“We’re going to fight like hell” to ensure FEMA is funded for Maui Recovery
US Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05) announced a shared legislative priority for Congress to approve funding for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund as Maui continues recovery from the Aug. 8 deadly wildfire in Lahaina. “The Relief Fund will be in deep shortfall by the end of the fiscal year in September. With the increasing possibility that partisan gridlock could result in a government shut down, aid for Maui and communities across the country is at … Continue Reading
August 28, 2023
Hawaii Governor Enlists Help From Federal Lawmakers Visiting Maui
Standing before a gaggle of local reporters and Washington politicians, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green struggled to hold back his tears as he discussed what happened in Lahaina on Aug. 8. He recounted the story of a 15-year-old boy — someone about the same age as his daughter — who took his family’s car to save his 8-year-old brother and their mother who was trapped down on Front Street as the fires raged around them. “He’s driving for the first time and getting them out alive,” Green said. “Can … Continue Reading
August 27, 2023
Long Lines of Fire Survivors Underscores Demand for Help In Maui
The ongoing needs of evacuees and survivors from the Lahaina fire were best illustrated by the 100 to 200 people who lined up outside the Lahaina Civic Center gym on Saturday nearly two hours before another “help fair” opened to connect needs with services. U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, whose congressional district includes the neighbor islands and rural Oahu, organized the event with U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and opened the doors to the gym nearly an hour early to let fire survivors inside the … Continue Reading
August 25, 2023
Rep. Tokuda, Sen. Hirono to host Federal Resource Fair in Lahaina on Aug. 26
Hawaii congress members Rep. Jill Tokuda and Sen. Mazie K. Hirono have joined forces to offer immediate assistance and support to the communities affected by the Maui fires. In a joint press release, Tokuda and Hirono announced a federal resource fair scheduled for Aug. 26 in Lahaina from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The resource fair aims to provide aid to residents who have been impacted by the fires, offering a wide array of essential services to alleviate the hardships they face. Tokuda and … Continue Reading
August 19, 2023
Help has landed on Maui
Earlier today at the federal resource fair community members spoke one-on-one with FEMA about what resources are available to them and residents said, it was an eye-opening experience. Congresswoman Jill Tokuda organized the resource fair in Kihei, where affected residents could find out how to get important documents like passports, register for FEMA assistance and more. “Because I did not register online right away, so I was able to sit down and they explain the whole process to me … Continue Reading
August 19, 2023
Federal Resource Fair Today for Disaster Relief, Lost Document Assistance
Today, Maui residents in need of disaster assistance or who suffered the loss of personal documents during the Maui wildfires can seek help from a number of federal agencies at a resource fair hosted by U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda. It will operate from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Maui Economic Development Board’s Malcom Center, 1305 North Holopono St., Suite 5 in Kīhei. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said Saturday that FEMA recognizes that some people who need help have lost everything, including … Continue Reading
August 18, 2023
Federal Resources Fair happening in Kihei Saturday For Those Affected by the Maui Wildfires
Hawaii US Rep. Jill Tokuda will be holding a federal resource fair for those who were affected by the devastating Maui wildfires. Saturday from 1pm to 5pm at the Maui Economic Development Boards Malcolm Center, federal agencies will be present to assist people in need to replace their passports and social security cards. Also participating is FEMA and the veteran's administration to ensure disaster aid and healthcare support be offered in a timely manner. Shuttle services will be … Continue Reading
August 16, 2023
Community Leaders Call for Use of Sirens During Wildfires
Sirens were never activated on Maui during the wildfires because they’re not meant to be used for that type of emergency. That’s the official word from the state and county. Experts and community leaders say it’s time to change that strategy. The state and Maui County say emergency sirens are normally used for hurricanes and tsunamis. But some people say wildfires have become a regular threat, so we should use whatever resources are available to warn residents about them. “During the … Continue Reading
August 14, 2023
Hawaii Rep. Jill Tokuda on Relief Needed for Maui Fire Destruction
NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Jill Tokuda, who represents Hawaii in the U.S. House of Representatives about the search and rescue efforts continue in Maui after wildfires. JUANA SUMMERS, HOST: Search and rescue efforts continue on Maui after wildfires devastated much of the island last week. The fires have been largely contained, but the death toll is expected to rise in the coming days. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, estimates that it will cost more than $5 … Continue Reading
August 12, 2023
“We underestimated the lethality, the quickness of fire,” Hawaii Congresswoman Jill Tokuda says
