Video above shows a portion of the July 2, 2014 U.S. Senate candidate forum held at Sangha Hall in Hilo, Hawaii. Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa is challenging incumbent Senator Brian Schatz for the position.

Video by Tim Bryan, Forum Moderated by Sherry Bracken

HILO, Hawaii – During the July 2 forum in Hilo, candidates for U.S. Senate were asked how they plan to support the growth of Native Hawaiian education. Rep. Hanabusa talked about how she has been able to protect Native Hawaiian education grant funding in the House.

… with the help – a bipartisan help – of Don Young (R) of Alaska and Tom Cole (R) of Oklahoma, for a time the only American Indian in the United States Congress… They’re able to step forward for us and say that unless Native Hawaiian education is also protected, they will not support the whole of the native grants. So that is the kind of commitment that we need. That’s a skill set that we all have in terms of ‘are we able to move across the aisle’?”Rep. Colleen Hanabusa – July 2, 2014

… Through legislation in with Jon Tester (D) from Montana – who is a friend of mine and who has lots of Native American Indian tribes in his home state that do wonderful native language education- he and I have co-introduced legislation to make it clear that native immersion programs ought to be treated differently from the perspective of No Child Left Behind or Race to the Top. In other words, if kids are learning in native languages they ought to be tested in native languages so we can continue to allow these programs to succeed.”Sen. Brian Schatz – July 2, 2014

SPECIAL VIDEO SECTION: Schatz vs. Hanabusa (July 2, 2014)

1. Introduction
2. Social Security
3. Economy
4. Kona Airport Customs
5. Fish & Wildlife Designations
6. Lending Restrictions
7. Native Hawaiian Education
8. Jones Act
9. Healthcare and Medicare
10. Pohakuloa Training Area, Saddle Road
11. Hawaii’s High Energy Rates
12. GMO
13. Closing

The event was sponsored by the Hawai‘i Island Chamber of Commerce, Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Hawaii, Hawaii Island REALTORS®, Hawaii Island Contractors’ Association, Kanoelehua Industrial Area Association and the Hawaii Island Portuguese Chamber of Commerce. It was open to the community free of charge.