VIDEO: Sen. Hirono to VA: “Native Hawaiians Should Never Be Deemed An Afterthought”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today at a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) hearing about Native veterans, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono pressed officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to always include Native Hawaiian veterans when discussing and developing policies to better support Native veterans. Additionally, Senator Hirono questioned the VA officials on steps they are taking to address the disproportionately high levels of homelessness that Native Hawaiian veterans experience.

During the hearing, Mark Upton, VA Deputy to the Deputy Under Secretary for Health, delivered testimony discussing the steps the VA is taking to support Native veterans—however he neglected to mention Native Hawaiians.

Following his testimony, Senator Hirono stated, “As the Senator from Hawaii, I am very disappointed that your testimony neglected to mention Native Hawaiian veterans. As you know, like other Native communities, Native Hawaiians serve in our military at disproportionately high rates.”

“I know the VA understands the importance of ensuring Native Hawaiian veterans are treated with the same concern as American Indian and Alaska Native veterans—especially following the Secretary’s recent trip to our state in October. But it is critical—given the historical lack of parity Native Hawaiians have received from the VA—that Native Hawaiian veterans are always included in our language and our policies.”

“So, my main point is that Native Hawaiians should never be deemed an afterthought, and that when we talk about focusing on programs that support Native communities or Native veterans…I am asking that we need to always include Native Hawaiians when we start talking about all the things we are doing.”

Despite serving in the military at a rate nearly 2.5 times higher than the national average, Native Hawaiian veterans continue to face barriers to accessing physical and mental health care, as well as disproportionately high rates of homelessness in Hawaii, making up the second largest share of homeless veterans experiencing homeless on Oahu. Senator Hirono asked officials, “Does VA have any strategies that specifically address Native Hawaiian veterans experiencing homelessness?”

In addition to Mark Upton, Stephanie Birdwell, Director, VA Office of Tribal Government Relations; John Bell, Executive Director, Home Loan Guaranty Program, Veterans Benefits Administration; Roselyn Tso, Director, Indian Health Service, Department of Health & Human Services; and Benjamin Smith, Deputy Director, Indian Health Service also attended the hearing.

As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Senator Hirono has consistently worked to support veterans in Hawaii and across the country. In August, she helped pass the Honoring Our PACT Act—comprehensive, bipartisan legislation to expand VA health care for veterans with health conditions related to burn pit and Agent Orange exposure. In October, Senator Hirono also hosted a series of events—including a field hearing where she questioned U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough—focused on discussing the state of VA resources and programs in Hawaii. Last month, Senator Hirono announced that the VA awarded $1.5 million in federal funding to Hawaii to support veterans’ suicide prevention efforts. 

A link to download video of the Senator’s full question line is available here. A transcript of the full exchange is available below.

Senator Hirono: Thank you Mr. chairman, Dr. Upton, and the rest of our panel. Thank you very much for joining us today to discuss issues facing Native veterans. As a Senator from Hawaii, I am very disappointed, Dr. Upton, that your testimony neglected to mention Native Hawaiian veterans. As you know, like other Native communities, Native Hawaiians serve our military at disproportionately higher rates. I know the VA understands the importance of ensuring Native Hawaiian veterans are treated with the same concern as American Indians and Alaska Native veterans, especially following the Secretary’s recent visit to our state in October for a field hearing.

But it is critical, given the historical lack of parity Native Hawaiians have received from the VA that Native Hawaiian veterans are included in our language and policies. Would you be willing to correct the record to include Native Hawaiians in your testimony, and to show how you are engaging with Native Hawaiians as a part of the Native American veteran community?

Dr. Upton: Thank you Senator, and I appreciate the acknowledgement of our Native Hawaiian veterans, who are so important and important in our veteran population. As noted in our testimony, they’re an important part of our Tribal Advisory Committee, and I really appreciate that voice being on the group that advises our Secretary. In talking with our region of VAs that works very closely with the team in Hawaii, I know that they are taking the work with our Native veterans very seriously, working on efforts with the University of Hawaii, as well as other outreach to the population there. We certainly welcome the impact and input on how to do better and to continue those partnerships.

Senator Hirono: So, my main point is that Native Hawaiians should never be deemed an afterthought, and that when we talk about focusing on programs that support Native communities or Native veterans, that would be three large groups of Native peoples, and you know who they are. So, I am asking that we need to always include Native Hawaiians when we start talking about all the things we are doing. I am aware there are specific programs that support Native Hawaiians. So, like other Native communities, Native Hawaiians veterans have long experienced significantly more challenges in accessing resources, an issue that former Chairman Akaka, Senator Dan Akaka from Hawaii who chaired this committee, fought to fix for years, and one that I am committed to as well.

VA’s own 2021 National Veteran Health Equity Chartbook on Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander veterans reported that Native Hawaiian veterans often expressed more issues with care as compared to white veterans. It is clear that the VA needs to increase its understanding of Native Hawaiian culture, outreach to Native Hawaiian the community, and build ties with organizations trusted by the community to ensure Native Hawaiian veterans receive the care they deserve. And I have greatly appreciated the VA’s partnership on issues important to veterans in Hawaii. We have a lot of veterans in Hawaii, a big group of them are Native Hawaiians, including, of course as I mentioned in Secretary McDonough’s visit to Hawaii this year. But it is clear that the VA still has serious work to do to better support Native Hawaiian veterans, and I hope that we can continue working together to ensure Native Hawaiians veterans are getting the care and benefits they earned through their service to our country.

And this really requires in many cases, very different ways of outreach to this community. It requires understanding of the Native Hawaiian veteran community. I realize you do have a person who sits on your advisory group, and I will be talking with him as to what more support we can provide.

I have a question about homelessness in the time I have left. The homelessness among veterans is a huge issue for the VA. And at one point, one of our Secretaries said that eliminating homelessness among veterans was his top priority. Clearly that is still an issue. So, we are talking about the 2022 Point in Time Count showed that Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders make up the second largest share of homeless veterans on islands. And that veterans overall have twice as many health conditions as compared to the broader population, included in the PIT count. In your testimony, you mentioned VA’s toolkit to provide “background, planning, resources, and programmatic options for organizations, interested in finding solutions for homelessness among native veterans” and this too, again, does not mention Native Hawaiian veterans at all. Does the VA have any strategies that specifically address Native Hawaiian veterans experiencing homelessness, and if so, do these strategies integrate Native Hawaiian cultural practices and norms?

Dr. Upton: Thank you Senator, and please know I take all of that feedback very seriously. I do not know offhand about specific programs impacting homelessness for Native Hawaiians, but I will absolutely take that for the record and we will follow up with you.

Senator Hirono: Thank you, so, homelessness, as well as so many other health issues, including mental health issues and suicide, the Native Hawaiians veteran groups experiences much higher rates than the larger populations. So, Mr. Chairman, thank you for your indulgence, I’m a little over time but clearly, we have work to do. Thank you. 

###