Congressional delegation will seek relief

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

Hawaii's congressional delegation yesterday said it will push for initiatives to help Hawaii's economy and residents, such as tax deductions for certain travel expenses and supplemental federal unemployment and health care benefits.

"Much as we'd like to say to you that happy days are here with us and is coming along, I think we should be prepared for tougher days," U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye said during a press conference with local political and business leaders and others.

U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie said Hawaii's delegation will push to pass legislation that includes a 100 percent tax deduction for business meals and entertainment as well as temporary spousal travel and family travel deductions.

U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink said she expected quick passage of legislation to supplement unemployment compensation and health benefits for airline, airport and airplane manufacturing workers who were laid off as a result of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The legislation would extend such benefits to 18 months at full cost to the federal government.

But Mink added that still left on the table is relief to people laid off from jobs in related industries such as hotels and restaurants.

"I think we have an obligation to extend that coverage that we are now providing in these two bills to include all of the people that are impacted by what happened on Sept. 11, so we will be working very hard on that," she said.

Inouye also described legislation to expand the federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans Program to include more small businesses that were adversely affected by the attacks.

The loan program provides relief only to businesses in a disaster area.

"Under the present provision we would not qualify, yet we know very well that we have suffered just as greatly as the businesses in lower Manhattan," Inouye said. "Why should only Manhattan get it. Much as I grieve for those who suffer there, fair is fair."

The congressional delegation and other leaders were also given a tour of the airport security, which Abercrombie and Inouye praised, calling it the finest in the nation.

Inouye spoke of Congress' push to federalize security in all airports, as opposed to President Bush's proposal for federal oversight.

Inouye also said postal officials assured him that they will work on improving the system that requires all mail in the state to be sorted in Honolulu.

Using the Honolulu hub means that Neighbor Island mail addressed to someone on that same island must be flown to Honolulu for processing, then flown back.

"It seems so ridiculous that we have a system like this," Inouye said.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.