Speaking with CNN’s Amara Walker on CNN This Morning on Saturday, Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) said the state “underestimated the lethality, the quickness of fire,” and failed to plan for redundancies in its emergency alert system. Tokuda said these days, emergency alerts are received on cell phones, but that there was no cell phone coverage in the area at the time. “It's not like hurricane force winds are unknown to Hawaii, or dry brush, or red flag conditions. We saw this before in … Continue Reading
August 11, 2023
Off The News: Recalculating SNAP for rural Hawaii
Although many rural Hawaii residents receiving federal food assistance face higher prices than those in urban Honolulu, current U.S. law on the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) program, once known as “food stamps,” bases its grants to Hawaii recipients on Honolulu’s food costs. Hawaii’s U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda’s Feeding Rural Families Act would amend SNAP formulas to take regional disparities into account. There is precedent: SNAP funding for Alaska, unlike Hawaii, factors in these … Continue Reading
August 10, 2023
Hawaii Will Still Be Recovering from 2023 Wildfires For ‘Generations,’ Rep. Tokuda Says
August 09, 2023
‘We Fear The Worst’: Hawaii Congresswoman Offers Dire Assessment As Images Show Extent of Devastation From Wildfires
CNN’s Brianna Keilar interviewed Democratic Congresswoman Jill Tokuda of Hawaii on Wednesday to discuss the wildfires ravaging the state as an offshore hurricane kicked up winds. Tokuda “represents actually most of the Hawaiian islands, including Maui, and in particular this where we’re seeing all of these pictures come into,” Keilar began. “Congresswoman, I’m so sorry for what your constituents are dealing with. This looks horrific. What is the very latest that you can tell us?” she … Continue Reading
August 09, 2023
Tokuda proposes more help for low-income families to buy healthy food
U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda introduced legislation to shore up the federal Supplemental Nutrition Program — or SNAP — to help more than 37,000 low-income families in Hawaii afford healthful and nutritious food. Tokuda’s Feeding Rural Families Act of 2023 would adjust the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Thrifty Food Plan — Alaska and Hawaii, which Tokuda said in a news release Tuesday is “based on food cost data from Honolulu and (does) not account for the higher cost of food for those living on … Continue Reading
August 03, 2023
Tokuda visits Hilo, talks story with curious residents
What began as an event to help East Hawaii residents file federal paperwork became an impromptu town hall with a U.S. congresswoman Wednesday. Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) visited the Hilo Public Library to hold her first “Tokuda in Your Town” event, which was intended to help her constituents navigate the federal bureaucracy — attendees could receive direct one-on-one assistance with filing for Social Security benefits, veteran’s benefits and more. But while several attendees did bring … Continue Reading
August 03, 2023
Congressional Delegation Reacts to Latest Trump Indictment
Hawaii’s Congressional delegation reacted to Tuesday’s news of a third indictment of former President Donald Trump with a mix of historical reflection, moral resolution and a dash of told-you-so. (tee’s note: this subheading sounds really weird to me, which is why I am flagging) In a statement released shortly after the announcement that a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., had indicted Trump on charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential … Continue Reading
August 02, 2023
U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda hosts “Tokuda In Your Town”
Beginning Wednesday, U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda, will begin her community outreach tour, "Tokuda in Your Town". Making its first stop in Hilo, and spanning locations throughout Congressional District Two, the event will serve as an opportunity for Representative Tokuda way of getting into the community and act as a bridge between government and it's constituents. Now unlike a typical town hall, the "Tokuda in Your Town" events will be solely focused on helping community members … Continue Reading
July 29, 2023
Tokuda Speaks Up for Rural Health Reform
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda took to the House floor on Wednesday to raise the alarm about rural health care and introduce the new Congressional Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus, which she relaunched last month and for which she now serves as co-chair. “As the representative of one of the most rural and remote districts in the country, I have seen and heard firsthand the devastating consequences of inadequate access to care,” Tokuda told her House colleagues. “On every island in Hawaii, … Continue Reading
July 28, 2023
Representative Jill Tokuda Announces “Tokuda in Your Town Events”
KPUA Radio On Wednesday, August 2, Representative Jill Tokuda will be in Hilo for the first installment “Tokuda in Your Town.” The event, which will help constituents navigate the federal government and its agencies, will be held at the Hilo Public Library from 12:00pm-3:00pm. “Navigating the federal government and its agencies can be difficult and time consuming. As your U.S. Representative, I am committed to making sure that you have an advocate on your side and that you can access … Continue Reading
July 26, 2023
Rep. Jill Tokuda Shares Behind-the-Scenes Of Living In D.C.
Making good on a decades-long promise. That's what U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda has done for her younger self after moving to D.C. from Hawaii with her family. KITV4's Rick Quan was able to visit her office and see how she's making the adjustment to living in Washington D.C. When Tokuda was at Castle High School, her first trip to the mainland was to Washington DC. While walking through the Capitol she remembers putting her hand on a desk and whispering that she would be back one … Continue Reading