Q/A with Colleen Hanabusa
Hawaii is one state out of fifty, and a small state at that. Having our concerns heard
and our needs addressed in Congress will require excellent skills at collaboration and
a Congressional delegation that makes the most of every member’s skills. While no
delegation should be expected to vote in lock-step on every measure, the delegation’s
members should represent our state’s core values and put the interests of the people
before individual concerns or party platform
The Jones Act
The Jones Act and other cabotage laws were originally established to ensure that America maintained a robust domestic merchant marine fleet in times of war and peace. Maintaining a robust merchant marine fleet is an absolutely necessary component in ensuring the economic and internal security of our nation.
Health Care Reform
I support health care reform that will make health care accessible to every citizen who needs it. The question is both humanitarian and economic: if an uninsured person gets sick, we all end up paying the bill in the end. Hawaii has long held an enviable position among states as having one of the highest percentages of citizens with health insurance. However, 35 years is too long to leave Hawaii’s health care law unexamined.
Renewable Energy
Hawaii is unique in that our state probably possesses the most diverse array of alternative energy resources in the nation. The task at hand is to harness our renewable resources and put them to good use.
Making College More Affordable
Never in our history has a college education been more central to preparing our citizens to compete and excel in the global market, or more vital to maintaining America’s position at the vanguard of the world’s economy.
Afghanistan
We need to understand that our nation’s public policy focus in Afghanistan is very different from that of Iraq.
Bringing Back Fiscal Responsibility in Washington
My first priority in Congress will be to put people back to work and get our economy moving again. At this critical juncture, the most important thing the federal government can do is act as a stabilizing economic force.
