Jill Tokuda

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.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02), joined by Representative Ed Case (HI-01), introduced a resolution supporting the designation of September 2026 as Hawaiian History Month and reaffirming the Federal trust responsibility to the Native Hawaiian Community. Senators Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono introduced a similar resolution in the Senate. “Honoring Hawaiian History Month is not just about honoring the past, but protecting what generations of Native Hawaiian leaders, historians, scholars, and artists fought so hard to preserve and perpetuate,” said Rep. Tokuda. “Today, the Trump administration is targeting the very programs and institutions that sustain Hawaiian history, culture, and education. Congress must stand firm in protecting these vital resources and upholding our trust obligations to the Native Hawaiian Community.” The “Hawaiian History Month” resolution recognizes the history, culture, and contributions of Native Hawaiians, including efforts to revitalize ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, cultural traditions, and ʻāina stewardship practices. It also highlights key federal programs that support Native Hawaiian museums, libraries, artists, cultural practitioners, and community organizations. The resolution directly points to recent Trump administration actions that threaten those programs, including proposed cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The full text of the House resolution is available here.

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: • https://t.co/k0f2b8QOtN • https://t.co/TVPWzxC2iM • https://t.co/sWGN4P8WQu • https://t.co/3akxOGVY1L • https://t.co/3HDi8kLBa5 • https://t.co/JoyuRWqhMo 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.

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 don't continue to suffer from unrecoverable losses.

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.

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.

HAWAIʻI — U.S. Representative Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02), a member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), led House Democrats in a letter urging President Trump to halt any potential concessions on advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chip sales to Beijing ahead of high-stakes talks with President Xi Jinping. Representative Tokuda was joined by Ro Khanna (CA-17), Ranking Member of the Select Committee on the CCP, and 13 other Members of Congress, calling on the Trump administration to maintain strict export controls on advanced AI chips under the Export Control Reform Act, warning that creating loopholes or exceptions directly threatens American economic stability and national defense capabilities. “If the United States gives our very best AI chips to China, it would exponentially increase their capacity to dominate the AI race,” the lawmakers wrote. “We must not let that happen. Retaining the most advanced AI chips for domestic use, along with allies and partners, is an effective way to slow down China’s AI progress and strengthen America’s economic and national security advantages.” The lawmakers warned that next-generation chips like Nvidia’s Blackwell run up to eight times faster than older processors sold to China, arguing that this decisive advantage must stay in American hands. A copy of the letter may be found here. ###

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.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02) led the Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation in demanding that the United States Postal Service (USPS) immediately halt its unilateral decision to stop direct home mail delivery for Lahaina families returning to rebuilt properties. In a joint letter sent to Postmaster General David Steiner, Rep. Tokuda, Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), and Representative Ed Case (HI-01), pressed USPS leadership to reverse policies that classify rebuilt properties in Lahaina as "new developments" and subject to centralized delivery to community mailboxes rather than restoring their home delivery. The lawmakers also expressed strong opposition to a feasibility study that could permanently close the Downtown Lahaina Post Office, which has been under emergency suspension since the August 2023 wildfires. "Lahaina residents are not moving into new subdivisions. They are returning to a historic community and to homes rebuilt on the same properties and at the same delivery points that existed before the fire," the delegation wrote. "Lahaina’s survivors have already borne extraordinary burdens in the aftermath of the wildfires. They should not be expected to shoulder additional burdens, costs, and disruptions resulting from changes to postal services that USPS has failed to adequately communicate, plan for, or implement." The delegation called on USPS to take immediate corrective steps: Reverse the classification of rebuilt Lahaina properties as "new developments" and restore pre-disaster direct mail delivery. Ensure affected residents have reasonable access to mail without additional costs or unnecessary disruptions while permanent delivery arrangements are established. Disclose full administrative, legal, and operational records detailing why direct delivery was cut before replacement infrastructure was ready. Explain why the Downtown Lahaina Post Office lease was not renewed, along with USPS’s efforts to secure a new location. Hold meaningful, accessible public meetings with residents and local businesses before making permanent changes. The full letter to Postmaster General Steiner is available here. ###

When Hurricane Lowell hit, one of the only voices Kauaʻi could still hear was KKCR, their community radio station. Through power and internet outages, KKCR stayed on the air, sharing emergency updates and helping people find food, water, and help. After Trump pushed Republicans to cut public broadcasting funding, KKCR lost $83,000. Congress must restore funding for this critical lifeline because when disaster strikes and every other line of communication goes dark, Kauaʻi needs KKCR to be there.

From Kekaha to the North Shore, I traveled across Kaua'i to see the damage firsthand and check in with families, farmers, and community leaders. Mahalo to every first responder, volunteer, airport worker, and neighbor who stepped up. I'll keep working to make sure Kaua'i has the support it needs to recover and rebuild.

