to Asia. Congresswoman Matsui did, and others. We
were in Burma, Cambodia, Korea,
[[Page H5517]]
Japan, Vietnam. We began in California, came to Hawaii to be briefed at
the Pacific Command, to go on to Asia and then come back through
Alaska.
Now, here he was, a relatively new Member of Congress. This was like
April of last year. He was in Congress maybe 3, 4 months, but he was on
the Armed Services Committee, so he spoke with great authority because
this was a security trip as well as a values, human rights trip and our
economic interests trip.
So I said to him--getting back to Mr. Aguilar--I said to him: We are
going to begin in California with some briefings, and then we will go
to Hawaii, and then you will preside as we meet with the Pacific
Command. So would you like to join us in California?
He said: Would I like to join you in California? I could be home with
Sami. I could have a night with Sami or I could be with all of you in
California. I will meet you in Hawaii.
It was very clear that any chance he got he wanted to be with his
family.
Certainly he, again, was part of the delegation. Only a few months in
Congress, with such dignity, we forgot that he was a new Member of
Congress. With great knowledge of our national security, with great
diplomacy in how he conveyed his thoughts, and every place he went, he
was beautifully received. I wish all of you could have seen how,
especially in Japan, where they took special interest to embrace him as
a Japanese American Member of Congress.
{time} 1130
Everything he did, he did with excellence. He died as he had lived:
loved and surrounded by family and friends, with great dignity and
great courage. He used his time well--used his time well--and, again,
understood what the opportunity of serving in Congress was, and he made
an honorable contribution. His service here brought luster to the
Congress.
It is a privilege to call him colleague for all of us, and an even
bigger privilege to call him friend. In the Hawaiian way of family, he
has bound us together. We are all family. I hope that the Takai family
knows that they have family always in the Congress of the United
States.
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from American
Samoa (Mrs. Radewagen).
Mrs. RADEWAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of a
truly good and humble man.
In the time I had the pleasure of knowing Mark, I was able to call
him not only a colleague, but also, proudly, a friend.
Mark and I came to Congress in the same class almost 2 short years
ago. Upon meeting Mark, I instantly knew that I had a new colleague
that I could talk openly to, and I knew that he would always listen
with an open mind. We also shared a mutual love and desire to serve our
constituents who also have so much in common, including a shared
heritage.
Mark's heart was that of a public servant. Always willing to do
whatever it took to best serve the people of Hawaii, Mark set an
example for us all on how to put our communities above ourselves and
serve for the betterment of everyone. This includes his service in the
United States Army National Guard, during which time he served as a
medical officer in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
I want to express my deepest condolences to Mark's wife, Sami, his
two children, Matthew and Kaila, and wish for them comfort during this
difficult time. I know that they can take solace in the fact that Mark
was a great man who will always be respected and revered not for what
he did for himself, but what he did for others.
I am grateful for the opportunity to talk about my friend, Mark. He
will be dearly missed.
I thank Representative Gabbard. God bless Mark, his family, and the
United States.
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Brendan F. Boyle).
Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank my
colleague, Ms. Gabbard, for her very eloquent words yesterday. All the
speakers did a remarkable job in a ceremony that was sad and poignant
that really captured the spirit of who Mark was.
In the Hawaiian Islands, there is a word for family. Forgive my
pronunciation--being from Pennsylvania--if I botch this, but I believe
it is pronounced ohana. Ask anyone who lived or grew up there and they
will tell you it is more than a word. It refers to not only your
immediate family, but to extended family and beyond, even to strangers
that you may not know. It is a very unique and strong bond amongst the
Hawaiian people who live there.
I experienced that ohana firsthand when I met Mark and his family
during our congressional orientation. Sami and my wife, Jenny,
immediately bonded, as did Mark and I, and the way Matthew and Kaila
played with our daughter, Abby.
I have many memories of that orientation and I actually was looking
at a number of the pictures last night reflecting on Mark, reflecting
on the ceremony yesterday, and preparing for today.
As Leader Pelosi pointed out, this picture of Mark really captures
his warmth, his spirit, and the way he approached life. It inspires me,
and I think all of us, to approach each and every day with a smile on
our face no matter the difficulties of the moment or the seeming
difficulties that in the larger scheme of things might not quite be as
difficult or as important as we take them to be.
In this political crucible that we call Congress, Mark brought his
personal sense of ohana to our body politic: his sense of understanding
and willingness to find compromise where there often seemed to be none,
his sense of seeing you as a friend with differences to work out and
not as an adversary or an enemy, and his commitment to making sure we
all found the common ground that so often eludes us.
He was here a brief period of time, but he left his mark. Any of us
may serve 2 years or 20 years or beyond. I don't think each of us,
though, will be able to say that we have actually left our mark. I hope
we will be able to. It can be said about Mark Takai in his short period
here that he touched every single person who knew him.
I love you, Mark, and I miss you. I love his beautiful family.
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California
(Mr. Lowenthal).
Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Gabbard for giving
us this opportunity to say a few words about somebody whom we cared
about and respected so much and who brought so much joy and positivity
to this Congress.
