{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://case.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3666", "Case Outlines Hawaii And Indo-Pacific Defense Priorities In Testimony On Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act", "2025-05-27", "2025", "2025-05", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Ed Case", "C001055", "case.house.gov", "case", "https://case.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27&Page=5", "scraper", "(Washington, DC) -- U.S. Representative Ed Case (Hawai\u2018i \u2013 First District) outlined Hawai\u2018i and Indo-Pacific defense priorities in testimony submitted to the U.S. House Armed Services Committee as it considers the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congress\u2019 annual legislation authorizing national defense efforts.\n\nCase, a member of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations and of its Subcommittee on Defense, which is then responsible for funding Department of Defense and related programs authorized by the NDAA, stated that, in the broad context, the Indo-Pacific \u201cis the frontline of our generation-pacing challenges led by the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC)\u201d and that Hawai\u2018i \u201cwill remain central to our presence and strategy\u201d in the region.\n\nCase went on in his testimony to highlight five inter-related issues that collectively are critical to \u201cmaintaining a superior force posture in Hawai\u2018i, maintaining the support of the people of Hawai\u2018i for that posture, and projecting our military presence out of Hawai\u2018i into the broader Indo-Pacific.\u201d\n\nCase\u2019s full testimony is here. His five issues are summarized as follows:\n\nDefense of Hawai\u2018i\n\nCase stated that while Hawai\u2018i serves as the headquarters of the Indo-Pacific Command and hosts a range of force-multiplying assets, \u201cthe Department of Defense itself has acknowledged that Hawai\u2018i lacks modern surveillance and response capacities for missile attacks.\u201d He called that gap \u201cunacceptable\u201d and urged the Committee to prioritize and accelerate investment in a state-of-the-art missile defense system for Hawai\u2018i, as well as investing further in the Hawai\u2018i National Guard, which provides much of the operation of the system.\n\nEnvironmental Protection of Hawai\u2018i\n\nWhile Case shared his appreciation for the billions of dollars authorized and appropriated by Congress to remediate, defuel and close Red Hill, he highlighted remaining work to protect O\u2018ahu\u2019s aquifers, as well as to identify and mitigate PFAS risks elsewhere. He also highlighted key natural resource protection programs such as the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program (REPI) under which broad areas of defense and civilian areas near military have been dedicated to protective uses.\n\nSoft Power in the Pacific\n\nCase testified in continued support of defense-administered \u201csoft power\u201d efforts throughout the Indo-Pacific that \u201cfoster goodwill, enhance influence and promote stability \u201cin ways that go beyond combat capabilities and at a fraction of the cost.\u201d He referred to programs and institutions like the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, the State Partnership Program under which our National Guards partner with foreign militaries, and the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) that focuses on military-civilian relationships in states like Hawai\u2018i and foreign countries.\n\nDefense Contracting Reform and Innovation\n\nTo maintain the country\u2019s competitive edge in the Indo-Pacific, Case urged the Committee to \u201cembrace contracting innovation as a strategic imperative.\u201d\n\nCase continued: \u201cWe need to continue expanding the use of rapid prototyping pathways that allow us to move at the speed of relevance. By streamlining the acquisition regulations, we can more effectively compete with the PRC, which has invested billions in an effort to develop technology that leapfrogs past our slow-moving acquisition system.\u201d\n\nHe cited as an example the work of the Defense Innovation Unit, headquartered in Mountain View, California and which he recently visited, as being instrumental \u201cin bridging the gap between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon, tapping into the commercial sector\u2019s agility to deliver cutting-edge solutions directly to the warfighter.\u201d\n\nHawai\u2018i Defense Land Needs/Lease Renegotiations\n\nCase also highlighted defense-related land needs in Hawai\u2018i, including ongoing efforts to renegotiate leases of some existing state lands. He said, \u201cThese lands, many of which are critical for training, readiness and regional posture, must remain available to support our national security objectives.\n\n\u201cAt the same time, we must recognize the unique cultural, environmental and community considerations involved.\n\n\u201cThat is why I firmly believe the outcome must reflect a win-win \u2013 one that upholds the strategic needs of the military over the next generation while honoring the values and priorities of the people of Hawai\u2018i.\u201d\n\nThe House Armed Services Committee will be deliberating the FY 2026 NDAA over the next weeks, at the same time as Case\u2019s Appropriations Defense Subcommittee is considering the FY 2026 budget for the Department of Defense and intelligence agencies.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T00:49:36Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://case.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3666"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8305259980261326, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}