» Jobs and the Economy
» Economic Reforms
» National Security and Defense
» Asia-Pacific Economic Relationships
» Visitor Industry
» Energy
» Bipartisanship
» Social Security
» Medicare
Jobs and the Economy
My top priority will be federal policies and initiatives that will encourage job creation in the short term and create a vibrant and growing economy in the longer term. I will work every day to ensure that the nearly 14 million Americans who are currently looking for work can find gainful employment.
I intend to do this by putting businesses and workers at the center of the effort, with government playing a key supporting and facilitating role. I will focus on sectors of the economy that I believe will generate the greatest number of jobs in the shortest possible time both in Hawaii and across the nation. This focus will include strong advocacy and support for expansion of the tourism industry, targeted and prioritized defense spending, an effective national approach to energy security and self-sufficiency, and passing and enforcing international trade and market access agreements.
In partnership with the private sector, government can spur job creation by instilling the certainty and confidence necessary for businesses to invest and to hire employees. Certainty and confidence come from sound and prudent fiscal policies, relief from regulatory burdens and lawsuit costs, and a fair and transparent tax system.
I will also propose a law requiring Federal agencies to conduct a jobs impact study prior to moving forward with major new rules and regulations. We need to take full account of the unintended consequences of regulatory burdens and the potential costs in lost jobs they create before we impose them on American workers, entrepreneurs and companies.
Government and the private sector should work together to address the gap between the skills of our labor force and the requirements of 21st century jobs. I am proud of my record as Governor of Hawaii for focusing on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills for our public, charter and private school graduates.
As Senator, my foremost commitment is to an expanding economy that puts the people of our great country back to work by restoring certainty and confidence in government. In order to do so we must institute a fair and transparent tax system, retain a talented and skilled workforce, provide relief from over-reaching regulatory burdens and reduce the cost to defend frivolous lawsuits. I will advocate for:
1. Tax Reform
We have a tax system that is not fair. Our tax code is 14,000 pages. It’s not logical to expect average Americans to understand and navigate this onerous law. Tax reform is essential because Americans have lost confidence in the way government treats individuals and businesses. Therefore, the solution is to bring down the tax rate to something more reasonable, while retaining the most important deductions such as the mortgage interest and chartable deductions. Through these reforms we will actually collect more revenue with a much broader tax base with everyone paying at a fair and a similar rate.
2. Immigration Reform
I believe it’s in American’s best interest to develop a comprehensive legal immigration policy. If you’re like me, your grandparents came from other countries, and they came for the same reason people come today; to have a good life where their children can excel because there is equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome. Long-term economic growth demands that we attract the best and the brightest from other countries.
3. Regulatory Reform
Over-reaching federal regulations are stifling economic growth. My solution to avoid this problem is to require any new federal rule or regulation be accompanied by an objective jobs impact statement that would quantify what the negative effect is on jobs if we pass this rule. If we don’t know the impacts on job creation and the economy in general, how can we move forward? Therefore regulatory reform will be very important to our economic growth for the future.
4. Lawsuit Reform
America is the only western industrialized country where you can sue someone, and if you lose you do not have to pay the other side’s costs. This is critically important for us to fix because lawsuits can be filed against a project or development with little or no downside, and because of the overburdened judiciary, these strategic lawsuits can take years to resolve. Since there is no deterrent to filing these frivolous claims, any one individual can stop a project that could benefit an entire community. The prospect of paying for your opponent’s legal fees, if you lose, will deter these lawsuits, and allow for these beneficial projects to go forward.
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National Security and Defense
Ensuring the safety and security of our citizens is a fundamental responsibility of government. As Commander-in-Chief of the Hawaii National Guard, responsible for a Guard force numbering nearly 5,500 Soldiers and Airmen, I learned firsthand the immense responsibilities and sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform and their families.
As Governor of the State of Hawaii, I also worked closely with the United States Pacific Command (PACOM) headquartered on Oahu and in charge of all military forces in the Pacific Theater. The military bases at Pearl Harbor, Fort Shafter, Schofield Barracks, Hickam, Kaneohe and military training facilities throughout our islands play a vital role in the protection of our nation and serve as a fundamental part of Hawaii’s economy and community.
Additionally, Hawaii is home for the U.S. Coast Guard’s 14th District that plays a vital role in the security of our ports and the patrolling of our surrounding ocean areas.
As Senator, I will advocate for and work toward the preservation of America’s security forces that will ensure stability and deterrence from armed aggression in the Asia-Pacific region. Much of the focus in the 21st century will be on the growing role the Asia-Pacific region will play in economic and security issues. Ensuring we have the appropriate level of military forces at a high state of readiness is in the best interest of Hawaii, our nation, and our allies in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Asia-Pacific region is critical to our nation’s long-term economic and security interests. Not only has defense spending by major countries in the Asia-Pacific region grown significantly in the past five years, but the region has seen an increase in cyber-warfare, bio-security and human pandemic incidents in recent years, all of which represent threats to the United States and to Hawaii.
