Relating to the death of the Honorable Daniel K. Inouye, a Senator from the State of Hawaii.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, my State of Hawaii and our Nation lost a truly great man, Senator Daniel K. Inouye. He began serving our country when he was only 17 years old, joining the Army after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

At that time, many questioned the patriotism of people who looked like him, but for Senator Inouye that was precisely why he joined the service. He was a true patriot. He loved this country and was willing to do whatever he could to defend it. In fact, he lost his arm charging a series of machine gun nests on a hill on San Terenzo, Italy, on April 21, 1945. His heroic actions rightly earned him the Medal of Honor.

He was the embodiment of the Greatest Generation: courage, sacrifice, humility, and love of country. It's why the commitment to serve and protect those who fight for our country has always been one he took personally. It's why he always stood up for the ideals of freedom and justice that our country is founded upon, because he saw firsthand what happens when we don't. And it's why he was always proud to stand up for our heritage in Hawaii.

The truth is, Senator Inouye deeply loved our beautiful State of Hawaii. Half a century ago, he had a vision of the Hawaii we inherit from him today. Over his many decades of service, he displayed a builder's skill, pouring the foundation of the modern and vibrant Hawaii that is his legacy. And so the greatest tribute we can pay Senator Inouye is to acquire his vision, apply his skills, and build on the remarkable foundation he laid for us, from strengthening our schools and university to building our roads and bridges.

And just today, our State marked another milestone led by Senator Inouye. We signed a full funding grant agreement with the U.S. Government for our Oahu rail project. This was a project championed by Senator Inouye through many years, through many ups and downs.

The Senator saw the future of Hawaii often before others did; and when he saw something that was going to better the lives of the people in Hawaii, he always fought for it. This is probably one of the things he will be remembered for the most, his tenacity in fighting for the people of Hawaii and for doing what is right.

And while he may have been a fierce competitor, he was always a gentle spirit. In a Washington that, at times, is so torn apart by partisanship, Dan Inouye always worked to defuse that situation and bring us together. He understood that words mattered as much as actions, and he always worked to elevate the debate.

And he stood by his friends, no matter their political stripes. It's why we've all heard from people on both sides of the aisle, and some who are speaking today, who are so saddened by his death by what our country lost this week.

I received a message from our good friend and brother, Eni Faleomavaega from American Samoa. He is traveling overseas and asked that I mention his deep condolences to the people of Hawaii.

Eni, like so many, calls Senator Inouye a mentor. He taught us all lessons we'll never forget. Simply put, Senator Inouye was an extraordinary

person, a giant in the Senate, who accomplished so much for the people of Hawaii and our Nation. It is now up to us to carry on that work, to realize his vision, to draw upon his strength, his strength of purpose and strength of character, to do what is right.

I know the people of Hawaii join me today in pledging to do just that.

Aloha, Senator Inouye.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I also ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 839.

I would now like to yield as much time as he consumes to my colleague from the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Kilili Sablan.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield such time as he may consume to my good friend from Alaska, Congressman Don Young.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to my friend from California, Congresswoman Doris Matsui.

I would now like to yield such time as she may consume to my friend from California (Ms. Chu).

Mr. Speaker, I now yield such time as she may consume to my friend and colleague from Hawaii, Congresswoman Hanabusa.

I now yield such time as he may consume to my good friend from California, Congressman Mike Honda.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all of my colleagues who came to the floor tonight to share their experiences and thoughts about Senator Inouye, as well as all my other colleagues who express their condolences to Irene Hirano Inouye, his wife; his son, Ken; his daughter-in-law; his granddaughter, Maggie; and all those who have expressed and shared their experiences with Senator Inouye.

This is a man who touched so many lives, not just in Hawaii, but all across the country. And we all know at this point what a great Senator he was and all of the good works that he did, but at a time like this, we often hear from just individuals who want to share their very human stories about individual kindnesses that he showed. In fact, one of my colleagues today said, Did you know that I was at a function where it was raining, and he held an umbrella over my head with his one good arm for an hour? Or how much he cared about the Hansen's disease patients in Kalaupapa, and he invited them to Oahu to meet with the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, so that the Secretary could hear from these residents who often did not get to travel very much, who could share with the Secretary their own concerns and to ask for his help, and they were helped.

