Name on ballot:

Jill N. Tokuda

Running for:

U.S. House – District II

Political party:

Democrat

Campaign website:

www.tokudaforhawai.com

Current occupation:

Representative, US House District II

Age:

48

Previous job history:

Hawai`i State Senator representing Kaneohe and Kailua, 2006-2018
Chair, Ways and Means, Education and Higher Education, Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs, and Labor committees.
Small Business Owner
Former Co-Director of CyberHawaii
Former External Affairs Director of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center
Former Board Member, Hawai`i Data Collaborative
Former Advisory Board Member, Hawai`i Budget and Policy Center
Original Founding Member, Patsy T. Mink PAC
Former Member, Hawai`i House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness

Previous elected office, if any:

Hawai`i State Senator representing Kaneohe and Kailua, 2006-2018

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people of Hawaii.

For five generations, our family has called Hawaii’s Second Congressional District home. From Papaaloa on Hawaii Island, to Puunene on Maui, Puhi Camp on Kauai, and the Windward side of Oahu, representing our home is deeply personal to me. Now a mother of two teens attending the same public schools my husband and I attended, my motivation to serve in Congress is deeply rooted in ensuring that Hawai’i remains a place of promise and opportunity, not just for our sons, but for all of our children.

In my first term, I am serving on the House Armed Services Committee and was appointed to the Special Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. I also serve on the House Agriculture Committee, which is particularly important as we negotiate a new five year Farm Bill. In addition to these committees that are critical to Hawaii, I have taken on leadership roles that allow me to amplify issues of importance to our community. In my first six months of office, I co-founded and I co-lead the Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus in Congress, which currently has 60 members from both sides of the aisle focused on access to healthcare and mental health services in our rural and remote communities. I am the Freshman Representative for the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and the Vice Chair for Communications of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

In addition to my experience in the Hawaii State Senate, chairing the Ways and Means Committee and being charged with balancing and appropriating the state budget, I have extensive small business and nonprofit experience, providing executive leadership and consulting services to some of Hawaii’s most established foundations, nonprofit organizations, and businesses.

What will be your top priority if elected?

We’ve got to urgently work to reduce the high cost of living in Hawaii or our children and families will continue to be our greatest export. I went to Zippy’s in Las Vegas a few months ago and it broke my heart. It was filled with kamaaina, both working behind the counter and sitting in the booths. Too many of our people don’t see a future for themselves here in Hawaii because everything from housing to healthcare are just too expensive.

From keiki to kupuna, our people need immediate relief on everything from food, utilities, gas and prescription drugs. They need access to housing they can afford, from rentals, to workforce housing, to senior assisted living. And we need to be building these units in communities throughout our state, near job opportunities and the services people need like education and healthcare.

What can Congress do to help Americans cope with the high cost of living?

We should immediately reinstate enhanced child tax credits, and expand the earned income tax credit. We have signed a discharge petition to move a bill through Congress that would continue the highly successful and impactful Affordable Connectivity Program, which provided over 60,000 households in Hawaii with $30 off their monthly broadband bill. We need to make sure our kupuna can keep their food money even when their social security is adjusted, and I’ve been fighting to make sure federal food subsidy programs like SNAP reflect Hawaii’s true food costs, especially given the scarcity and increased costs for our rural and neighbor island communities.

In addition to driving down costs, we’ve got to create more opportunities for high quality jobs and career pathways in Hawaii. That means investments in education and training in innovative new digital industries, a greener economy, and our care-economy.

What actions, if any, should Congress take in regard to regulating access to abortion?

Reproductive decisions are deeply personal and should remain in the hands of women and their doctors, not dictated by politicians or extremist courts.

The overturn of Roe V. Wade set us back generations, and remains one of the biggest threats to women in our country. I vow to strongly oppose all efforts to restrict women’s healthcare, and will fight to codify the basic rights women were assured under Roe. I am a cosponsor of The Women’s Health Protection Act which would codify the right to abortion care and the Right to Contraception Act which prevents federal, state, and local government entities from restricting access to or inhibiting the sale of contraceptives or access to mifepristone. Everyone should have access to the reproductive healthcare they need, and I will keep fighting until every person has the freedom to make decisions about their own body, life, and future, without interference.

What can Congress do to help reduce gun violence and mass shootings in America?

It is absolutely unacceptable that we have not acted to combat the gun violence epidemic plaguing our country. We owe it to our constituents to keep our keiki and communities safe. As the mom of two teenagers in our public schools and a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, this is a top priority for me.

I have cosponsored every major gun violence prevention bill introduced from banning assault weapons to supporting extreme-risk laws and I’ve signed discharge petitions to force a vote on these bills in Congress.

With the recent reckless decision by the Supreme court to allow bump stocks, we need to pass the Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act.

I support raising the minimum age to purchase guns, background checks on all gun sales and repealing the gun industry’s protection against lawsuits.

I am also proud to have introduced my own legislation to fight against the proliferation of ghost guns by giving law enforcement the resources to ensure that seized, surrendered, and retired guns marked for destruction are actually eliminated and not sold for parts, reappearing on our streets as untraceable ghost guns causing further violence.

I remain committed to ensuring Hawaii receives its fair share of all federal resources available to enhance crime reporting and support community-based violence intervention programs and victim services, including crisis response, medical and mental health care.

What laws should Congress pass to mitigate the effects of sea-level rise and climate change?