As Senator, I will work to focus and prioritize U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security budgets to preserve and maintain resources in all of the forces in Pacific Command as well as the Hawaii National Guard and Reserves.
Asia-Pacific Economic Relationships
The top ten economies in the Asia-Pacific region now account for over one-quarter of global gross domestic product (GDP) and close to $1.1 trillion in trade with the United States. How we engage this fast-growing region will impact the economy and well-being of our nation and of Hawaii.
As Governor of the only U.S. state that is also a part of the Asia-Pacific region, I have had extensive interaction with the governments, businesses and people of this dynamic region. As Senator, I will continue to focus on expanding our nation’s economic and trade relations through more effective management and engagement of our relationships with governments of the region.
Effective management of our Asia-Pacific relationships means bringing a more Pacific-focused understanding to our national commercial and trade policies that historically have been more Atlantic-centric. It also means effectively communicating the United States’ national interests and agenda to leaders and institutions of Asian and Pacific nations.
Effective engagement of the Asia-Pacific region means pursuing and enacting trade agreements to open new markets for U.S. and Hawaii companies. It also means aggressive enforcement of intellectual property protection and free-trade agreements to ensure fair competition and more opportunities for American businesses. I believe in a “trust, but verify” approach to free trade.
As Senator, I intend to fully utilize bilateral, regional and multilateral institutions, such as the World Trade Organization and the East-West Center based in Hawaii, to more effectively pursue our nation’s trade, commercial, diplomatic and cultural interests in the Asia-Pacific region.
More effective management and engagement of the United States’ economic relationships with Hawaii’s neighbors in the Asia-Pacific region will result in job creation and economic benefits for Hawaii and for the nation as a whole.
Visitor Industry
According to the U.S. Travel Association, tourism accounts for 9.5 percent of the U.S. economy, generating $1.8 trillion in annual spending. It is Hawaii’s most important industry. The visitor industry, including leisure, business-travel, cultural exchanges, and similar travel-related activities, employs an estimated 14 million Americans in jobs as diverse as hotel managers, airport greeters, interpretive guides, bus drivers and restaurant owners. The visitor industry impacts almost every state, city and geographic region in the United States.
Despite this importance to the national economy, at the federal level there is a lack of strong advocacy or coordinated policy regarding tourism-related issues. Unlike many other nations, the United States does not have a department with the responsibility for tourism. Instead, this responsibility is dispersed among three massive federal departments— the Department of Commerce, the Department of State, and the Department of Homeland Security.
As the former Mayor of the County of Maui and Governor of the State of Hawaii, I have had extensive experience with fostering the development and refinement of the hospitality industry in a manner that respects the host culture while giving our visitors a memorable experience that encourages repeat visits.
As Senator, I intend to be an active policy advocate for the development and expansion of tourism as a key component of America’s economic recovery. I will work to develop a coordinated federal policy that includes expanding the visa waiver program and expediting the issuance of visas to overseas visitors without compromising national security.
Furthermore, I will work to foster public-private partnerships to re-invest in and revitalize our parks, national monuments, trails, beaches, and related infrastructure critical for both our own citizens as well as visitors to enjoy the natural and man-made wonders of this great nation.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, we can create 1.3 million new jobs simply by restoring the United States’ share of the travel market to its 2000 levels. I pledge to work towards this goal.
Energy
Energy security and self-sufficiency are vital to our national security, environmental protection, job creation, economic growth and long-term global stability.
Based on the success of my Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, acknowledged to be a national and international model, as Senator I will continue to work toward an effective and sensible federal energy policy.
Our national energy policy should address energy as a comprehensive system – including generation, new fuels, delivery, efficiency, emissions, and transportation.
Government’s regulatory effort should focus on facilitating activity by individuals, businesses and institutions that achieves real energy security and self-sufficiency. Regulatory and bureaucratic barriers to projects that achieve our energy goals need to be reduced or eliminated. Instead, the regulatory framework should foster the development of clean, green energy businesses and recognize the role the marketplace plays in commercial enterprises.
Government should encourage competition among solutions to achieve our national energy goals. Federal spending on energy should not focus on picking “winners and losers,” but on facilitating public and private investments in our country’s energy infrastructure for the 21st century, such as more efficient and secure electric grid systems that enable all traditional and renewable energy generation to be accommodated. Serious consideration should be given to an “open fuels standard” which will ensure that new vehicles can run on a wide variety of fuel mixes, thereby letting competition decide which energy choices best meet our country’s needs for affordable and sustainable transportation energy.
As Senator, I will work to achieve a sensible and effective national energy policy to achieve the long-desired result of a secure nation reaping the economic and jobs benefits of indigenous energy resources.
Bipartisanship
During my 30 years in public office, I have always worked with people of different political backgrounds—Democrats, Republicans and Independents—to find solutions to the problems we faced.
