Inouye Legacy Celebrated in Lecture Series

Rep. Scot Matayoshi. PC: Hawaii House of Representatives.

Former US Sen. Daniel K. Inouye had a reputation for valuing bipartisanship, an ideological virtue arguably on the wane in the theater of contemporary American politics.

The fifth and final Daniel K. Inouye Distinguished Lecture at the Library of Congress, an event titled Leadership in an Age of Political Content, will feature political strategists David Axelrod and Karl Rove tackling the issue of bipartisanship as well as topics ranging from leadership, public discourse, political parties and campaigns in a changing world.

White House correspondent Ann Compton will moderate the conversation, slated for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in the Coolidge Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

Hawaiʻi Reps. Scot Matayoshi and Val Okimoto, along with other young lawmakers from across the county, have submitted video questions for the discussion.

“Our country is terribly divided right now and part of that is due to people not talking to those with differing viewpoints,” said Rep. Matayoshi (D-Kāne‘ohe, Maunawili, Olomana). “Having friends across the aisle helps us to see that we agree on a lot of the end goals, even if we disagree about how to get there. As young leaders, we need to find a way to refocus on the goals and not waste time vilifying the opposition.”

Rep. Val Okimoto. PC: Hawaii House of Representatives.

“As a member of the minority party in a blue state, it is important to have the voice of the people heard,” said Rep. Val Okimoto (R-Mililani Mauka, Mililani, Waipio Acres). “There are issues we agree and disagree on, but respectful dialogue with aloha is necessary to effectively serve and represent the people of Hawai‘i who may have differing points of view and opinions.”

Hosted by the Library’s John W. Kluge Center, in conjunction with the Daniel K. Inouye Institute, this is the final lecture in a five-year series designed to celebrate the legacy of the late Honorable Daniel K. Inouye and highlight the value he placed on the power of bipartisanship.

It will also be live-streamed on the Library of Congress YouTube page.

The program will also be shown several times locally on ‘Olelo Community Media on channel 49/1049. The first airing is set for July 26 at 6 p.m. followed by reruns on July 28 at 10 p.m., July 29 at 2 p.m. and July 30 at 8 a.m. It will also be archived at www.olelo.org.

The lecture series is made possible through a generous donation from the Daniel K. Inouye Institute. The full lectures can be found on the Library of Congress website. More information can be found online.