LIHU‘E — U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz visited Kaua‘i Friday as part of a neighbor island tour he launched earlier in the week to speak with constituents about issues facing Hawai‘i. Schatz spent the day discussing the economy with local business owners,
LIHU‘E — U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz visited Kaua‘i Friday as part of a neighbor island tour he launched earlier in the week to speak with constituents about issues facing Hawai‘i.
Schatz spent the day discussing the economy with local business owners, briefed by military personnel at the Pacific Missile Range Facility and speaking with Wilcox Memorial Hospital administrators to discuss the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
“I didn’t come (to Kaua‘i) to give speeches, but to listen and to understand better the priorities of the island,” Schatz said during an interview at The Garden Island’s office.
Schatz was appointed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie in December to replace the late Sen. Dan Inouye, and is gearing up for his 2014 election campaign.
Schatz, who is Hawai‘i’s senior senator, said one of his priorities is to work alongside Sen. Mazie Hirono to build strong relationships in Congress, which will help maintain a steady stream of federal funding to the state.
“I think there’s increasing attention being paid to the state of Hawai‘i,” Schatz said. “It started with Obama being elected, it was continued by the (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) meeting … on O‘ahu, and in terms with our military, people are attentive to what is happening in the South China Sea and missile command.”
Schatz acknowledged that the nation is in a different budget environment, and that it is reasonable to expect reduction in federal spending across the board, but PMRF remains a national asset and isn’t in danger of losing funding.
“There is bipartisan agreement that missile defense is a strategic priority,” he said. “During this period of instability in Asia … we’re confident the Department of Defense understands the role PMRF plays keeping America safe.”
Schatz said Hawai‘i is one of the few states that is most passionate about labeling genetically modified foods (GMOs), but Congress is moving “very slowly” toward labeling genetically modified foods.
“It’s an issue of growing concern for citizens everywhere, but it’s not yet on the radar of the agriculture committees of the Senate and the House.”
He also said that he is opposed to the Monsanto provision that was tucked into a spending bill he voted for, which funds the federal government through Sept. 30, and support’s Sen. Jon Tester’s (D-MT) efforts to remove it. The amendment to strip the provision from the bill was not put to a vote.
“I think people ought to have choice as consumers, and understand what they are consuming and understand what is happening around them,” Schatz said. “I am hopeful that with respect with the local situation, we remember that we are all on an island together, and we are going to have to coexist and find ways to reach a new equilibrium.”
Schatz said another of his priorities is to focus on the growing economy, and what opportunities and challenges it presents to Kaua‘i.
“The sequestration is going to be a challenge for the airport in particular,” Schatz said. “It’s a manageable challenge, but we have to make sure the state’s airport division and the Lihu‘e Airport are working well with our partners in (Transportation Security Administration) to make sure we can process passengers safely and efficiently.”
Schatz also said he had a productive meeting with Wilcox Memorial Hospital Friday, and the hospital is currently tasked with assessing its needs to discover what gaps it has in service and identify opportunities of improvement pursuant to the Affordable Health Care Act.
“It’s not done yet, but I think it’s safe to assume that mental health will rise to the top of the list,” Schatz said. “The state has cut back its community-based management, and it’s having an impact on a societal level. In the end, it doesn’t save money, because people who need care, go to the ER for that care, and it ends up costing both the state and federal government.”
The senator said he is hopeful that Congress has navigated through the crises of the past two years, and is ready to tackle the federal budget,
“We have enough real challenges we shouldn’t manufacture artificial ones,” he said. “The good news is that we are through most of those gauntlets, and we are about to have a real fight over the budget.”
• Andrea Frainier, interim managing editor, can be reached at 245-0427 or afrainier@thegardenisland.com.
