Federal legislation by Hawai’i’s congressional team to establish a formal relationship between the United States and Native Hawaiian sits idle in Congress. No action will be taken on it until after Congress — now in recess — reconvenes Nov. 14.
Federal legislation by Hawai’i’s congressional team to establish a formal
relationship between the United States and Native Hawaiian sits idle in
Congress.
No action will be taken on it until after Congress — now in
recess — reconvenes Nov. 14.
If the bill isn’t approved, it could die, but
could also conceivably be reintroduced in the next congressional
session.
The bill has divided the Hawaiians statewide.
Those favoring
the bill say it will result in saving 150 federally funded programs that
benefit Native Hawaiians.
Those against it say the passage of the bill
would ruin all chances of resurrecting the Hawaiian kingdom and re-establish
Hawai’i as a sovereign nation.
Officials in Washington D.C. remained
tightlipped on the bill.
“We are not commenting any further on the bill,”
said Sandi Skousen, press secretary for Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawai’i), who,
with Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawai’i), as chairman of the Task Force on Native
Hawaiian Issues, introduced the legislation.
A decision by the Senate
has been delayed reportedly because of concerns some funding for Native
American programs might be diverted for programs proposed in the Hawai’i
legislation.
The measure proposes creation of a Native Hawaiian governing
body with government-to-government relations with the United States, similar to
those with Native American tribes.
Funds would be used to establish
government entities to bring about the political association between the U.S.
and Native Hawaiians.
The House of Representatives recently approved a
version of the bill, introduced and supported, respectively, by Reps. Neil
Abercrombie and Patsy Mink of Hawai’i.
Sovereignty groups have denounced
the legislation, saying the bill, if approved, would end all chances of the
reinstatement of the laws of the Kingdom of Hawai’i.
They claim the kingdom
still exists because 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and the annexation
of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States in 1898 were
illegal.
Sovereignty groups vow to continue to regain control of their
nation.