So it is always a human dimension to what Senator Inouye did that always struck me, and he did so in a very quiet way. So we honor him, we thank him, and his last word before he passed on was, ``Aloha.''

Senator, we bid you aloha. We love you. Aloha.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I, too, rise today with a heavy heart to honor and to remember Senator Dan Inouye.

On December 17, 2012, the State of Hawaii, our Nation, the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and all champions of social justice and change lost our polaris, our guiding light, our guiding star--Senator Daniel K. Inouye. I'm deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend who has been a hero to us all, his ohana.

From his service on the battlefields of World War II--we mentioned a Medal of Honor--to the Senate floor, in serving the Aloha State in Congress since it achieved statehood in 1959 and rising to become the highest ranking Asian Pacific Islander in our Nation's history, his impact on our lives and our community is immeasurable and unparalleled.

The Senator has had a deep sense and reflected a deep sense of dignity in spite of any kinds of situations that may surround him, a quiet calm of strength even in the battlefields to the Halls of Congress.

We know that during the time of Watergate, he was slighted and insulted through a racial slur, but he did not exchange one for another. He just reflected his quiet strength and dignity by not responding at all. The rest of the country did for him. And as he went through the Watergate process, he showed that he could serve and deal with justice with an even hand. And with that, he showed that this country can deal with all kinds of problems that it faces.

As chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Inouye worked across the aisle to ensure that the needs of the people of Hawaii and the sovereign rights of native Hawaiians and other indigenous people, as our friend, Don Young, had mentioned, as well as the AA-PI communities, were priorities of this government.

During the seventies and eighties, Senator Inouye played a critical role in making sure that this country understood its behavior towards the Japanese Americans on the mainland and in Hawaii. There was an effort to secure an apology, a recognition of the wrongdoings, and also move forward with the idea of reparations, but it didn't seem as if they were making much progress. He wisely said to leadership of this movement, Perhaps we need to do a study and a commission to educate and inform the rest of the Members of this body to understand what it is that we are fighting for. And so came about the World War II Commission on Internment. And through the commission study and their gathering information across this country and listening to testimony, from people who were aged to the people who were younger, securing information validating the position of those who were seeking an apology from this government came the conclusion and the final decision to move forward with the bill, my bill, 442, to rescind Executive Orders 9022 and 9044, and also to make sure that this country understood the reasons for the incarceration and internment of Japanese Americans in this country during 1942.

The conclusion of that commission reflected the wisdom of Senator Inouye. The conclusion of the commission said the reason why internment happened to Americans of Japanese descent was because of war hysteria, racial prejudice, and the failure--the failure--of political leadership. And to that, it's been always a reminder for me when I listened to him and I watched him work that he would never, ever allow the lack of failure of political leadership in this country to ever fall--not on his watch.

Since 1959 when I graduated from high school, I reflected back now, today, of how young he was then and how he stood his ground and guided Alaska and this country through his life and his dedication to public service.

So, Senator Inouye proved to be a very devoted husband and a father. I extend my sincerest condolences to the entire Inouye family.

Senator Inouye's passing may mark an end of an era, I would say, but I would declare and say that his work will continue to impact this country in terms of a continuous attention to ohana and to the rights of all people, including aboriginal folks.

He once stated in his fight to protect the Filipino World War II veterans, he said about them, he said that heroes should never be forgotten or ignored. And he always continued to make sure that those who serve this country were not to be forgotten or ignored.

So, we, as a grateful Nation, will never, ever forget the Senator from Hawaii, a war hero, a servant through his military service, and a servant through his service in the Halls of Congress.

So I say to him ``Aloha, mahalo.''

Thank you to my colleague from Hawaii for doing this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 839, which relates to the death of the Honorable Daniel K. Inouye, Senator from the State of Hawaii. I know that as the most senior Member of the United States Senate, as the Appropriations chair, and as a true war hero, Senator Inouye will be remembered in Washington, in Hawaii, and across the Nation. Tomorrow, he will be given one of the highest honors of anyone in this country, and that is to be able to lie in state in this Capitol. But for me, the passing strikes deeper because he was also my mentor and a dear friend.

I had the honor of having lunch with Senator Inouye just before he went into the hospital, and we discussed many things. Know that his love and concern for Hawaii and for America never wavered. He never stopped thinking about how things could be made better, who we could help, and what we could accomplish. He was, of course, a force to be reckoned with, and as I said at the time I just couldn't think about Hawaii without Senator Inouye.

