[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 205 (Wednesday, December 18, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7129-S7130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                  Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Shooting

  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, 2 weeks ago today, the State of Hawaii was 
in shock as an active shooter took the lives of two workers at Pearl 
Harbor Naval Shipyard and wounded a third worker.
  Located on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, the shipyard is a pillar 
of our community. It employs over 6,400 workers who labor every day to 
keep our Pacific Fleet ``Fit to Fight.''
  Hawaii is a small place where we have deep connections to one 
another. Almost everyone in Hawaii either is related to or knows 
someone who works on base or in the shipyard. In my State office in 
Honolulu, a member of my staff has a son who is an apprentice at the 
shipyard and who was there that day. These connections are part of the 
reason why the shooting has impacted our State so deeply. Too many 
families were waiting that day for news of their loved ones in harm's 
way.
  The investigation into what happened is ongoing, and there is no easy 
explanation for what happened and why.
  It is clear that no community in our country is immune from the 
tragedy of gun violence. Today, I rise to honor the lives of those we 
lost--Roldan A. Agustin and Vincent J. Kapoi, Jr.
  Mr. Kapoi and Mr. Agustin were both dedicated Department of Defense--
DOD--civilian shipyard workers and members of the International 
Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 121.
  Roldan Agustin was 49 years old and lived in Ewa Beach. He was adored 
by his family, who describe him as a ``true American patriot'' who 
dedicated his career to his country. After serving honorably in the 
U.S. Navy, Mr. Agustin also served in the Army National Guard, retiring 
as a staff sergeant, having deployed to Afghanistan and Kuwait.
  At Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, he served as a DOD civilian employee, 
working as a shop planner in nondestructive testing and a metals 
inspector.

  In paying tribute to their lost loved one, Mr. Agustin's family said 
in a statement:

       He was a loving son, brother, uncle, and friend to many. 
     Having grown up in Waipahu, Roldan enjoyed working on cars 
     with his friends and spending time with his family and adored 
     his nieces. We will forever remember Roldan to be humble and 
     honest, and a generous and patient man.

  Vincent Kapoi was 30 years old and lived in Honolulu. He grew up in 
Waianae and graduated from Kamehameha schools. His father, brother, 
sister, and sister-in-law are also civilian employees at the shipyard, 
where he served as a metals inspector apprentice. He was dearly loved 
by his family, which includes his wife, parents, siblings, aunties, 
uncles, grandmother, cousins, and friends.
  His wife offered these loving words:

       I have been through a lot of tragedy in my life, but 
     nothing compares to losing the love of your life. I will miss 
     you truly, and I will always love you Vincent J. Kapoi Jr.

  His sister Theona said in a family statement:

       He will always be that easy going, fun loving, ``let's do 
     this'' man that will remain in our hearts. There are so many 
     unanswered questions. We all have to be honest, it changes 
     nothing because we can't bring him back. What we must do is 
     honor his memory, keep him alive in our hearts.

  I also want to honor Roger Nakamine, who was wounded in the attack. 
Mr. Nakamine was working as a civilian apprentice at the shipyard when 
he was wounded.
  Upon leaving the hospital about a week after the attack, Mr. Nakamine 
said:

       My family and I would like to express our gratitude to the 
     first responders and the expert medical staff at Queen's, as 
     well as to all the friends and extended `ohana who have been 
     reaching out to offer their support physically, emotionally 
     and spiritually. Our deepest condolences go out to the 
     friends and family of Vincent Kapoi Jr. and Roldan Agustin.

  Roldan and Vincent, like thousands of their fellow workers, dedicated 
themselves to the shipyard's critically important mission of repairing, 
maintaining, and modernizing the U.S. Pacific Fleet in defense of our 
country.
  In recognition of their service and in keeping with the words of 
their families, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring the 
lives of those we lost: Roldan Agustin and Vincent Kapoi, Jr.
  This is a photograph that depicts the memorial, which was set up the 
day after this tragedy, where friends and family brought lei to honor 
their fallen heroes, their loved ones.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.


