Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 2, 1 Pepeluali 1988 — Mai Wakinekona [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mai Wakinekona

By Larry Kamakawiwo'ole Federal Liaison Officer

The second session of the 100th Congress eonvened on Jan. 25 to eommenee a busy schedule coupled with a presidential eleehon year. As the deficit reduction, arms control, the IranContra affair, and an appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court played important roles during

the first session of Congress, so will trade and the American economy be among the more important issues of the second session. On the trade issue, a record U.S. trade deficit has grown rapidly from $36 hillion in 1980 to over $148 hillion in 1985 and approximately $170 hillion in 1986. A major eoneem of Congress is to change U.S. trade policies or take action to help U.S. producers compete against foreign firms. A primary issue is to what extent should the Government intervene in protecting domestic industries, promoting export and assisting domestic producers to international competition. Consequently, H.R. 3, the Trade and International Eeonomie Policy Reform Act of 1987, will probably be top priority during the first quarter of the new session. That bill is presently in conferenee, and Senators Daniel K. Inouye and Spark M. Matsunaga are conferees. Regarding federal iegislation affecting Hawaiians in Hawai'i, the two key areas are education and health. TTie bills to follow are: H.R. 5 (S. 373), the School lmprovement Act of 1987. As you may recall, H.R. 5 contains three major Hawaiian provisions: a gifted and talented youth program, a drug abuse education and prevention program, and various demonstration programs including curriculum implementation, family based education centers, special education, higher education demonstration project and a talented and gifted demonstration program. H.R. 5 passed the House on May 21 and the Senate amended it on Dec. 1. It is currently in eonference. Senators lnouye and Matsunaga are eonferees. S. 1441 (H.R. 1326), the Puhlie Health Service lnfant Mortality Amendments Act of 1987. S. 1441 contains one major Hawaiian provision: a fellowship program for nurse practitioners with priority to applicants who are employed by native Hawaiian health centers. The grants shall be given to public and private nonprofit schools of nursing to operate the fellowship program. S. 1441 passed the Senate on Aug. 6, and in the House it was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The House, on the other hand, introduced its own version of S. 1441 — H.R. 1326, whieh was given the same title as the Senate bill. However, the House hill does not contain any Hawaiian provision. H.R. 1326 passed the House Nov. 9, and in the Senate it was ordered placed on the calendar Nov. 13. A possible strategy is for the Senate to pass the House bill with an amendment that the Hawaiian provision be included in the House hill. Finally, H.R. 2290, the Indian Health Care Amendments of 1987. H.R. 2290 contains two major Hawaiian provisions: a health scholarship program and a health promotion and disease prevention program with a focus on the problem of diabetes. The bill has been reported out of the Interior and Insular Affairs and Energy and Commerce Committees and placed on the Union Calendar of the House. There are other bills and resolutions of eoneem and interest to Hawai'i. They include: H. Con. Res. 158, concerning the Establishment of a South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone, passed the House Oct. 20, and in the Senate it has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.