Hawaii is on the front lines of climate change, both in the impacts of extreme weather conditions and the opportunities we are seizing to mitigate and reverse its effects. Traveling through our island state, I see the impacts first hand–from roads and homes falling into the ocean, to drought and run off conditions, landslides from torrential rains, and tragically, wildfires from red flag conditions.

I was in the State Senate when Hawaii made our 100% clean energy commitment by 2045, and I applaud the recent legal settlement that commits both action and resources towards achieving a net-zero emissions transportation system. As Hawaii sets these ambitious goals, there is more the federal government can still do to help our state become more resilient in the face of climate chaos. Like Hawaii did in 2021, our country needs to declare a climate emergency, and then must act with urgency to make policy changes and provide resources to help states deal with, mitigate, and harden against climate impacts. Everything from support for renewable energy, to investments in conservation and regenerative agriculture, electrification of transportation, and rethinking wastewater and solid waste management requires support and cooperation from the federal, state, counties, and community.

Should the U.S. continue to support Ukraine’s military efforts as it fights the Russian invasion?

Yes, the United States should continue to support Ukraine’s self-defense against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion for as long as it takes. We must defend the rules-based international order that has broadly preserved peace for almost 80 years and for which so many Americans gave their lives to create and protect. Abandoning Ukraine sends a message to Russia and other adversaries that the world’s democracies lack the commitment to stand up to aggression and authoritarianism.

I am proud to have voted for the Ukraine security supplemental package earlier this spring to provide another $60 billion for Ukraine to bolster their defenses. This package and further funding are down payments on our future security, and I will continue to support Ukraine in its fight to defend its democracy and people.

Should the U.S. continue to supply Israel with military aid in its war with Hamas?

The United States cannot continue to provide unconditional military aid to Israel in its war with Hamas. I continue to support Israel and its right to self-defense, and I believe that U.S. military aid is essential to strengthening Israel’s defenses against common adversaries like Iran, its proxies, and other regional terrorist threats that pose significant threats to U.S. citizens and interests. However, I also believe that this war in Gaza cannot continue, and the indiscriminate bombing and actions that have resulted in extraordinary and unacceptable levels of civilian casualties, including aid workers and journalists, must not continue. That is why I have long called for a permanent ceasefire that finally ensures the return of hostages, allows the unobstructed flow of humanitarian aid, and a viable path toward Palestinian statehood.

I voted against the Israel security supplemental package earlier this spring because it would have provided additional offensive weapons in support of Israel’s military operations in Gaza despite our objections to entering Rafah, and over a million people on the brink of famine. At the same time, Israel’s own military has expressed concerns about the lack of a clear exit strategy and political plan by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has also continued to ignore U.S. pressure to mitigate civilian casualties. These circumstances are inconsistent with U.S. policy interests, which is why I believe it is appropriate for our government to withhold our military aid, and we must continue to ask tough questions to ensure any and all aid is being used in accordance with international law.

What is your position on the Jones Act, which supporters say protects the U.S. shipping industry, but opponents say inflates shipping prices and therefore costs to Hawaii consumers?

I continue to support the Jones Act given its crucial role in ensuring Hawai’i gets reliable shipping service while promoting our economic and national security. For Hawai’i, which is critically dependent on regular shipments of food, supplies, and other resources our communities need, the Jones Act ensures that we have a merchant marine we can count on to consistently deliver these goods, even in times of crisis or conflict. The COVID pandemic was an example of how American built vessels and crew were able to keep food, medical supplies, and essential goods coming to Hawaii while the rest of the world was in various stages of lockdown. The Jones Act also supports countless, well-paying jobs locally and nationally, and it preserves our domestic shipbuilding capacity, which is essential in times of conflict. As we look at a period of great uncertainty in the Indo-Pacific, I believe that the Jones Act is even more essential than before in supporting our islands and our broader national security needs.

What role, if any, should Congress have in regulating the artificial intelligence industry?

Congress must take a leading role in regulating artificial intelligence (AI), which has the potential to transform our politics, economy, and society dramatically. We need to develop standards that protect individual data privacy and ensure responsible and transparent AI usage while also promoting continued U.S. technological leadership in this critical field. This means that Congress must catch up to the progress made by the European Union in setting standards for AI and push back against other countries like China that have not only developed harmful uses for AI but have begun exporting those technologies to other countries to support authoritarian governments.

At home, I am keen to see Congress take up legislation to address the growing use of AI in our elections, especially in creating deepfakes and other forms of disinformation that can undermine our democratic process. I also believe we need to create standards that protect individual data privacy and give people greater ownership and control over their personal data. Lastly, we must continue to address the significant environmental and supply chain impacts of AI technology.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

The deep political divisions in our country are a real threat to our democracy. It is in the best interest of all of our constituents, and the country, that we work together rather than against each other. We don’t have to see eye to eye on politics and policy, but restoring democracy and civility comes down to remembering that we are there for the people. I view each day as an opportunity for Congress to do better than the day before and that’s what I pledge to do every day as your US Representative.

I think it’s important to acknowledge that the influence of special interests in politics has gotten out of control and is one of the driving forces of the deep political divisions in our country. It’s a real threat to our elections and democracy when dark money, super PACs, and billionaire donors try to buy our elections and elected officials. I will continue to fight for meaningful policies that reform our political system, strengthen democracy, increase transparency, and protect our right to vote. I have pledged to reject donations from Corporate PACs in an effort to limit their influence, and because it’s a meaningful way we can start to put people over politics. Every day, as your US Representative, I pledge to work for the people of Hawaii so that our working families, not special interests, have a voice in Washington DC.