To his family--to Sami, to Matthew, and to Kaila, thank you for
sharing him with us. It meant a lot to us.
The Hawaiian word ``pono'' means righteousness. It is the idea that
moral character leads to happiness. It means doing what is morally
right and selfless. It is the word that so captures my feelings about
Mark Takai, and that is what we see here in this picture.
Too often our society takes the notion of public service for granted.
Mark was the embodiment of the idea of public service, an idea that he
was so proud to take part in--first, in the military and, at the same
time, also continuing on in government.
As I mentioned before in this House, Mark was a force of positivity.
He was a leader who did not lead by force of will, but he led by being
humble. He listened, he was effective at what he did, and he always
brought us great warmth.
He was the embodiment of bravery first in his service to his Nation--
our Nation--and then in his battle against cancer. His passing is a
great loss to his family, to Hawaii, for this Chamber, and our Nation.
Mr. Speaker, we have truly lost one of the good guys.
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Beyer).
Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Gabbard for scheduling
this Special Order.
Mr. Speaker, Mark was a special presence in the freshman class of the
114th Congress. He brought his Hawaiian cheer to every room he entered,
and I got to enjoy this perhaps more than most because he was my
fourth-floor Cannon hallmate.
Early on, Mark decided that as hallmates, our staffs should get
together and break bread. A Hawaiian pizza party was born, and Mark
burst in with a hearty aloha and bearing
[[Page H5518]]
gifts of chocolate-covered Macadamia nuts and Hawaiian coffee. He
regaled the staff with a few good stories, and it always seems that he
led with his island shirt, a lei, and an enormous smile wherever he
went.
Our hearts are with Sami and the children. Mark will be sorely
missed.
After Mark was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he was resolute,
brave, and determined to do all possible to battle a very difficult
disease. But months later, when it was clear that Mark was dying, he
seemed different to me. He grieved for his children, for Sami, for his
myriad friends, and perhaps especially for all that he wanted to
accomplish here in the people's House.
We never know when our time will come, and Mark's life and death
teaches us that we must make the most of each and every day. Mark Takai
was a superlative role model and a beloved friend.
God bless you, Mark, and all your generations to come.
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois
(Ms. Duckworth).
Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman.
Twenty-eight years--1988--that is how long I have known Mark. As long
as I have known him, he always was the champion for the most
vulnerable. We met at the University of Hawaii. He was the serious
one--if you can imagine that--and focused.
At the Ka Leo O Hawaii student newspaper where he was editor, he
investigated sexual harassment at a time when victims were routinely
blamed and disbelieved. Perhaps that is not too hard to believe because
even today that is happening, but almost 30 years ago, he stood up for
the victims.
We were there watching him as he stood up and was sued by the very
same union that later on became some of his biggest supporters for his
stance on education. In fact, he brought millions back to Hawaii for
education--work that took not months or years, but sometimes a decade
of steady work.
He was worried about the education of our military children who must
follow their servicemember parents from base to base. He wanted to make
sure that they got good, continuous education and did not lose out
because their parents were serving our Nation.
Mark had so many aspects to him. Some of it was funny, some of it was
annoying, and some of it was so unique to him. But it was all part of
what a great person--a great human being--he was.
I remember the months of emails and conversations we would have long
distance--I was in Illinois and he was in Hawaii--when he was about to
get his first Nissan LEAF. He was so proud he would get the very first
one on the islands, and then his annoyance when the commanding general
of the Hawaii National Guard got the first one and he got the second. I
told him he was being ridiculous, that it didn't matter, and that what
he was doing was going to be good for the environment and the world
regardless. I had no idea that I was opening the door for years and
years of conversations with Mark where he would detail exactly how much
wattage he had sold back to Hawaii Electric from the solar panels on
his roof or how long he had been able to go without having to recharge
his electric vehicle.
He was there when my husband convinced me that we should ourselves
buy an electric vehicle and the conversations the two of them would
have about how important it was. It tried even this progressive
Democrat's patience.
But he was always also there for others. I think one of the greatest
skills that Mark had was to get others to join him in his cause,
whatever that was; to get others to come and help share the load,
whatever the load needed to be. Every time I went to Hawaii, whether it
was on a family vacation or just to visit my mom who, by the way, lived
in Pearl City, his Hawaii district, he would say: ``Tammy, I need you
to do this. I need you to go to this middle school and talk to these
kids. Tammy, I need you to come do this. I need you to go to the
University of Hawaii. I want you to go to the memorial. We need to talk
and be there for the family of this fallen servicemember. Do you
remember your friend from the Hawaii Guard?'' It was always: ``Tammy,
we have got something to do.''
{time} 1145
And do you know what? He made it so much fun that you always did
anyway. You went, and you were better for it, Hawaii was better for it,
and the constituency got the service of a man who was never, ever on
vacation, who never stopped.
One of the things that I think you have heard from other folks here
was just the pure joy of living that Mark had--all the meals that we
would eat. He would show up, and you might just want to go get a
sandwich someplace, but you were always off for an adventure for a new
restaurant or a better place to eat.
