House Agriculture Subcommittee Holds First Hearing with Rep. Tokuda as Ranking Member & Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council as Witness

House Agriculture Subcommittee Holds First Hearing with Rep. Tokuda as Ranking Member & Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council as Witness | U.S. House Representative Jill Tokuda Skip to content Close Home About Biography Our District Votes And Legislation Committees & Caucuses Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus Bipartisan Congressional Coffee Caucus Services Help With A Federal Agency Tours And Tickets Internships Flags Art Competition Commendations and Greetings Military Service Academy Nominations Funding Requests Grant Applications Events Know Your Rights Disaster Assistance Programs for Flooding Victims Community Resources and Flood Response Guidance Media Op-Eds Press Releases In The News Videos Contact Email Me Scheduling Request Newsletter Subscribe Office Locations Website Problem Close SEARCH Congresswoman Jill Tokuda About Biography Our District Votes And Legislation Committees & Caucuses Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus Bipartisan Congressional Coffee Caucus Services Help With A Federal Agency Tours And Tickets Internships Flags Art Competition Commendations and Greetings Military Service Academy Nominations Funding Requests Grant Applications Events Know Your Rights Disaster Assistance Programs for Flooding Victims Community Resources and Flood Response Guidance Media Op-Eds Press Releases In The News Videos Contact Email Me Scheduling Request Newsletter Subscribe Office Locations Website Problem Modal Search Button Mobile Site Search Submit Search MENU Facebook Logo Twitter Logo BlueSky Logo Youtube Logo Instagram Logo Home Media Press Releases June 05, 2025 House Agriculture Subcommittee Holds First Hearing with Rep. Tokuda as Ranking Member & Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council as Witness Washington, DC – Today, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology held its first hearing of the 119th Congress with U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) servingas Ranking Member. Nicole Galase, Managing Director of the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council, testified as a witness. Both women strongly supported and promoted food producers and conservation programs statewide. “The weather isn't what it used to be. No matter what you want to call it — climate change, extreme weather, shifting seasons — our producers are living it every day. Longer droughts, harder rains, heatwaves in April, frost in May — it's getting harder to grow the food, fuel and fiber that this country relies on. And that's not a partisan talking point. It's reality for farmers and ranchers across this country,” said Rep. Tokuda during her opening statement, which can be viewed here . “And let me be clear: this is not about left or right. It's about forward. Whether you're in red states, blue states, purple states or farm country, right in between, producers are not asking for politics. They're asking for access, for flexibility, for conservation tools that make their land more resilient, their water more efficient, and their operations more secure — because their livelihoods, as you all know, depend on it, and so do our nation’s food supply.” Rep. Tokuda was instrumental in bringing Galase to Congress, marking the first time a Hawaiʻi expert has testified in the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology. Galase spoke to subcommittee members about Hawaiʻi’s unique agriculture and conservation landscape. “Some of the biggest challenges and threats to our industry come from the loss or conversion of our natural resources. In Hawaiʻi, like many other states, we face a decline in pasture lands. A decline in pasture inevitably leads to a decline in agricultural production, which weakens food security. Our goal is to keep grasslands green. Since our livelihood is made on the land, resource stewardship not only makes good environmental sense, it is economically fundamental. Maintaining robust voluntary conservation programs must remain a top priority for both USDA and this committee. Accomplishing this goal is impossible without the flexibility and attention to locally led decision making. Cattle producers take pride in our efforts to improve the land and are always looking for partnership opportunities,” said Galase during her testimony, which can be viewed here . ### Print Email Share Tweet Previous Article Next Article About Services Media Contact Privacy Policy Facebook Logo Twitter Logo BlueSky Logo Youtube Logo Instagram Logo