For part of my 10 years as a member of the Maui County Council, I was the lone Republican on the nine-member body. I was able to perform in an effective and collaborative manner that motivated the voters to elect me mayor at the end of that decade of service. The people of Maui knew that I always put people before political party.
As Mayor of Maui County I worked with Democrat Council members to keep Maui’s economy growing at a time when the rest of the State was experiencing economic difficulties. Together, we were successful in boosting tourism and fostering major film and digital media projects; building award-winning, program-based housing for the homeless; partnering with community groups to construct new senior citizen housing developments; and funding community-operated youth centers throughout the County.
I have always put people first. During my eight years as Governor of Hawaii, my team and I worked successfully with a Democrat-controlled Legislature to enact groundbreaking legislation in the fields of energy independence, STEM education, and infrastructure modernization.
I partnered with Democrats at the local and national level to save thousands of jobs at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard when it was threatened with closure, fought off regulations that would have forced the closure of Hawaii’s two refineries, and worked closely with Senators and Congressmen of both parties to sponsor and hold hearings on the Akaka bill for native Hawaiian recognition.
When my time as Governor ended last December, I was honored to be selected as one of six founding members of the Governors Council at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), a national public policy and advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. The Council is composed of immediate former governors of both parties who have achieved a record of bipartisan success.
“I believe it is the soundness of your ideas, not your political label, that matters most. The hyper-partisanship that has created gridlock in our nation’s Capitol goes against the public interest and needs to end. I will work every day to see that it does.”
- Linda Lingle
Social Security: Keeping our Commitments to Seniors
Over 54 million Americans rely on Social Security to meet a part of their monthly living expenses. Since 1935 this program, funded by the payroll taxes we pay into a Trust Fund, has grown to be the largest social insurance program in the United States. It is estimated that Social Security keeps roughly 40% of all Americans age 65 or older out of poverty.
These basic facts need to be recognized and respected before the Federal Government starts to make fundamental changes to this program. We also need to recognize that demographic and workforce changes are eroding the financial base upon which Social Security was founded. Longevity, coupled with fewer workers entering the workforce and paying into the system, results in estimates that by 2036 the Social Security trust fund will be exhausted.
To keep the Social Security system strong, I believe the following basic principles should be followed:
*We need to honor the promises we have made to current beneficiaries. Elder Americans should not fear that their payments could be stopped or reduced during their lifetimes.
*In keeping with prior changes, the age of retirement to receive full benefits should be adjusted to reflect actuarial data that shows Americans living longer. This needs to be done well in advance of when these changes are implemented, so workers and their families can plan accordingly.
*We should develop a national consensus on adjustments to benefits that will be paid to future retirees and determine where the cut-off age will be to apply the new benefit levels. Again, it will be important to give sufficient advance notice to current workers.
*We need to place a protective shield around the Social Security Trust Fund and ensure that the Treasury bonds in which the funds are invested, are placed at the head of the line for payment when the Trust fund needs cash.
*We have an obligation to focus on improving America’s economy so that young people can start putting part of their salary away now into 401(k) and similar accounts that will give them a cushion when they retire.
Medicare: Keeping Commitments
Medicare is the primary health insurance program for 47.5 million Americans age 65 and older or who are disabled. Started in 1965, Medicare, like Social Security, is funded by payroll taxes paid by employees and their employers. The program has several parts, most notably Part A which covers hospital stays, Part B which covers physician visits and Part D which covers prescription drugs.
Like social security, Medicare is facing financial challenges associated with longer life expectancies and the aging of the “baby boomer” population. Unlike social security, Medicare’s sustainability problems are more immediate and are directly impacted by the rising costs of medical procedures. Changes to retirement age or wage levels will not solve the problem. Since 2008, Medicare has been paying out more than it is receiving in payroll taxes. While projections vary, it is anticipated the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund may become insolvent by 2019.
It is unfortunate that Congress has not yet addressed this issue. Just because reforming Medicare is politically risky, does not mean it should be ignored. Delays only increase the negative impact of possible changes.
As a candidate for national office, I understand the importance of a fiscally sound medical insurance system for our seniors in Hawaii and throughout the nation. That is why, as Senator, I would abide by the following guidelines when examining proposals to sustain the Medicare program:
*Seniors and disabled currently covered by Medicare should continue to receive the health care and support they have been promised;
*Reimbursement rates should be set at a level that encourages doctors to treat Medicare patients by covering a fair proportion of the doctor’s costs;
*Audits of Medicare claims, which currently cover only an estimated 5% of all claims, must be significantly expanded to discourage waste and fraud in the system;
*There should be early agreement on when future beneficiaries will be expected to pay higher deductibles so that people currently in the workforce can plan in advance for higher out-of-pocket expenses;
*Tort reform should encompass medical malpractice legal reforms. The current system drives up costs by forcing doctors to order unnecessary or duplicative tests as a form of defensive medicine and patients are subjected to needless medical procedures.
I will engage my Senatorial colleagues in the difficult, but necessary, dialogue to ensure Medicare can become a sustainable health care program once again.
