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Release Date: 03/05/04 00:00:00
Remarks as Prepared
Press Office
Contact: 202-282-8010
March 5, 2004
Honolulu, HI
Thank you Governor Lingle. I would like to thank you for you hospitality and for a productive, albeit brief, meeting. The "aloha" spirit runs throughout this wonderful state, so I am glad that I could stop here, even if just for a few hours.
The last time Governor Lingle and I met, we were in Washington and it was in December. Governor, I can safely say that I prefer meeting here in Hawaii anytime.
Governor Lingle has a wealth of creative ideas for homeland security and she is working hard to ensure that this island is not only safe from terrorists, but safe for trade and tourism.
As I've said time and time again, you can't secure the homeland from Washington, DC. Instead, the success of homeland security relies on a strategy that integrates our entire nation -- even across the 1,600 miles of ocean that separates Hawaii from the mainland.
Under the Governor's leadership, Hawaiians -- and visitors to these great islands -- are already more secure and the state is better prepared to respond to any type of potential disaster.
No doubt, Hawaii still faces many challenges -- scores of domestic and international flights arriving daily, significant critical infrastructure, numerous active military installations, and busy seaports that received goods and people from around the world.
As the Governor just told you, we've had another very productive meeting to discuss a wide range of homeland security issues facing Hawaii -- and I think we are making good progress. I reiterated our commitment to provide Hawaii with the resources it needs to make this state even safer.
Since 2003, we have allocated or awarded nearly $65 million dollars in homeland security, port security and emergency management grants. And if the Congress passes the President's request for another $3.5 billion nationwide, Hawaii will have even more funds next year.
We also talked about aviation security - an area where Homeland Security's TSA has already improved security measures from the curbside to the cockpit.
At Honolulu International Airport, additional screening lanes have reduced wait times for security checks -- averaging just more than five minutes over the last month -- and 100 percent of baggage is being screened electronically.
In addition, I reassured the Governor that TSA employees throughout airports in Hawaii will not only provide the high level of security which has become their hallmark across the country, but also maintain a focus on customer service and that "aloha" attitude so unique to Hawaii.
The Governor also raised important concerns about Visa processing and its impact on Hawaii's economy -- concerns we have heard in other areas of the country as well.
We are a welcoming nation -- perhaps nowhere more so than here in Hawaii -- and we must remain true to this founding principle of our country. We also cannot allow homeland security to serve as a hindrance to economic growth and tourism.
Here in Hawaii, it is critical that we welcome -- in fact encourage - trade, business travelers, tourists, and students from around the world -- and especially Asia.
Our goal is to do just that -- making sure the process is fair, swift, and secure. So we are working with the Departments of State and Commerce -- and our foreign partners -- on ways to make the visa process less burdensome for foreign visitors.
In fact, I will leave today for Asia where I will have the opportunity to discuss this issue with our Ambassadors and other top officials in several key countries.
I am looking forward to hearing their thoughts -- as I have Governor Lingle's today - on how we can facilitate the flow of legitimate trade and commerce to our shores, and maintain the welcoming "aloha" spirit to visitors -- whether they arrive here in Honolulu or anywhere in our great country.
While it might be hard to imagine someone greeting you with an "aloha" -- or even a "hello" -- at LaGuardia airport in New York...there are so many things that do bind us together as a nation.
Hawaiians know, like New Yorkers, the shock of a surprise attack. And our entire country shared the pain of both. But we also share a far deeper fellowship, unified by our common desire for safety, our common vision of security, and our common belief in freedom.
It has been a pleasure to work with Governor Lingle in this effort -- a leader who understands that fellowship.
I look forward to continuing our partnership -- and to returning to Hawaii for a longer visit in the future.
Thank you.
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This page was last reviewed/modified on 03/05/04 00:00:00.