It was actually at one of those unforgettable meals when he mentioned
to me that he was interested in running for Congress. The minute he
said it, I knew that I was on board because he was perfect for this
House. He was perfect to be here to work on behalf of not just the
people of Hawaii but for the people of the United States. He was
audacious but gentle. He was crusading and firm. I couldn't think of
anyone who belonged here more. He had planned to serve for years,
decades, gaining seniority to serve Hawaii.
I miss him every day. He would sit in that seat over there next to me
in my wheelchair. I don't sit there now. I stopped when he could no
longer be here. It was too much to try to sit next to the empty seat
where Mark would sit. I would only go back when he was back here to
vote.
Before his illness, we had planned to reserve adjacent military
morale welfare recreation cabins at Barking Sands missile range for a
joint family vacation. As he took a turn for the worse, he actually
came up to me on this floor and said he was sorry, he was sorry that he
couldn't keep our date with our families. The man was dying, and he was
apologizing to me. That was Mark.
Even as he was fighting for his life, as he was working to secure the
future for his two beloved children and the love of his life, he was
concerned for others. He sat through the entire NDAA until 3:00 in the
morning. When we were exhausted and tired and didn't think we could
make it, there was Mark, fighting cancer, a big smile on his face,
flashing a shaka to everyone.
I will treasure always one of our final trips together to Israel
where we visited an Iron Dome battery together. Even as he was fighting
for his life, he was concerned and working to ensure that the security
of our Nation and our ally Israel was secure.
I am so glad he made it here and that he served. I am so glad that he
made such a big difference in so many lives here. But that was Mark.
From the time he was a young man to the day that he left us, he was
about service to others. Thank you very much--mahalo nui loa--Mark, for
being my friend, for showing me how to be a better person, and for
showing me a better way to serve. I miss you. I will never forget you.
Until we meet again--a hui kaua.
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California
(Mrs. Torres).
Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Gabbard.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and the legacy of my
colleague, Mark Takai. I first met Mark when we were elected together.
We were freshmen, and we were going through orientation. All of us were
competing for staff office space and competing on who could get to
class the quickest and who could find their way from point A to point B
the quickest. We had a lot of fun together, and we got to know each
other through those brief few days.
After we returned to Washington, we were sworn in as Members of
Congress. I have a clear memory of how deeply Mark cared about his home
State and his family. Congress is a tough place, and Mark was even
tougher. Mark and I were competing for a subcommittee assignment on the
Natural Resources Committee. He and I both wanted to serve on the
Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska
Native Affairs that oversaw the territories' natural resources of
Hawaii and Alaska native affairs. I got the spot, and Mark came
marching into my office with chocolate in his hand. He didn't make an
appointment, by the way, and he had no staff with him. We were going to
have a conversation, more of a spar over this
[[Page H5519]]
committee assignment. And over chocolate, Mark made me promise that his
beautiful home State of Hawaii would always be my priority, and I did.
Mark created so many opportunities for us to visit and get to know
his home State, the beauty that it offers with its natural resources.
He actually created a long list of people that I should meet in order
to fully understand the needs of the island. I am sorry, Mark, that I
didn't get to join you in Hawaii, but thank you for the opportunity to
know you.
Sami, thank you for sharing such a wonderful man with not only the
freshmen class, but with the entire membership of Congress and the
Senate. We love Mark, we love you, and your family, and we are here for
you.
Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. MENG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great sadness to honor a
colleague and a friend, Congressman Mark Takai.
Even though I only had two short years to work with Mark, that's all
I needed to gain a sense of his overwhelming passion for public
service. He served Hawaii as a state representative for 20 years, and
defended our freedoms as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Hawaii Army
National Guard. Mark honorably represented his constituents in the
House of Representatives, and was a model to those who put service to
others before themselves.
He always talked about his wife Sami, and kids, Matthew and Kaila. He
beamed with excitement when they were coming to visit or when he was
going back home.
Mark was very humble--when he was curious about something he didn't
hesitate to ask questions. He was a fierce advocate for Hawaii, small
businesses, and veterans, and was always thinking of ways to help. We
are all better for having known him, and he will be missed.
Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember a
friend and dear colleague who was taken from us far too soon.
Congressman Mark Takai was a true statesman, public servant and an
inspiration to each and every person who had the honor of knowing him.
All of us in this Chamber are heartbroken by this loss.
Throughout his life--as a National Guardsmen, a leader in the Hawaii
state legislature, and as a Member of Congress, Mark epitomized what it
means to serve.
He fought tenaciously to better the lives of his constituents, and
showed courage and strength in the face of adversity.
Mark loved his family--his wife Sami and his children Matthew and
Kaila. He wanted to make this country better for them and for everyone
who calls it home.
Mark was an example of what Congress should be, and his legacy will
live on through his vision and unyielding commitment to bettering the
lives of others.
My sincerest thoughts and prayers continue to be with Mark's family.
I can only imagine the sense of loss they feel, because I lost a friend
and there is a hole in my heart.
We thank them for sharing Mark with us. May they find comfort in
knowing that his impact on the American people and the people of Hawaii
is indelible and will not be forgotten.
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