[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 57 (Thursday, March 26, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H2714]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       DISASTER RELIEF FOR HAWAII

  (Ms. Tokuda of Hawaii was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Ms. TOKUDA. Madam Speaker, last week, two back-to-back storms brought 
the most catastrophic flooding Hawaii has seen in over 20 years: 
landslides, washed-out roads, emergency evacuations, and destruction in 
every single county.
  What we saw during these Kona lows was a hard truth: Nature will find 
a way, and water will go where she wants.
  We grew up preparing for hurricane season. That was a threat that we 
knew. Now, disasters don't wait their turn. Hawaii experiences 
wildfires and floods year-round. What we are experiencing today is more 
than our infrastructure was ever built to handle.
  I saw it firsthand. Roads ripped apart as water surged through storm 
drains too small to contain it. Four feet of rock and silt slammed 
against guardrails, pushed down from the mountains. Fields flattened 
where water jumped its bank, bypassed overgrown ditches, and raced 
toward the ocean.
  In its path were homes, cars, farms, hospitals, schools, churches, 
entire communities, our ``family''; ``ohana.''
  Madam Speaker, even in our darkest hour, I also saw Hawaii at its 
very best: neighbors showing up for our neighbors, no one waiting to be 
asked; volunteers feeding families; and first responders and healthcare 
workers going above and beyond. That is aloha. That is who we are.
  Now, we must match that same spirit with action. We need a whole-of-
government approach in response right now: disaster, SNAP, and hot food 
waivers for families who can't access their kitchens; debris removal so 
that people can begin to rebuild; the Army Corps of Engineers clearing 
and dredging our waterways; EPA testing soil and water to keep our 
communities safe from whatever ran off the farms or the mountainsides 
behind them; and National Health Corps support for wound care, mental 
health, and recovery that doesn't end when the water recedes.

                              {time}  1015

  To every ``family,'' ``ohana,'' to every friend, and member of our 
community back home in Hawaii clearing out the mud, mourning what was 
lost, searching for some stable ground again, you are not alone. We see 
you. We will always be standing with you. We will not stop fighting to 
bring every possible resource to help our communities recover, rebuild, 
and come back even stronger.

                          ____________________