Jill N. Tokuda

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Gary Kai as he concludes his 17 years of dedicated service as Executive Director of the Hawaii Business Roundtable. His departure marks an important milestone for the Roundtable and offers an opportunity to recognize a career defined by leadership, service, and a lasting commitment to Hawaii's economic and community well-being. Since joining the Hawaii Business Roundtable in 2009, Gary has helped bring business leaders together around a shared vision for a stronger, more resilient, and more prosperous Hawaii. Through his leadership, he has encouraged thoughtful dialogue and built bridges, realizing that the challenges facing our state require a willingness to work together and create opportunities for generations to come. His contributions have strengthened the Roundtable and reinforced the important role Hawaii's business community plays in the well-being of our state.

Gary's impact on Hawaii, however, extends well beyond his years at the Business Roundtable. Before taking on this role, he built a distinguished career in banking, finance, and real estate development serving as Vice President of Towne Development of Hawaii Inc., General Manager of HomeStreet Bank, Senior Vice President at First Hawaiian Bank, and President and Chief Operating Officer of Finance Factors Ltd. Across these positions, Gary developed a deep understanding of Hawaii's economy, its local businesses, and the people whose livelihoods depend on them. His experience and leadership have made him a trusted voice in Hawaii's business community and a valued contributor to the state's economic progress. Beyond Gary's professional accomplishments, his legacy also includes the relationships he has built, the colleagues he has supported, and the spirit of collaboration he has encouraged throughout his career. His contributions reflect a deep appreciation for the people and communities that make Hawaii unique and a belief that our state's long-term success depends on investing in both its economic vitality and the well-being of its people.

As Gary concludes his tenure with the Roundtable, his contributions will continue to be felt through the work of the organization, the relationships he has fostered, and the broader businesses community he has helped strengthen. His legacy is one of meaningful service and a sustained commitment to a better future for Hawaii.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Gary Kai for his 17 years of dedicated leadership and service to the Hawaii Business Roundtable and for the broader contributions he has made throughout his distinguished career. He has our sincere gratitude for his service to Hawaii and our aloha, for continued success, happiness, and fulfillment in the years ahead.

Madam Speaker, imagine sending your 13-year-old daughter to school and waiting nearly 50 years for her to come home.

That is what Sakie Yokota has endured since North Korean agents abducted her daughter, Megumi, in 1977. As a parent, that thought is absolutely heartbreaking.

I think about my own sons. I imagine them growing up without me at an age so young that, after all those years, they might not even recognize my face.

Koichiro Iizuka knows what that is like. His mother was abducted when he was just 1 year old.

There are 17 Japanese citizens officially recognized as having been abducted by North Korea. While 5 returned home, 12 remain unaccounted for.

Their families have grown old waiting. Many passed away. Sakie is now 90 years old. Every year without answers is another year stolen from them.

This is not only Japan's tragedy. David Sneddon, an American college student who disappeared while hiking in China in 2004, is also believed by his family and many others to have been abducted by North Korea. His fate remains unknown.

These cases are a warning. When governments are allowed to make people disappear, no family and no country are beyond their reach.

Japan is one of America's closest friends and allies. If President Trump has an opportunity to speak to Kim Jong-un, he must raise these abductions directly. He must press for the return of every abductee and a full, credible accounting for those who remain missing, including David Sneddon.

Diplomacy cannot be limited to weapons, sanctions, and security agreements. It must also be about human beings. Democracies must stand together in defense of our people and their most basic human rights. Time has already taken far too much from these families. We cannot allow silence to take away their last hope for answers.

restoring funding for public broadcasting

Madam Speaker, this is not the first time I have taken to the floor to talk about Kauai Community Radio, KKCR.

When Congress defunded the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, KKCR lost $83,000. I warned then that this wasn't simply about radio programming. It was about whether communities would have a trusted lifeline when disaster strikes.

Last week, Hurricane Lowell proved the point. When the storm hit Kauai, power went out across the island. Cell service and internet became unreliable. Roads were blocked. Trees came down. Communities were cut off.

KKCR stayed on the air. When the power failed, they switched to a generator. When the internet went down, they used a donated Starlink connection. When trees went down around their North Shore station, they kept broadcasting.

For a time, KKCR was the only station that Kauai could hear. They carried updates from the mayor and emergency management officials. They relayed calls from listeners who were reporting weather, road conditions, and power outages in their neighborhoods. They told people where they could find food, ice, water, and help. They played music to keep people calm. In the digital age, when clocks and phones had gone dark, they even reminded people what time it was.

KKCR was founded after Hurricane Iniki to provide emergency communication. More than three decades later, Hurricane Lowell shows us why that mission still matters.

This is what Congress put at risk when it cut public broadcasting-- not entertainment but a lifeline. We must restore this funding because when the next disaster comes, the question is not whether people will need KKCR. It is whether KKCR will still be on the air to answer the call.

Madam Speaker, imagine sending your 13-year-old daughter to school and waiting nearly 50 years for her to come home.

That is what Sakie Yokota has endured since North Korean agents abducted her daughter, Megumi, in 1977. As a parent, that thought is absolutely heartbreaking.

I think about my own sons. I imagine them growing up without me at an age so young that, after all those years, they might not even recognize my face.

Koichiro Iizuka knows what that is like. His mother was abducted when he was just 1 year old.

There are 17 Japanese citizens officially recognized as having been abducted by North Korea. While 5 returned home, 12 remain unaccounted for.

Their families have grown old waiting. Many passed away. Sakie is now 90 years old. Every year without answers is another year stolen from them.

This is not only Japan's tragedy. David Sneddon, an American college student who disappeared while hiking in China in 2004, is also believed by his family and many others to have been abducted by North Korea. His fate remains unknown.

These cases are a warning. When governments are allowed to make people disappear, no family and no country are beyond their reach.

Japan is one of America's closest friends and allies. If President Trump has an opportunity to speak to Kim Jong-un, he must raise these abductions directly. He must press for the return of every abductee and a full, credible accounting for those who remain missing, including David Sneddon.

Diplomacy cannot be limited to weapons, sanctions, and security agreements. It must also be about human beings. Democracies must stand together in defense of our people and their most basic human rights. Time has already taken far too much from these families. We cannot allow silence to take away their last hope for answers.

restoring funding for public broadcasting

Madam Speaker, this is not the first time I have taken to the floor to talk about Kauai Community Radio, KKCR.

When Congress defunded the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, KKCR lost $83,000. I warned then that this wasn't simply about radio programming. It was about whether communities would have a trusted lifeline when disaster strikes.

Last week, Hurricane Lowell proved the point. When the storm hit Kauai, power went out across the island. Cell service and internet became unreliable. Roads were blocked. Trees came down. Communities were cut off.

KKCR stayed on the air. When the power failed, they switched to a generator. When the internet went down, they used a donated Starlink connection. When trees went down around their North Shore station, they kept broadcasting.

For a time, KKCR was the only station that Kauai could hear. They carried updates from the mayor and emergency management officials. They relayed calls from listeners who were reporting weather, road conditions, and power outages in their neighborhoods. They told people where they could find food, ice, water, and help. They played music to keep people calm. In the digital age, when clocks and phones had gone dark, they even reminded people what time it was.

KKCR was founded after Hurricane Iniki to provide emergency communication. More than three decades later, Hurricane Lowell shows us why that mission still matters.

This is what Congress put at risk when it cut public broadcasting-- not entertainment but a lifeline. We must restore this funding because when the next disaster comes, the question is not whether people will need KKCR. It is whether KKCR will still be on the air to answer the call.