Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) who is challenging progressive senate incumbent, Brian Schatz (D-HI) is teaming up with biggest Republican military spender to ... wait for it ... demand even more military spending!
OMG - it even has her name in Randy Forbes announcement:
Forbes/Hanabusa Legislation "Asia-Pacific Region Priority Act"
Now we know for sure that Hanabusa has abandoned her "I'm just as progressive as he is" tactic against Sen Schatz and has moved on to the "I'm a bigger warmonger than he is" campaign strategy. Sen Schatz has courageously come out against the various attempts to get us into new wars so it isn't too hard for Hanabusa to position herself as more belligerent.
Hanabusa will be successful in convincing voters she supports shoveling even more money to the already bloated military budget -- but will that get them to vote for her?
Doubtful when she's also telling them that there's no room to expand Social Security in the budget.
This bill will:
Encourages Availability of Training Areas Within PACOM Area of Responsibility - Sustaining training facilities in the PACOM AOR is essential to not only the continued preparedness of the U.S. military, but also to developing the partner capacity and interoperability necessary for effective security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific.
This will go over well with the residents of Hawai'i who are sick of
Rimpac exercises and suspect that's how the data/phone cable got cut which killed neighbor island access to phones and internet for days and then had it limping for months.
Here's a little favor for Hanabusa's military contractors who are so generous with PAC money to her campaign:
Requires Independent Assessment of Anti-Access/Area-Denial Challenges - The bill requires the Secretary of Defense to solicit outside evaluation of the A2/AD capabilities of potential competitors and the ability of the United States to maintain its security commitments in the region.
And, oh yaaa!, Militarization of Space - something that
thoughtful scholars decry as the most dangerous step we can take to destabilize the world.
Commissions Study on Space Defense and Deterrence Strategies - The growth of Chinese and Russian counter-space capabilities poses significant threats to both the U.S. military and global business and telecommunications. The bill directs the Office of Net Assessment to conduct a study of the threat and possible solutions.
And another handout to Hanabusa's favorite military contractors - the drone manufacturers
Establishes a Defense Unmanned Systems Office - This bill establishes a senior office to oversee a coordinated unmanned systems strategy for the Department of Defense, covering everything from research and development to deployment and the unmanned role within new and existing operational concepts.
And, look, how kind, Forbes has thrown in additional militarization of Hawaii for Hanabusa:
Requires Development of a Pacific Command Munitions Strategy - The bill requires the services to examine their munition capabilities and the health of the associated industrial base, and report to Congress on a PACOM munitions strategy.
Hanabusa must be counting on the military voters in her district to overcome all the other voters who are sick of spending so much on war and just want their sewage system rebuilt.