This weekend I joined our community for the Lights for Lahaina Light March to remember to celebrate Maui’s resilience and aloha. Across our islands, I’ve seen Maui ʻohana showing up for communities facing disasters, even as they continue their own recovery. That aloha reminds us that our people and our connection to each other is the true light of our state. Mahalo to Aloha Amplified, the volunteers and sponsors, and especially the students who helped light the way.

The destruction Hurricane Lala left behind on farms across Kaʻū is extensive. From ranch lands to coffee farms, cracks in the earth, flooding, downed trees, broken water lines and damaged roads will take significant resources. I’m working to urgently bring federal support to help our farmers recover and rebuild. Mahalo to USDA Farm Service Agency State Director Arthur Keyes and team for joining me as we spoke with local ranchers and farmers, surveyed the damage, and talked about what we can do to help.

Aloha and Haitai! With an andagi in hand, my belly was happy and my heart was full celebrating the 44th annual Okinawan Festival and 75 years of the Hawaiʻi United Okinawa Association. As a proud yonsei of uchinanchu descent, I also had a great time talking story with the young leaders of the Okinawa Youth Academy who were helping out at the festival. Ippe nifee debiru and Mahalo to the hundreds of volunteers keeping our heritage and the spirit of Chimugukuru alive across Hawaiʻi. ❤️

West Maui knew it could not wait to strengthen its fire and emergency response. The community donated the land. Raised $3 million. Fully funded a new fire station. Then Trump's steel tariffs added more than $300,000 to the cost. It's time for Congress to exercise its constitutional authority over tariffs. We should be making communities safer, not making safety more expensive.

Honored to join DHHL’s West Oʻahu Scattered Lots Pilot Project in Waiʻanae and celebrate another step toward getting Native Hawaiian families back on Hawaiian Home Lands. These homes are about so much more than a roof. They’re about community, culture, and giving generations to come the chance to call Hawaiʻi home.

Three years after the fires, Lahaina families are finally coming home. They should be welcomed back, not told they will never have mail delivery at their rebuilt homes. Permanently closing the Downtown Lahaina Post Office without meaningful community input only adds insult to injury. Our message to USPS is simple: Lahaina has already lost enough. Restore meaningful mail service. Listen to the community. Don’t take another piece of Lahaina away.

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02), alongside Representatives Tracey Mann (KS-01), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Jack Bergman (MI-01), Don Davis (NC-01), and Carol Miller (R-WV) introduced the Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act (REH 2.0). Congress created the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation in 2020 as a lifeline for struggling rural hospitals at risk of closure, providing enhanced Medicare reimbursement for certain emergency and outpatient services and a monthly facility payment in exchange for transitioning away from traditional inpatient care. But the program has fallen short of its promise. Despite more than 1,500 eligible hospitals, only about 40 have converted. Hospitals have cited the loss of inpatient and other essential services, 340B drug discounts, costly facility requirements, and restrictive eligibility rules as barriers, leaving many rural communities without a viable path to preserving local access to care. REH 2.0 seeks to strengthen the REH model by allowing these hospitals to maintain distinct inpatient psychiatric and obstetric units, providing dedicated funding for laboratory services, and clarifying state Medicaid payment flexibilities. “Too many rural hospitals are on the brink of closure, forcing them to make impossible choices about which essential services they can afford to keep. Rural America already struggles with access to healthcare, and I’ve seen firsthand how difficult that reality is for hospitals in Hawai’i, where the cost of delivering care is often significantly higher," said Rep. Tokuda. “That’s why I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to strengthen the vital REH model, giving rural hospitals the flexibility and financial stability they need to keep their doors open and maintain critical services." "The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) is grateful to Representatives Tokuda, Mann, Davids, Bergman, Davis, and Miller for leading the introduction of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Improvement Act, which will allow more critical access hospitals (CAHs) and rural hospitals at risk of closure to sustain health care services in rural communities. REH designations play a critical role in preserving needed access to care by allowing financially strained rural facilities to convert their licenses to maintain 24/7 emergency and outpatient services instead of shutting down completely. We are ecstatic to see legislation that continues to support rural hospital viability and sustain rural healthcare access,” said Alan Morgan, CEO, NRHA. The Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act would: Allow hospitals that closed or downsized between 2015 and 2020 to apply for “REH” status and give federal health officials flexibility to approve similar rural facilities. Allow REHs to maintain or establish inpatient psychiatric, obstetric, and rehabilitation services. Expand access to swing beds and skilled nursing care. Make REHs eligible for federal workforce and rural hospital improvement programs. Increase Medicare payments for laboratory services by 5% and clarify Medicaid payment for REH services. Permit certain REHs to return to “Critical Access Hospital” status if the model no longer meets their community’s needs. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) have introduced companion legislation in the Senate. The full bill text is available here. ###