Since his passing, statements like the Congressman from Alaska just said about the Senator being their third Senator has been made by other Congressmen to me as well, so you know that his impact was felt very deeply throughout this country.

As long as Hawaii has been a State, Dan Inouye served us in Washington--``us'' meaning the people of Hawaii. For most people in Hawaii, he was always there, as dependable as the sunrise, yet he was never proud, never acted as though he was better than the people he represented.

I can tell you from personal experience that it is just impossible to be an elected official in Hawaii without being in awe of Daniel K. Inouye, someone who served so long, accomplished so much, and yet made it seem so effortless.

Hawaii was and is a grassroots State. You need to get out there with the people, share their activities, eat their food--now, that's really critical--laugh at their jokes. And there was Dan Inouye, the war hero, recipient of the Medal of Honor, U.S. Senator, an iconic force in Hawaii's history and politics, and he just fit right in. Us, the people of Hawaii, we can spot a phony a mile away, but we loved him because we knew he was the real thing. He was genuine.

So here was the most senior Member of the Senate, chair of the Appropriations Committee, President pro temp, and third in line to the succession to the Presidency, but in his heart he was no different than that kid growing up in territorial Hawaii, not wearing shoes until he got to high school--by the way, not wearing shoes we called going ``hadashi'' in Hawaii--who volunteered just out of high school to serve his country in war. I think that's why, when he ran for reelection, his bumper stickers didn't say Senator Inouye, or Daniel K. Inouye, it just said Dan.

I still remember his political poster when I began to recognize political posters, solid black with Dan, his signature, in yellow. Simple, yet strong, as he was. I didn't know at that time the significance of the colors. Those were the colors of his alma mater, McKinley High School, again, a statement that he never forgot where he came from.

For me, knowing Dan Inouye and learning from him, that down-to-earth nature was a very special thing. When he shared his insights about serving the people who elected us and doing what is right for Hawaii and America, I knew it was coming from his heart. Not just that what he was doing was

advising to show the true love for the people he served, but also that he was sharing these insights with me because he cared enough about me to pass on the lessons.

He genuinely wanted me to do better. Quietly, with that great smile and that beautiful, resonant voice, he gave that gift of his experience and his wisdom. He was a man of such accomplishment and power who was also unbelievably generous of himself.

I will never forget that gift from my friend, Dan Inouye. For the next few days, as we say good-bye to a genuine hero, a champion of Hawaii, a political icon, I hope, Mr. Speaker, you will join us in remembering a wonderful man and pass this resolution so that we may all say, ``Aloha, Dan, mahalo, and thank you.''

I would like to thank my friend, the gentlelady from Hawaii, for organizing this time for all of us to honor Daniel Inouye.

It's with heavy heart that I rise here today in support of this resolution honoring the late Senator Inouye. On December 17, our country lost a beloved leader, an American hero, and a man I was honored to call my friend.

Rising to become the most senior Member of the United States Senate, Senator Inouye will be remembered, not only for his distinguished record as a legislator, but also for his heroism on the battlefield. Senator Inouye served his country on the battlefields of Europe during World War II and earned the Nation's highest honor for military valor, the Medal of Honor.

As a soldier, Senator Inouye fought for the lives of American citizens back home to protect his fellow servicemen and also for the ideals our country stands for: equality, justice, and freedom. When he joined politics, the only thing that changed was his battlefield.

Senator Inouye was a giant in Congress who demonstrated his strong love for his country and belief in American ideals with every action he took. He was a man who stood by his convictions and fought for what he believed and was never afraid to reach across the aisle and look for bipartisan solutions to some of our Nation's most pressing problems. And while his presence was certainly strongly felt here in the Capitol, he remained accessible to and was loved, not only by his constituents in Hawaii, but across this country.

When I put the word out to my California constituents that Senator Inouye had passed away and that Congress had lost one of its greatest leaders, I received an outpouring of comments from my constituents expressing their sorrow and sharing stories of ways that Senator Inouye had touched their lives. Even in my district of Sacramento, California, Senator Inouye was well known, well respected, and well loved.

As the highest serving Asian American in our country's history, Senator Inouye was a true inspiration to the Asian American community.

