REMINDER: Today is the last day to apply for a Military Service Academy Nomination with my office. All documents must be received today at 11:59 p.m. HST. For more info on application submissions, please visit bit.ly/TokudaMilitaryNominat… or contact my office at (808) 746-6220.

Reflecting back on the I'm a Bright Kid Foundation 10 year celebration and all the classmates, friends, former teachers and amazing performers that filled the evening with love, laughter and song. When Mr B left us, it felt like a light had gone out in the world. To Aunty Mo and all the Bright Kids who made IABK possible, mahalo for turning the lights back on and inspiring generations of new Bright Kids who are lighting up our world. ❤️

When Hawaiʻi needs help, @hgeahawaii members are always there. From keeping our hospitals running to helping families through emergencies, our public workers show up for us every day. It meant so much to join HGEA’s 28th Biennial General Assembly and thank them for all they do for our communities. HGEA, you’ve always had my back and Hawaiʻi’s back. I promise I’ll always have yours.

Despite all the North Shore has been through, this community continues to show up for each other. Mahalo to Lei for taking me through Wainiha, to Stacy and the team at Waipā for feeding families and building resilience, to Joel and the Hanalei Initiative for helping repair homes, and to Limahuli and everyone working to clear waterways and keep communities safe. There’s still a lot of work ahead, but I left inspired by the aloha, strength, and care people continue to give one another.

At UH Mānoa, I heard directly from students, faculty, and staff about what the Trump Administration’s latest cuts to higher education funding mean for Hawaiʻi. These cuts threaten critical-language programs, Asia-Pacific studies, and Hawaiʻi’s ability to build the relationships and cultural understanding that strengthen our security across the Pacific. Congress approved this funding—the administration has no right to withhold it. I’ll keep fighting to protect UH, our students, and Hawaiʻi’s role as a bridge to the Pacific. Mahalo to everyone who spoke up about what’s at stake.

Mahalo to the students, faculty, and staff at UH Maui College for inviting me to talk story over pizza. 🍕 We had a thoughtful conversation about the issues on their minds, from AI and the growing power of big tech to women's health and reproductive rights and school voucher court decisions. I’m always grateful for the chance to be with our students, hear what they’re thinking, and talk about the challenges shaping their lives and our communities.

Holding ICE accountable means knowing where taxpayer dollars are going and making sure the rule of law applies. At Hawaiʻi’s first Immigration and Inclusion Conference, I shared what I’ve seen at FDC Honolulu and why Congress must keep pushing for answers, oversight, and humane treatment. That means warrants, body cameras, no facial coverings, and a system where immigrants can live, work, and move through our communities without fear. Mahalo to everyone standing up for the dignity and rights of our immigrant communities.

Was great to start the week in Hilo where I was able to meet up with Mayor Alameda & talk with Hawaiʻi Island elected officials about funding and executing storm/disaster recovery and how we can be better prepared for the next one. As we face changes to how providers are reimbursed by local insurance carriers and the federal government, it was important for me to meet with independent healthcare providers from Hilo, Kona, and Waimea and talk about how we keep local practices open, strengthen our workforce, and sustain critical care in our communities, from internal medicine to radiology and mammography services. Mahalo to our healthcare heroes for sharing what they’re seeing and what their patients need. These conversations help make sure Hawaiʻi’s needs are heard in Washington.

Chris Leonard and the team @KWXX know how important it is to keep people informed when the power is out, cell service is down, and families are looking for reliable information. Mahalo to the broadcasters who stay on air for our communities when it matters most. I’m working in Congress to make sure communications infrastructure is treated like the critical infrastructure it is.

Storm fatigue is real, but with Hurricane Nolo approaching Hawaiʻi, we can’t let our guard down. Now is the time to make sure you and your ʻohana are prepared and know where to get the latest information. For current weather, shelters, alerts, and emergency updates: • weather.gov/hfo/ • dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/get-rea… • hawaii-county-civil-defense-… • mauicounty.gov/2921/Emergenc… • kauai.gov/Government/Departm… • honolulu.gov/dem/ Please stay safe, check on your neighbors, and follow guidance from local emergency officials as conditions change.

As our islands prepare for another storm, Kauaʻi is still recovering from the last one. Destroyed crops, damaged property, and ponds of dead shrimp have devastated Aloun Farms, Kauaʻi Shrimp, and Lydgate Farms. Kauaʻi Shrimp is now closing its operations, underscoring how devastating these losses are for local agriculture and the families and workers who depend on it. Seeing the damage firsthand and talking with these farmers and UH CTAHR’s agriculture team made clear that recovery will take more than rebuilding, we need to also strengthen our agricultural resilience so our farmers aren’t left to shoulder catastrophic losses in future storms.

Glad to join the blessing of the MEERA lab at Mililani High School. This new space gives students hands-on experience with the equipment and technology used in manufacturing and engineering careers, helping them explore what their future could look like. I’m proud to support initiatives like these that open up career pathways here in Hawaiʻi. Mahalo to the educators and partners making these opportunities possible for our keiki.

Mahalo to Mālama Mākua and the Waiʻanae Moku Kūpuna Council for bringing folks together to talk about the collective vision for the future of Mākua. A plan for the cleanup, return, and community-driven stewardship of Mākua is needed to ensure future generations can inherit and care for a healthier, more vibrant valley.

Governor Ariyoshi made history as our nation’s first Asian American governor, but I’ll remember him most for the humility, steady leadership, and deep love for Hawaiʻi that defined his service. My deepest aloha to Jean and the entire Ariyoshi ʻohana. Mahalo for a lifetime of service to Hawaiʻi, Governor.

Nobody wants explosive diarrhea. So why gamble with food safety? The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has lost 860 positions—12% of its staff—and the FDA has lost over 800 food safety personnel. How are we supposed to build confidence in American food while losing the people who help keep it safe?

A lot of talk about growing markets for American agriculture. A whole lot of silence when I asked a simple question: who replaces the billions cut from SNAP and other programs that buy food from local farmers and ranchers? That money doesn’t disappear on paper. It disappears from farmers’ bottom lines and families’ food baskets. Farmers lose customers. Families lose food. That's the Republican plan for growing American agriculture.

I took to the House floor to share the stories of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea and raise awareness for the families still waiting for answers. Seventeen people are officially recognized as having been abducted. Five returned home. Twelve remain unaccounted for. We must keep their stories alive and continue standing with the families who are still waiting for answers.