                                   5G

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I rise briefly today to thank a number of 
my colleagues--first, the senior Senator from Mississippi, Roger 
Wicker, who has offered a bill called the 5G Spectrum Act.
  I have offered a bill pertaining to the 5G spectrum, as well, and my 
two Democratic friends, Senator Schatz and Senator Cantwell, have 
offered a bill on that subject as well.
  We have been working enthusiastically and in good faith for some time 
to try to work out our differences on this legislation so that we could 
pass it this calendar year. I regret that we are not going to be able 
to work out our differences for the moment, but we are going to 
continue our efforts in good faith.
  The good news about all this legislation is that we all agree that 
the FCC should conduct a public auction of the 5G spectrum.
  What does that mean? We all have heard about 5G. It is 
extraordinarily fast internet--100 times faster than we have right now. 
But in order for 5G to work, there is a certain part of our spectrum, 
or our radio waves, if you will, that the telecommunications have to 
use to deliver the 5G service. It is called the C-band.
  Of course, when we communicate between and among each other on the 
internet or by cell phones through wireless technology, all we are 
doing is sending electromagnetic radiation or radio waves from my 
device to your device. It is obviously more complicated than that, but 
at its fundamental level, that is what it is.
  These radio waves and the airwaves through which though radio waves 
travel--this electromagnetic radiation--belong to the American people. 
It is called spectrum, and that is what we mean when we talk about 5G 
spectrum. We can't lose sight of that fact.

  The wireless telecommunication companies provide an extraordinary 
service. They are going to make 5G possible with the help of the U.S. 
Government and our other forms of government, but we cannot lose sight 
of the fact that none of this would be possible without that spectrum, 
and that is owned by the American people. That spectrum is essential.
  As a result of the efforts of some swamp creatures both in and out of 
government, we came that close to having this spectrum, which belongs 
to the American people and is worth as much as $30 billion to $60 
billion, given away in a backroom through a private auction to three 
satellite companies that happen to be domiciled in foreign countries.
  The excuse given was that these three foreign satellite companies can 
conduct an auction themselves and allocate it to the American 
telecommunication companies that need it for 5G faster than the FCC 
can, even though the FCC has only conducted about 100 of these public 
auctions generating about $123 billion for the American people. Why? 
Because the American people own the spectrum that is being auctioned 
off. It is theirs. But there was a proposal that came that close to 
passing the FCC to just give this spectrum to these three companies and 
let them keep the $30 to $60 billion that the spectrum auction would 
have generated and let them decide who was going to get to participate 
in the 5G throughout our country.
  I thank the FCC. Fortunately, the FCC, at the last minute, said no, 
and I want to thank them. Hence, we have the legislation by Senators 
Wicker, Cantwell, Schatz, and myself, and the good news about the 
legislation is that it would require a public auction by the FCC of the 
spectrum that belongs to the American people. The auction

[[Page S7130]]

would be open to anybody who wants to bid. There would be a fair and 
level playing field, and it would be conducted in front of God and 
country in a public meeting. The best way to resist temptation is a 
strong set of values, a proper upbringing, and witnesses. There will be 
witnesses to this auction.
  What we cannot agree on is how much money, if any, to give to the 
foreign satellite companies. You ask: Why should we give them a dime? 
Well, the foreign satellite companies, the three companies to which 
this spectrum was almost given, are currently using this spectrum. They 
don't need all of it. They don't even need close to all of it, but they 
have been using it for a number of years. The FCC just gave it to them. 
They didn't pay a dime for it.
  Now, I am not criticizing. They put it to good use, but they don't 
own it. They don't have a license. They have sort of a 30-day, month-
to-month lease. That is the way I think of it. And the lease agreement 
says that the FCC can take it back any time it wants to.
  Since the satellite companies have been using the spectrum and they 
have customers, we want to be fair to these companies. Certainly, when 
we decide how to allocate the proceeds of the public auction in front 
of God and country, which the FCC is going to conduct, we certainly 
want to consider the satellite companies' interests. But I am not going 
to support giving them half of the money this auction generates because 
this money belongs to the American people. It can be used to extend 5G 
and other forms of broadband to those of us who don't live in major 
cities but happen to live in rural areas and are all still very much 
Americans.
  So I rise today to say thanks to Senator Wicker, and I mean that from 
the bottom of my heart. I learned so much from working with him. I 
thank Senators Cantwell and Schatz. We are going to keep working toward 
a compromise in a way that will allocate this money to everybody fairly 
and efficiently.
  I am going to end as I began--that first and foremost in my mind is 
the American people because the American people own this spectrum.
  I don't own this spectrum. The U.S. Senate doesn't own the spectrum. 
The three foreign satellite companies don't own the spectrum. The FCC 
doesn't own the spectrum. The telecommunications companies, for which 
we are grateful, don't own the spectrum. The American people own the 
spectrum, and the vast majority of the money generated by this public 
auction should go to them.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
  Mr. CRAMER. Mr. President, before I begin my comments about an 
upcoming nominee, I want to say in response to Senator Kennedy that I 
agree 100 percent. Thank you.