As a Member of Congress, my late husband, Bob Matsui, worked closely with Senator Inouye on the movement for Japanese American redress and reparations. Together with colleagues, they helped secure a formal government apology for innocent Japanese Americans who were victims of one of our country's darkest moments.

It will be impossible to find a stronger voice for our Nation's veterans than Senator Inouye. He was instrumental in getting the Congressional Gold Medal awarded to several military units from World War II, units composed almost entirely of persons of Japanese ancestry who exhibited exceptional bravery on the battlefield while their own families were in interment camps here at home.

Earlier this year, I worked closely with Senator Inouye to ensure that the Congressional Gold Medal toured the country so everyone could have the opportunity to learn about the bravery and heroism of these veterans.

This is the type of man Senator Inouye was. He was a man who, up to the very end, worked tirelessly to bring recognition to those who deserve it the most.

Senator Inouye devoted his life to serving his country. He was an inspiration and a role model--a real role model--an example of what every public servant should strive to be.

My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Irene, his son Ken, and their family, and especially to his granddaughter Maggie, whom we will make sure hears about the stories of her great-grandfather.

On a personal level, when my husband passed away some 8 years ago, I recall how generous and sincere Dan Inouye was towards me and my family during those difficult days. I know this is a difficult time, but it is my sincere hope that there is some comfort in knowing that his legacy of remarkable service and dedication to our country, his love of country, will live on for generations to come. He was truly a giant.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in reflection and remembrance of the life of Senator Daniel Inouye.

I was deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Senator Daniel Inouye on Monday; his passing marks the end of an era for the people of Hawaii, for the United States Senate and Congress, and for the country. A public servant from start to finish, Daniel Inouye has left a shining, indelible mark on history that will inspire Americans for generations to come.

His story is simply incredible. Daniel was a medical volunteer during the Pearl Harbor attacks in 1941. Even though the U.S. Army banned people of Japanese descent from enlisting, and even though Executive Order 9066 authorized the internment of roughly 110,000 Japanese Americans, Daniel Inouye found it within himself to be an American patriot.

Soon after the ban on enlistment was lifted, he abandoned his Pre-Med studies at the University of Hawaii and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943. He was a war hero in the truest sense of the term, earning a Medal of Honor for his actions on the battlefields of World War II before his state was even admitted to the union.

Daniel Inouye was a Lieutenant and Platoon Leader on the battlefield in Tuscany, Italy in April 1945. Even after being shot in the stomach by German machine gun fire, he refused medical treatment and still managed to find the courage to destroy 2 machine gun nests. Nearly losing consciousness from blood loss, he heroically charged a 3rd machine gun nest before having his right arm severed by a German grenade. Somehow, even after these grave injuries, Daniel Inouye still found a way to toss a grenade that destroyed the 3rd bunker.

He remained a proud member of the military until his honorable discharge as a Captain in 1947. He was Hawaii's first Representative in the House, a source of great pride to all Members, past and present.

As Hawaii's first Congressman and, subsequently, as a nine-term Senator, Daniel Inouye embodied the spirit of `aloha' in his work. Serving as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, he worked to strengthen our national security and help veterans access the benefits they've earned.

He was a consistent champion for the interests of Hawaii's people. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with Senator Inouye, and my thoughts are with his family and with the people of his beloved Hawaii, who will always remember him for his leadership and his courage. As a Senator, he never forgot his military roots, and has always been a voice for veterans.

Senator Inouye was a patriarch of Hawaii, and all Hawaiians will long remember his unyielding devotion to the economic vitality, progress, and success of his beloved home state. His fellow Americans will long remember his leadership in protecting our men and women in uniform, strengthening our national security, reaching across the aisle, and investing in a future of prosperity for all.

By his actions, he stood firm for the independence of the Congress, the strength of our democracy, and the values of the American people.

I want to extend my condolences to his entire family as they mourn the loss of a great man.

When asked recently how he wanted to be remembered, Daniel said, quite humbly, ``I represented the people of Hawaii and this nation honestly and to the best of my ability. I think I did OK.'' I think that I speak for us all when I say that this was quite an understatement for a man who accomplished so much and sacrificed so much for this country. And so with heavy hearts, we bid ``aloha'' to Senator Daniel Inouye--a man whose chapter in American history will live on.

The previous question was ordered.