Floor SpeechBipartisan2024-12-20

MAUI MINUTE NO. 30

HousingInfrastructure

Context

On 2024-12-20, Representative Jill N. Tokuda (D-HI-2) delivered a floor speech titled "MAUI MINUTE NO. 30" in the House. The speech addressed housing and also covered infrastructure.

Full Text

MAUI MINUTE NO. 30

Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 190 (Friday, December 20, 2024) [Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 190 (Friday, December 20, 2024)] [House] [Page H7413] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] MAUI MINUTE NO. 30 (Ms. TOKUDA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.) Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Speaker, this is my 30th Maui minute. After months of delay, three successive requests from President Biden, and unnecessary anxiety for millions of Americans courtesy of the richest man in the world, Congress will now finally send much-needed disaster recovery funding across the country. For over a year, I have led bipartisan efforts pushing to deliver this aid to Maui. We have delivered speeches in this Chamber and we have sent letters to leadership to introduce amendments that were blocked. Finally, we got this done. This disaster recovery package will provide a much-needed boost to meeting all our people's needs. The package will send over $2.1 billion in Federal disaster relief to Hawaii, including about $1.6 billion in the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Fund, or CDBG-DR, $350 million to rebuild drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, and $72 million to rebuild roads and bridges. It will replenish the Small Business Administration's disaster loans program so homeowners and small businesses can continue to recover. For my Maui constituents still recovering from the deadly fires, it has been far too long of a wait, but our work will not stop here. We will use these dollars to rebuild housing and infrastructure, restore our `` `aina,'' ``land,'' and bring our Maui `` `ohana,'' ``family,'' home. ____________________

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MAUI MINUTE NO. 30 Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 190 (Friday, December 20, 2024) [Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 190 (Friday, December 20, 2024)] [House] [Page H7413] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] MAUI MINUTE NO. 30 (Ms. TOKUDA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.) Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Speaker, this is my 30th Maui minute. After months of delay, three successive requests from President Biden, and unnecessary anxiety for millions of Americans courtesy of the richest man in the world, Congress will now finally send much-needed disaster recovery funding across the country. For over a year, I have led bipartisan efforts pushing to deliver this aid to Maui. We have delivered speeches in this Chamber and we have sent letters to leadership to introduce amendments that were blocked. Finally, we got this done. This disaster recovery package will provide a much-needed boost to meeting all our people's needs. The package will send over $2.1 billion in Federal disaster relief to Hawaii, including about $1.6 billion in the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Fund, or CDBG-DR, $350 million to rebuild drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, and $72 million to rebuild roads and bridges. It will replenish the Small Business Administration's disaster loans program so homeowners and small businesses can continue to recover. For my Maui constituents still recovering from the deadly fires, it has been far too long of a wait, but our work will not stop here. We will use these dollars to rebuild housing and infrastructure, restore our `` `aina,'' ``land,'' and bring our Maui `` `ohana,'' ``family,'' home. ____________________