Rep. Tulsi Gabbard visits with students at Ke Kula O Nawahiokalaniopuu School. (Photo courtesy of Rep. Gabbard’s Office)

MEDIA RELEASE

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) was on the Big Island Friday, May 16 visiting with students and educators at a public charter school, a private preparatory academy, and a community college.

Her first stop was at Ke Kula O Nawahiokalaniopuu School in Keaau where students, their families, teachers, and staff have chosen to speak Hawaiian as the primary language of the home.

Students led the congresswoman on a tour of the campus and answered her questions regarding the challenges and opportunities that the Hawaiian emergent school and its students face.

Gabbard met with the Kamehameha School (Hawaii) Academic Decathlon team to personally congratulate the eight students on recently placing 2nd in the highly competitive nationwide U.S. Academic Decathlon Division II Contest.

The high school students shared their experiences since joining the team and their goals for the future with the congresswoman.

They were surprised when she presented them with Honorary Certificates from the U.S. House of Representatives in recognition of their honorable achievement.

Later that evening, Gabbard delivered keynote remarks highlighting servant leadership at Hawaii Community College’s Annual Commencement Exercise where approximately 300 graduates received their diplomas.

———

Gabbard, Schock introduce bipartisan immigration bill

MEDIA RELEASE

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) have announced bipartisan legislation that permanently extends the popular EB-5 visa program for immigrant investors and eliminates the current program’s outdated country caps.

The bill, H.R. 4659, was introduced May 13 in the House of Representatives and was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary for action.

“When I hear from people in Hawaii, the most important issue they bring up, by far, is that we need to revitalize and strengthen our economy. By introducing this bill, we can leverage funds and capital from overseas in our communities by encouraging foreign investors to create and support jobs in every sector of our economy, particularly in rural areas or those with high unemployment,” Gabbard said.

“Between 2005-2013, for example, $6.5 billion was invested in projects around the country, supporting 131,000 American jobs,” she said. “In Hawaii, our business owners and job-seekers have the potential to benefit greatly from our proximity to investors in the Asia-Pacific region who want to expand to the U.S. market.

“As a founding co-chair of the Congressional Future Caucus, I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with my friend and colleague Congressman Aaron Schock. Together, we are working to identify practical, creative, and long-term solutions to the challenges we face in our communities and across the country.”

The EB-5 visa category was initially created as a pilot program under the Immigration Act of 1990. Current law allows for as many as 10,000 annual admissions and requires a minimum $1 million investment per visa.

If the investment is made in a high unemployment or rural area, however, the investment threshold can be lowered to $500,000.

The program has been extended twice in the last five years, with the House voting 412-3 in 2012 in the 112th Congress to extend the program until Sept. 30, 2015.

“Right now, more than anything, the U.S. economy needs good-paying jobs and investment capital to build the companies that create them. The EB-5 regional center program accomplishes both goals by attracting qualified foreign investors and establishing measurable goals for job creation,” Schock said. “Repeatedly, EB-5 program extensions have received overwhelming bipartisan support. This much-needed legislation underscores the importance of an incremental approach to immigration reform as Congress seeks common ground to address our nation’s broken system.”

According to the most recent reports, the EB-5 visa program contributed $3.4 billion to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2012, supported 42,000 U.S. jobs and generated $712 million in federal, state and local tax revenues.

Presently, there are more than 6,000 pending EB-5 investor applications that would support 60,000 U.S. jobs under the program, with many of them in high unemployment states.

Hawaii projects that have benefitted from EB-5 investments:

* $18 million: The University of Hawaii – West Oahu campus development project

* $50 million: The Hawaii Department of Transportation consolidated rental car facility project at Honolulu International Airport

* $12 million: Development of a Pacific Links golf course and related property development

Gabbard and Schock are co-founders of the Congressional Future Caucus, a bipartisan working group of next generational lawmakers who seek to develop long-term policy solutions that meet the challenges of America’s future.

By fostering a bipartisan community of Members of Congress who are dedicated to pragmatic leadership and issue-oriented results, the Future Caucus provides a platform to re-engage young people across the country with their government and our nation’s democratic institutions.