Senator Brian Schatz (who was a co-sponsor) and Senator Mazie Hirono both stood tall with Senator Bernie Sanders and 15 other U.S. Senators, voting YES in support of a Joint Resolution of Disapproval to block the sale of over $20 billion in offensive U.S. weaponry to Israel (which I wrote about in my previous mass email) (https://mailchi.mp/312f6f4745de/a-request-for-help-5233644) . While the Resolution did not garner the votes needed to pass (Newsweek) https://www.newsweek.com/sanders-resolution-block-arms-sale-israel-struck-down-1989047, we should/must honor our two Hawai’i Senators for their support of this important measure.

PLEASE MAHALO THEM TODAY – certainly before the end of the day on Monday 11/25!
Senator Brian Schatz https://www.schatz.senate.gov/contact/share-your-thoughts – (808)-523-2061, Senator Mazie Hirono https://www.hirono.senate.gov/contact/email-me-about-an-issue – (808) 522-8970.

It’s important we acknowledge our elected officials directly by email and telephone when they vote the right way, especially on tough sometimes highly controversial issues. Too often we spend our energy only on encouraging them to vote one way or another, or berating them for voting the wrong way. Please, help out today by sending them a short note and/or making that brief telephone call to tell them “thank you”.

Please also give a big mahalo to Representative Jill Tokuda https://tokuda.house.gov/contact – (808) 746-6220 who voted NO in opposition to the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.

According to an article in the Associated Press “The U.S. House passed legislation Thursday that would give the Treasury Department unilateral authority to strip the tax-exempt status of nonprofits it claims support terrorism, alarming civil liberties groups about how a second Trump presidency could invoke it to punish political opponents.”

The bill passed 219-184, with the majority of the support coming from Republicans and a few Democrats including unfortunately a YES vote from Hawai’i Representative Ed Case https://case.house.gov/contact/ – (808) 650-6688