Congresswoman Hanabusa Promotes Legislation to Restore Public Confidence and Serve the Needs of Hawaii

Press Release

Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa (HI-01) has cosponsored a series of bills aimed at rebuilding public confidence in Congress, supporting Hawaii's visitor industry, and protecting the rights of seniors.

"An important part of serving Hawaii's needs is promoting legislation that makes a difference for Hawaii and the people I represent," Hanabusa said. "Where can my support improve lives? I think it's important to be proactive."

Hanabusa has recently signed on to the following three bills.

STOCK ACT

Congresswoman Hanabusa has become a cosponsor of H.R. 1148, also known as the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK ACT). The bill would prohibit members of Congress, their staff, and executive branch employees from buying or selling securities, swaps, security based swaps, or commodity futures based on nonpublic information they obtain because of their official positions. The measure would also require greater oversight of the growing "political intelligence" industry.

"It is simply wrong for anyone--including members of Congress and their staffs--to profit from non-public information we are privy to because of our official positions," Hanabusa said. "We know with greater clarity than ever that our markets should reflect fairness and transparency, and we need to be prepared to adopt that standard as our own."

Welcoming Business Travelers and Tourists to America Act

Congresswoman Hanabusa is a cosponsor of H.R. 3039, the Welcoming Business Travelers and Tourists to America Act. The Act seeks to attract international travelers to the United States by streamlining visa processing, without compromising national security.

"Travel and tourism, as an industry sector, stands as one of America's only balance-of-trade surpluses, and is the backbone of Hawaii's economy," Hanabusa said. "With our worldwide reputation as a travel destination, we need to remove barriers to travel."

Tourism is Hawaii's economic driver, and the state relies on the hundreds of thousands of international travelers that visit the islands every year. However, while global long-haul travel grew by 40 percent between 2000 and 2010, the number of those travelers visiting the U.S. dropped from 17 percent to 12 percent. That represents an estimated loss of 78 million visitors and $606 billion. Many travelers blame the difficult travel visa process as a barrier to visiting the U.S.; currently, the process that can take up to 120 days. By comparison, many other countries have a visa wait time of only two weeks.

"America competes in worldwide markets," continued Hanabusa. "Modern business moves fast. Asking business travelers to wait thirty to ninety days for a visa is tantamount to slamming our doors to foreign business."

The Welcoming Business Travelers and Tourists to America Act requires the Secretary of State to hire the necessary number of foreign service officers and limited non-career appointment officers required to achieve and maintain a maximum 12 day visa processing standard.

The measure also directs the Secretary of State to conduct a two-year pilot program for processing non-immigrant visas via video conferencing, to address concerns of applicants not being able to access U.S. consular offices. Finally, it would allow the Secretary of State to modify agreements with countries to permit an increased visa validity period, which encourages more frequent and continued travel to the U.S.

Hanabusa sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee asking them to support two pilot programs designed to enhance the visa process for business and leisure travelers planning to visit the United States.She also sent a letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, urging them not to include a proposed increase in the Aviation Passenger Security Fee and the imposition of a $100 per departure surcharge in its final deficit reduction plan, arguing that both fee increases would disproportionately affect Hawaii residents.

Medicare Sequestration

Congresswoman Hanabusa is also a cosponsor of H.R. 3519, which would amend the Budget Control Act to exempt Medicare from cuts through budget sequestration.

With the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction's failure to agree on at least $1.2 trillion in federal spending over 10 years, the terms of the Budget Control Act trigger automatic cuts to defense, non-defense, and discretionary spending. While programs like Social Security and Medicaid are exempt from sequestration, Medicare could face cuts of up to 2%.

"It is unfair on its face to penalize our seniors for the committee's inability to make the cuts required by the Budget Control Act," said Hanabusa. "Medicare is a commitment we made to generations of Americans. Thoughtless cuts to the program would be a breach of that trust. I, for one, refuse to turn my back on those who have done so much and given so much with the understanding that these benefits would be available to them in their later years."

"It is vitally important to me that these Americans know that Congress will protect their health care needs," Hanabusa concluded.

The cuts would become effective beginning January 3, 2013.

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