Republicans nationally may be balking at President Barack Obama’s budget proposal that totals about $4 trillion — especially about the tax increases on the wealthy — but the four Democrats representing Hawaii in Washington, D.C., are (for the most part) pleased with the wish list.

Here are excerpts of what they had to say in a joint press release:

Sen. Mazie Hirono:

“Many of the priorities laid out in the President’s budget reflect a commitment to stand on the side of middle class families, with key investments in research and innovation, early and higher education, national security, military construction, veterans and infrastructure. …

“As a member of armed services and intelligence, I continue to advocate for Hawaii’s major role in the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific. The budget also includes project and priorities to support a sustainable future in Hawaii and across the country, like Hawaii’s ‘Islands Forests at Risk’ Collaborative Landscape, which will provide crucial protection of native species and their habitats and is the first time Hawaii’s application has ranked in the top three proposals to receive current and permanent funding. …”

Sen. Brian Schatz:

“I am pleased that the President has made clear that we should put an end to the automatic across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration, and invest in research and development, a strong national defense, education, and our nation’s infrastructure.

“The budget proposal creates a fairer tax system by ending some tax breaks for the wealthiest one percent in order to provide more resources for middle-class workers and their families, clean energy programs, and investments in education programs like universal pre-K and affordable community college. …”

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard:

“The budget that President Obama has presented to Congress focuses on closing tax loopholes for special interests and the mega-rich, investing in infrastructure for our communities, and ending the inflexible across-the-board sequester cuts that have had a crippling effect on our military’s readiness. However, there are portions of this budget that I oppose and which give me great concern. As Congress examines and amends this budget, I will continue to advocate for the unique needs of Hawaii families, and oppose provisions which disproportionately negatively affect Hawaii residents, like the proposed increase to airline fees which burdens our families and hurts our economy. …”

Rep. Mark Takai:

“I am glad to see proposals to increase spending on STEM education, make preschool more accessible, and increase access to affordable college education by granting students free tuition at two-year community college programs. …

“I reiterate my call to find a remedy from the harmful cuts of sequestration, for both defense and non-defense spending. If spending were to be enacted at the levels proposed within the budget, without further action from Congress, then mindless, across-the-board cuts would affect programs at every level and cause harm to our economy and national security.  …”

 Obama’s budget, the delegation states, contains funding for “important initiatives for Hawaii” including these:

• a request totaling $444 million for military construction projects in Hawaii, $244 million more than requested last year;

• $70.2 billion in funding for the Veterans Administration, a $5.1 billion increase from last year;

• full funding for the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Program, which funds the Honolulu Rail Project;

• $33 million for the Native Hawaiian Education Program, a $1 million increase from last year;

• $14.7 million that will support the operations of two Tsunami Warning Centers in the Pacific and related activities; and

• $10.8 million for the East-West Center, which is less than the $16.7 million it has received in past years.