HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii’s congressional delegation says President Donald Trump isnʻt doing enough to combat soaring costs for families struggling in the islands.
In a marathon State of the Union address Tuesday, Trump declared that “we’re winning so much” with an economic boom at home and a new world order abroad.
“Inflation is plummeting. Incomes are rising fast. The roaring economy is roaring like it’s never roared before,” Trump said. “The price of eggs is down 60%. The cost of chicken, butter, fruit, hotels, automobiles, and rent is lower today than when I took office by a lot.”
But despite speaking for a record 108 minutes, U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, said she thought Trump didn’t offer much substance.
“Let’s not mislead America with pretty statements that sound good, but have no proof, no resources, not even programs to be able to back it up,” she said.
“The State of the Union is an opportunity for a president to have a heart to heart, you know, an honest conversation with the country, and I think he missed the moment because right now people are struggling with trying to figure out how they’re going to keep a roof over their head and food on their plate, how to take care of their children,” she said.
Rising costs and affordability crisis
U.S. Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, also criticized the president for failing to address the country’s need for basic affordability.
“He scoffed at it. He avoided it. He explained it away. He blamed it on other people. But he never just said straight up, hey, we’ve got a challenge of cost of living and affordability, and this is what we need to do about it,” Case said.
“I was sitting there saying to myself that he lives in a different planet than the people that I represent. Because from my perspective, Mr. President, the people of Hawaii don’t think that they’re better off on your watch,” he said.
Case acknowledged the truth behind some of Trump’s “winning” statements: all-time highs for the stock market and national gas production, lower gas prices and inflation, and an online TrumpRx portal that helps patients find prescription medications at largely discounted prices.
Still, he says, those gains don’t reflect the reality everyday Americans are experiencing.
Are tariffs taking a toll?
Reps. Case and Tokuda pointed to the impact of Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down last week.
In his speech, Trump said tariff revenues are “saving our country, the kind of money we’re taking in.”
Tokuda said, “If you consider tariffs and the hundreds of billions of dollars that tariffs have taxed on everyday Americans, the goods and products that they need, whether it is for food, whether it is for farmers looking to buy feed, small business owners ... and their small businesses in Hawaii and across the country, the hundreds of billions of dollars he’s collecting in tariffs have been a tax on everyday people.
“That makes things, quite frankly, unaffordable,” she said.
Case said people “don’t walk into stores, buy food and experience lower prices. They don’t walk into a small business and experience lower prices. They experience about $1,800 a year of extra money because of President Trump’s tariffs.”
Clash over immigration enforcement
In his speech, Trump blamed the partial federal government shutdown on Democrats, noting “Democrats in this chamber have cut off all funding for the Department of Homeland Security.”
Not true, Tokuda said.
“We have absolute agreement right now when it comes to other parts of the Department of Homeland Security, whether it’s the Coast Guard, whether it’s CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), whether it’s FEMA, TSA, and we have told them, we’ve put bills forward, we can agree to be able to open them up now and fund them,” she said.
The sticking point, Tokuda said, is Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“We’re asking for the most simple of things because Americans are dead and being threatened in our streets right now, and it may not have happened in Hawaii yet, but it’s happening across our country, and so we absolutely demand the guardrails,” Tokuda said.
How to move forward
Both lawmakers pledged to work toward solutions that ease families’ financial struggles.
“While they didn’t get it tonight in the State of the Union, that is something for Congress instead to make sure that we do, both in our words, but especially in our actions, that we recognize that affordability, that frustration people feel is something that we have got to address if the president refuses to do so,” Tokuda said.
Case said, “My job is to work with this administration, with my colleagues in Congress on both sides of the aisle, and anybody else who really wants to find real solutions to our challenges. And I’m committed to doing that, as hard as it is sometimes under this presidency.
“But I think I also came away believing that my obligation to provide a check and balance on this president is far more important even than it was yesterday,” he added.
Additional remarks
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, released the following statement:
“A year into this administration, what is clear is that they are not doing enough to make life more affordable for people in Hawai‘i. Costs are going up, people are losing their health care, and housing remains unaffordable. People need relief, and I will work with anyone who is serious about lowering costs and helping working people get ahead.”
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, released the following statement:
“Tonight, Donald Trump spewed more lies in an attempt to distract from the chaos, cruelty, corruption, and incompetence that have come to define his second term. In Hawaii and across the country, families are living with fear and uncertainty about paying their bills, being torn apart, and the safety of our nation—all because of Trump and his lawless regime.
“Despite Trump’s empty rhetoric, the facts are clear: prices are soaring, our democracy is under threat, and Donald Trump is focused solely on keeping his power and enriching himself and his billionaire buddies. I refused to sit through two hours of his lies, but I will keep standing with families in Hawaii and across the country to lower costs, defend our democracy, and protect our communities.”
Source: Hawaii News Now