Interview Highlights
On the aftermath of Trump's executive orders
JILL TOKUDA: From the moment he got sworn into office, stacks of executive orders that you saw on his desk that he's signing — from the most frivolous things like renaming gulfs to serious, serious things like pausing and halting federal funding that goes to, in many cases, life-saving services to the public. I'm hearing from colleagues across the country where domestic violence centers aren't sure if they can keep their doors open. You've got firefighters worrying about whether they'll have FEMA reimbursements. You have a hiring freeze going on right now, jobs being rescinded, people being fired in ways that are absolutely illegal and unconstitutional. I think that is the crux of the matter here, that what we're seeing with all of these swirls of executive orders, there has definitely been breaches of that separation of powers that has long defined this country, having that balance between the executive, the legislative and the judiciary. Right now, he's running roughshod over all of us, quite frankly, and trying to see just what he can get away with. So while there's a lot of panic in the air, it's also going to be really incumbent on the legislative and, quite frankly, the judicial branch to have the courage to push back and lean in and make sure we protect what is constitutionally our right. For example, for the Congress, the power of the purse — not being able to halt the federal fundings that you're talking about to grants and to loans, absolutely, 100% should not be happening.
On Trump's move to halt federal grants and loans
TOKUDA: We're getting it rolling in day by day in terms of the impacts, even locally, that it's having. But the bottom line is the power of the purse rests with Congress, and the fact that, you know, Trump is really testing the boundaries. He's really trying to push against that Empowerment Control Act — really shows that he wants to control it all. He wants to take the power of the purse for himself. He wants to expand the authority of the presidency. He wants to see if his Supreme Court will give him that ability. They absolutely must say, "no" — even Republicans across this country have to recognize that him halting grants and loans have hurt both red states and blue states and purple states. This does not discriminate, and so if it's about taking care of our people and making sure our legislative intent and will is heard as Congress, then they must not allow Trump to continue in this matter.
On confirmation hearings for Trump's Cabinet
TOKUDA: So many concerning things I will say and I think the word that just keeps coming to me today as we talk about everything from executive orders to confirmations — it is courage. It's going to take political courage for the Senate to really stand up and ask the hard questions that need to be asked. Quite frankly, the fact that we have a Secretary of Defense that passed on a tie vote. This is the person that's in charge of our national security — represents us amongst world powers and world leaders, both allies and adversaries, to have it be done by a tie-breaking is unheard of to me. And this week as they've faced some critical, critical confirmations, both for Health and Human Services as well as, yes, someone right here from Hawai?i, director of national intelligence, then you have the courage to ask the real question as to whether or not this is about doing what's right for the American people and our Constitution, or just doing whatever Donald Trump says. I recall from Mazie's testimony, and when she was questioning Hegseth in his confirmation, he told her, at one point, whatever the president wants, and I feel that is a sad statement if every single country going forward is under that whole mandate of whatever the president wants. It's not whatever the president wants, it's what's best for the American people and our country.
On affordability issues facing Hawai?i
TOKUDA: That is first and foremost what I go to Congress for. And you and I have talked about this, the fact that it is about all of our children, our grandchildren, my kids, whether they're going to be able to have homes here in Hawai?i, build a life here — and with all the pressures we've always felt for far too long in Hawai?i, the cost of living, the cost of housing, the cost of health care — which is deeply personal to me and something that I'm very involved in, co-leading the bipartisan rural health caucus. We've got to ease that burden. We heard a lot from President Trump on the campaign trail that he was going to be talking about reducing that burden, that everyday cost of living for everyday Americans. If that's really, truly what he wants to do, I'm 100% on board. We have to do that. But everything I've seen to date, whether it's threatening to take over Greenland or changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, whether it's putting thousands of troops at the border, all of these different things, that's not bringing down the cost of eggs, that's not helping someone figure out if they can rent or buy a home or if they have to move away. Let's start talking about the real things that matter — which are those kitchen table issues that all of our families, all of our neighbors, all of us care deeply about — not this other stuff that, quite frankly, is a distraction and not helping our people.
On military personnel living in 14% of Hawai?i's rental market
TOKUDA: That was a report that I called for in the National Defense Authorization Act, and I was extremely disappointed at the results. The best thing out of that was the fact that we found out that 14% of our rental market is being taken by service members and their families. I expected a lot more from our Department of Defense in terms of giving us some real solutions to that. You can't throw something like that out into the room and not have a huge impact and just walk away. It's about taking that responsibility as well in terms of how we are going to address what has been a major, major impact on our already limited housing inventory. How are you going to build up? Build more. How are you going to make sure that of the service members here in Hawai?i, which yes they need a place to live too, that you are going to take care of them without negatively impacting our local families as well? And so I expected a lot more. I'm going to keep pushing more because that is absolutely an unacceptable number. I don't know that there's even an acceptable percentage, quite frankly. But if you're impacting our housing inventory, you have an absolute responsibility to assist us in finding solutions.
On an update about the Farm Bill
TOKUDA: I wish I could say we had one. We were supposed to have one two years ago. We are once again embarking on another year extension going in towards the Farm Bill. Very pleased to announce that I am the ranking member, the lead Democrat on the Conservation, Research and Biotechnology Subcommittee, which is really important for Hawai?i. That's all of the invasive species, pesticide work, conservation — really looking at research to how we combat diseases or we find better ways to produce agriculture. So that was a really important thing for me to get into that leadership position for that subcommittee. But we have got to push hard and make sure this Farm Bill is one that does not compromise what is most important to us. And as you might recall last year, the reason we came to stalemate, because there were significant cuts they wanted to make to food programs to SNAP, which was an absolute hard red line for all of us. They wanted to cut conservation programs and dollars as well, which we know in Hawai?i, climate change isn't waiting for us to get our act together. They're not waiting for us to convince everyone in the country that climate chaos is real, all the while, literally, our country is on fire, there are floods, there's tornadoes, extreme weather conditions, all of these different things. We just look in Hawai?i, we have erosion issues, we have wildfire threats, we have all of these different things happening. It's not by chance. This is climate change. And so to really cut back significantly on those conservation dollars and programs that have really been allowing us to start to make gains and start to mitigate this chaos, that will be foolhardy, absolutely. And so this is about going into the Farm Bill and pushing to make sure the right things are included and the bad things are not.
By: Catherine Cruz
Source: Hawai?i Public Radio