[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 7064-7066]
[From the U.S. 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 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 gentlewoman 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

[[Page 7065]]

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 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.

  Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my strong support 
of House Concurrent Resolution 83, authorizing the use of Emancipation 
Hall in the Capitol Visitor's Center for the lei draping ceremony on 
June 8, 2014 to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha the Great. 
For more than forty years, the Hawai`i Congressional delegation and the 
Hawai`i State Society have hosted a lei draping ceremony which 
coincides with the celebration of King Kamehameha Day in the State of 
Hawai`i on June 11th.
  King Kamehameha the Great, also known as King Kamehameha the first, 
was born in North Kohala on the island of Hawai`i and grew to become 
one of the most powerful figures in Hawaiian history. He was a superior 
warrior and was the only man in the history of the Hawaiian people to 
unite the Islands after nearly a decade of warfare.
  According to Hawaiian legend, on the day King Kamehameha was born, a 
new star appeared in the heavens, signaling the birth of a great chief. 
At the time of his birth, the Hawaiian Islands were in a state of 
chaos, with rival chiefs constantly at odds with each other. King 
Kamehameha utilized western advisors and technology, such as muskets 
and cannons, to aid him in combat during his quest to unify the 
Hawaiian Islands. In 1810, King Kamehameha fulfilled his goal of 
uniting the Kingdom with the surrender of the Chief from Kauai.
  With his forward thinking and vision for Hawai`i, Kamehameha ensured 
that the newly united Hawaiian Kingdom would not crumble after his 
death by establishing a uniform legal system and promoting a fruitful 
trade with

[[Page 7066]]

Western powers. He is noted for Kanawai Mamalahoe, or the Law of the 
Splintered Paddle. It is said that when King Kamehameha led a raid, his 
foot got caught in between two rocks. A couple of local fishermen, who 
were fearful of the warrior, not realizing that it was the great king, 
hit Kamehameha with a paddle on the head, so hard that it splintered 
into thousand pieces. King Kamehameha survived the incident and those 
same fishermen were brought to him for punishment. However, to their 
surprise, the King did not seek revenge for the incident but rather 
blamed himself and declared that every innocent, unarmed man, woman and 
child would be protected during wartime. The Law of the Splintered 
Paddle has become the basis for a number of humanitarian laws of war 
and was the first written law in the Kingdom of Hawai`i. This reflects 
King Kamehameha's devotion to protecting the weak during times of war 
and his belief that every human life was precious beyond comprehension.
  King Kamehameha was also steadfast in preserving the traditional 
Hawaiian cultural beliefs and practices. He was a strong follower of 
the Hawaiian religion and deeply valued the long standing kapu system, 
the laws and regulations of ancient Hawai`i.
  Without King Kamehameha and the unification of the Hawaiian Islands, 
Hawai`i would have been torn apart by competing western interests. The 
Kingdom of Hawai`i, with a united front, was able to resist western 
colonialism until the overthrow in 1893. For the people of Hawai`i, the 
reign of King Kamehameha, celebrated on June 11th, represents a time of 
great prosperity and peace in Hawaiian history. It serves as a reminder 
of the greatness in the Hawaiian people and the everlasting respect for 
the King who united Hawai`i while remaining true to the traditions and 
beliefs that have guided the people for hundreds of years and many more 
to come.

  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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