Editor's Note: Here is an excerpt from the Aug. 31, 2006, forum in which Congressman Ed Case and U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka faced off on several political issues, including the War in Iraq, Social Security, healthcare, tax cuts and more. Akaka, a Democrat in office for 30 years, wants to retain his seat. Case, in the Congress for 4 years and in the Hawaii State House of Representatives for 8 years before that, is challenging Akaka in the Democratic primary. Organized by the American Association of Retired Persons - AARP Hawaii, moderated by University of Hawaii Communications Chair Gerald Kato, and broadcast on PBS Hawaii, HawaiiNews.com has transcribed the forum to benefit those who were unable to watch it live. For the full transcript, see Ryan Ozawa's HawaiiNews.com site at: http://www.hawaiinews.com/archives/politics/000414.shtml
MODERATOR: Sen. Akaka ... Both you and your opponent supported the Native Hawaiian Government Recognition Act, which stalled last June. What steps would you now take to achieve this federal recognition?
AKAKA: As is history now, my bill went to the floor under, a procedural vote on cloture to proceed to the floor. And we’re shy four votes out of 60. I feel that we made tremendous gains in the six years to educate the American public and to educate our colleagues as well. And to make it a bipartisan bill that’s supported by the Governor of this state, the Legislature, most of the Hawaiian organizations, and most of the Hawaiians in Hawaii, and the population of Hawaii as well. This bill really brings parity to an indigenous group of Hawaii, the state of Hawaii, which are the Native Hawaiians. The American Indians have that recognition. The Alaska natives have that recognition, and the Hawaiians should have that recognition also. I will continue to strive to move it forward. Talking to the Majority leader at this point. It seems as though we’re not going to be able to bring it up to the floor this year, but possible changes in the election in November, we will be able to bring it up to the floor. If not in the remainder of this session, it will be the next session. This bill is very very important to the people of Hawaii and to the Native Hawaii, and it is something that this nation owes them.
MODERATOR: Congressman Case, your response?
CASE: I continue to believe in the establishment of a relationship between our federal government and the indigenous peoples of Hawaii, the Native Hawaiians, which is similar to the relationship that has existed between our federal government and other indigenous peoples of the Mainland and in Alaska for over 150 years. I believe this is not only fair and just for Native Hawaiians, but also good for our Hawaii, because I don’t want to live in a Hawaii that does not have a core of the Native Hawaiian peoples and cultures. What and how that relationship would evolve is up for debate and discussion as we go forward. I by the way don’t believe that it should end up with any form of independence as Sen. Akaka speculated publicly some months ago. But I do believe in some form of autonomy for Native Hawaiians within Hawaii, similar to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. For now, I believe this issue is best left in the Native Hawaiian community, so that they can deal with the failure of the Akaka bill in the U.S. Senate and decide the way forward.
