SCR108, urging the restoration of federal benefits for U.S. residents present under the Compacts of Free Association, has been scheduled for hearing on Friday, April 19, at 2:00 p.m. in Capitol Room 423, before the House Committee on Veterans, Military & International Affairs and Culture & the Arts (VMI).
THIS IS THE LAST OPPORTUNITY TO GO ON RECORD IN SUPPORT OF THIS IMPORTANT MEASURE. Legislators rely on constituents' presence and testimony to gauge the importance of bills and resolutions. This is the last committee hearing for this measure -- if SCR108 passes this hearing, it will become an official statement of the entire Hawaiʻi State Legislature! Please take a moment to let our legislators hear your voice, by attending the hearing or registering your support by clicking on the link below.
Good news: You can submit written testimony to support this measure right now, with just a few clicks of your mouse! Click on the link below to submit written testimony on this measure, and please encourage others to do so as well.
(see our Talking Points page or see below for sample testimony/talking points you can use, or feel free to make your own)
SCR108 (click here and then click "Submit Testimony")
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Sample Testimony (feel free modify, use the other Talking Points below, or come up with your own testimony). Also, please don't forget to spread the word!
Dear Chair Takai, Vice Chair Ito, and Honorable Members of the House Committee on Veterans, Military & International Affairs and Culture & the Arts,
Mahalo nui loa for the opportunity to testify in STRONG SUPPORT of SCR108, which seeks to restore access to important and fundamental federal programs for U.S. resident workers, taxpayers, students, and community members present under the Compacts of Free Association, many of whom are also members of Hawai'i's Pacific Islander community.
As these resolutions remind us, the former trust territories of the Freely Associated States (FAS) have over sixty years of history of sacrifices and contributions to the United States, and to Hawai‘i. As a result, FAS citizens have earned the right to reside, work, and seek educational and healthcare opportunities in the United States, much like any other U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.
Unfortunately, the 1996 PRWORA law overlooked these ongoing contributions and sacrifices when it neglected to include our FAS residents as “qualified aliens” eligible for such basic federal programs as Medicaid, SSI, nutritional supplements, and others. By effectively revoking their previous eligibility for these programs, this law has resulted in harsh consequences for Hawai‘i’s community members, particularly for those seeking necessary medical treatment or basic educational or economic opportunity here in the U.S. and Hawai‘i, and especially for those who continue to face significant cultural, economic, linguistic, and social barriers to equal opportunity here in the states.
This resolution seeks to address this injustice and restore access to basic federal programs for FAS members of our Pacific Islander community, so that they may have an equal opportunity to fully participate in our society and pursue the American Dream as promised under the Compacts of Free Association.
Therefore, I respectfully urge the Committee to PASS this resolution, and help Hawai‘i make a strong statement about justice and equality for these U.S. resident workers, taxpayers, students, and members of our island community.
Sincerely,
(your name)
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Other Talking Points:
1. Closing the PRWORA loophole will benefit all in our state who seek medical treatment. Including our COFA residents as "qualified aliens" eligible for life-saving Medicaid funds under PRWORA will lead to the investment of substantial federal monies in our Hawai‘i’s medical infrastructure, which will boost our economy and bring a higher quality of care for anyone in our state who needs to go to the doctor.
2. A responsible adult cleans up their own mess. The United States has made a huge mess of the islands and lives of the indigenous peoples of the Freely Associated States, and it must take responsibility in cleaning up this mess. Reinstating federal benefits for U.S. resident taxpayers, workers, students, and community members present under the Compacts of Free Association will help the United States take ownership of this ongoing responsibility, just as a responsible adult would.
3. No one should have to choose between going to the doctor to save their life, or keeping food on their family's table, or a roof over their child's home. By denying healthcare eligibility for our Pacific Islander residents, the PRWORA may force the chronically ill and seriously injured to choose between saving their own lives, or ensuring that their families have the basic necessities of life in the U.S. Aspiring nurses, doctors, or engineers may have to drop out of college just to pay off a relative's healthcare costs, impacting not just their families, but our economy and our society as a whole. Closing the PRWORA loophole and including COFA residents as “qualified aliens” eligible for federal healthcare protections acknowledges the contributions and sacrifices of our Pacific Islander neighbors, which will benefit not just our COFA residents, but our broader society as well.
4. We can affirm America as the land of opportunity, where individuals are given a fair shake to pursue the American Dream. America’s strength and pride come from its basic ideal as a land of opportunity, where all individuals should be given a fair shake in their pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. However, the exclusion of our Pacific Islander neighbors and allies under the PRWORA denies them the same opportunity as all other legal residents, including the ability to pursue adequate healthcare, social security, and other public safety nets intended to uphold our enlightened social contract. Closing the PRWORA loophole will ensure that America keeps its promise of opportunity to our Pacific Islander allies lawfully residing here under the Compacts of Free Association.
5. We can uphold America’s vision of justice. America prides itself on its sense of justice, and despite its historic contradictions, has struggled to ensure that we do acknowledge and address the injustices of our past. However, some of the darkest moments in our recent history have yet to be fully acknowledged and addressed, threatening to leave a long and ugly scar in our reputation as a land of justice, and freedom. Closing the PRWORA loophole and fulfilling the intent of the Compacts of Free Association will take America one step forward towards its vision of liberty and justice for all.
