U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono, Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) introduced  legislation — the Pay Our Bills Act — that calls for permanently allowing Congress to disapprove debt ceiling increases, instead of approving them. Hirono said the bill would prevent the debt limit “from being used as a political football in the future.”

Sen. Brian Schatz introduced two bills that he believes will create high-quality jobs in Hawaii and promote American manufacturing as part of a  “Make it in America” initiative with Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and others. “New clean energy incentives, opportunities for Native Hawaiian small businesses, increasing Hawaii’s exports, and promoting foreign investment in our businesses are all part of a dynamic economy here in Hawaii,” said Schatz.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is co-sponsoring a bill to improve privacy protections for Americans and “rein in” the National Security Administration’s domestic surveillance programs. “The NSA’s blatant violations of personal privacy and freedoms — and abuse of the USA PATRIOT Act’s original intent — are absolutely unacceptable,” said Gabbard.

And Rep. Colleen Hanabusa announced along with Randy Forbes (R-VA) the launch of a bipartisan oversight effort called the HASC Asia-Pacific Oversight Series, which she thinks will focus on educating Congress and the public about long-term national security challenges the United States faces in the Asia-Pacific. “With the United States’ pivot to the Pacific as the theater of the future, Hawaii’s strategic importance will grow,” Hanabusa said. 

Photo: Rep. Colleen Hanabusa. (Courtesy)

—Chad Blair