THIS IS THE LAST OPPORTUNITY TO GO ON RECORD IN SUPPORT OF THIS IMPORTANT MEASURE. Legislators rely on constituents' presence and testimony to gauge the importance of bills and resolutions. This is the last committee hearing for this measure -- if SCR108 passes this hearing, it will become an official statement of the entire Hawaiʻi State Legislature! Please take a moment to let our legislators hear your voice, by attending the hearing or registering your support by clicking on the link below.
Good news: You can submit written testimony to support this measure right now, with just a few clicks of your mouse! Click on the link below to submit written testimony on this measure, and please encourage others to do so as well.
(see our Talking Points page or see below for sample testimony/talking points you can use, or feel free to make your own)
SCR108 (click here and then click "Submit Testimony")
**********************************************************************************************
Sample Testimony (feel free modify, use the other Talking Points below, or come up with your own testimony). Also, please don't forget to spread the word!
Dear Chair Takai, Vice Chair Ito, and Honorable Members of the House Committee on Veterans, Military & International Affairs and Culture & the Arts,
Mahalo nui loa for the opportunity to testify in STRONG SUPPORT of SCR108, which seeks to restore access to important and fundamental federal programs for U.S. resident workers, taxpayers, students, and community members present under the Compacts of Free Association, many of whom are also members of Hawai'i's Pacific Islander community.
As these resolutions remind us, the former trust territories of the Freely Associated States (FAS) have over sixty years of history of sacrifices and contributions to the United States, and to Hawai‘i. As a result, FAS citizens have earned the right to reside, work, and seek educational and healthcare opportunities in the United States, much like any other U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.
Unfortunately, the 1996 PRWORA law overlooked these ongoing contributions and sacrifices when it neglected to include our FAS residents as “qualified aliens” eligible for such basic federal programs as Medicaid, SSI, nutritional supplements, and others. By effectively revoking their previous eligibility for these programs, this law has resulted in harsh consequences for Hawai‘i’s community members, particularly for those seeking necessary medical treatment or basic educational or economic opportunity here in the U.S. and Hawai‘i, and especially for those who continue to face significant cultural, economic, linguistic, and social barriers to equal opportunity here in the states.
This resolution seeks to address this injustice and restore access to basic federal programs for FAS members of our Pacific Islander community, so that they may have an equal opportunity to fully participate in our society and pursue the American Dream as promised under the Compacts of Free Association.
Therefore, I respectfully urge the Committee to PASS this resolution, and help Hawai‘i make a strong statement about justice and equality for these U.S. resident workers, taxpayers, students, and members of our island community.
Sincerely,
(your name)
*************************************************************************************************************************************
Other Talking Points:
1. Closing the PRWORA loophole will benefit all in our state who seek medical treatment. Including our COFA residents as "qualified aliens" eligible for life-saving Medicaid funds under PRWORA will lead to the investment of substantial federal monies in our Hawai‘i’s medical infrastructure, which will boost our economy and bring a higher quality of care for anyone in our state who needs to go to the doctor.
2. A responsible adult cleans up their own mess. The United States has made a huge mess of the islands and lives of the indigenous peoples of the Freely Associated States, and it must take responsibility in cleaning up this mess. Reinstating federal benefits for U.S. resident taxpayers, workers, students, and community members present under the Compacts of Free Association will help the United States take ownership of this ongoing responsibility, just as a responsible adult would.
3. No one should have to choose between going to the doctor to save their life, or keeping food on their family's table, or a roof over their child's home. By denying healthcare eligibility for our Pacific Islander residents, the PRWORA may force the chronically ill and seriously injured to choose between saving their own lives, or ensuring that their families have the basic necessities of life in the U.S. Aspiring nurses, doctors, or engineers may have to drop out of college just to pay off a relative's healthcare costs, impacting not just their families, but our economy and our society as a whole. Closing the PRWORA loophole and including COFA residents as “qualified aliens” eligible for federal healthcare protections acknowledges the contributions and sacrifices of our Pacific Islander neighbors, which will benefit not just our COFA residents, but our broader society as well.
4. We can affirm America as the land of opportunity, where individuals are given a fair shake to pursue the American Dream. America’s strength and pride come from its basic ideal as a land of opportunity, where all individuals should be given a fair shake in their pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. However, the exclusion of our Pacific Islander neighbors and allies under the PRWORA denies them the same opportunity as all other legal residents, including the ability to pursue adequate healthcare, social security, and other public safety nets intended to uphold our enlightened social contract. Closing the PRWORA loophole will ensure that America keeps its promise of opportunity to our Pacific Islander allies lawfully residing here under the Compacts of Free Association.
5. We can uphold America’s vision of justice. America prides itself on its sense of justice, and despite its historic contradictions, has struggled to ensure that we do acknowledge and address the injustices of our past. However, some of the darkest moments in our recent history have yet to be fully acknowledged and addressed, threatening to leave a long and ugly scar in our reputation as a land of justice, and freedom. Closing the PRWORA loophole and fulfilling the intent of the Compacts of Free Association will take America one step forward towards its vision of liberty and justice for all.
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