Ed Case

In 1994, he ran for Hawaii's 23rd House district. He won the Democratic primary with 51% of the vote in a five candidate field.[9] In the general election, he defeated Green party nominee Toni Worst 59%–41%.[10] In 1996, he won re-election to a second term with 67% of the vote.[11] In 1998, he won re-election to a third term with 70% of the vote.[12] In 2000, he won re-election to a fourth term unopposed.[13]

Case served four two-year terms in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1994 to 2002, where he focused on basic change in Hawaiʻi governance. In 1999, after Case led an effort to replace the leadership of the State House, his Democratic peers elected him Majority Leader.

A conservative Democrat by Hawaii standards, Case sought to change the current way state government operated and repeatedly warned that Hawaii was not addressing long-term fiscal challenges. On the last legislative day of 2000, Case said in a floor speech: "If you cannot make those choices, please get out of the way, because you are just making it harder for the rest of us."[14]

On January 21, 1997, in the House Judiciary Committee, Case cast the lone nay vote against advancing HB117, the bill that would allow a referendum to effectively, constitutionally ban gay marriage.[15] He and six others opposed the bill again in the full house vote.[16] When he was up for re-election in November 1998, he publicly opposed the referendum. His reasoning: "changing the Constitution would go against its intended purpose — protecting the rights of the minority against the will of the majority."[15] Leading up to the November election, polls consistently predicted that the measure would pass by 70–75%, a prediction that was accurate.[17] Due to the measure's popularity, only three other politicians or candidates in Hawaii joined his position.[18]

In 2001, Case co-sponsored an unsuccessful civil unions bill.[19]

• House Judiciary Committee

U.S. Congresswoman Patsy Mink died on September 28, 2002, one week after the primary election, leaving her 107th Congress (2001–2003) seat vacant. She was subsequently posthumously reelected to the 108th Congress (2003–2005) in November of the same year. On November 30, 2002, Case was elected in a special election to serve the remaining two months of Mink's, gaining over 50% of the vote in a field of over forty. Although he didn't live in the 2nd, the federal Constitution only requires that a House candidate be a resident of the state he or she wishes to represent. During the special election, Case pointed out that he grew up on the Big Island.

Case immediately ran in a second special election on January 4, 2003 for Mink's 108th Congress seat, going up against more than three dozen other candidates. Other Democrats included Matt Matsunaga and Colleen Hanabusa. Republicans included Barbara Marumoto, Bob McDermott, and Frank Fasi. Case won that election with 43 percent of the vote.

In 2004, Case defeated Republican challenger Mike Gabbard, a social conservative who focused almost exclusively on gay marriage issues. Case won his first full term with 63% of the vote.[20]

In June 2018, Case joined the crowded race for the 2018 Democratic primary election, set for August 11, 2018.[21] He won the primary election with 40% of the vote, defeating 6 other challengers, including Doug Chin, the incumbent Lieutenant Governor.[22] In the 2018 General Election in November, Case carried Hawaii's 1st congressional district by a 50-point margin, 73.1%—23.1%,[23] defeating Republican Campbell Cavasso.

Case sponsored 36 bills between 2003 and 2006. Of those bills, Congress passed H.Con.Res.218 recognizing 100 years of Filipino-American immigration to America, the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park Addition Act (H.R.546 / Public Law No. 108-142), legislation (H.R. 2030 / Public Law No: 108-5) designating the U.S. Postal Service facility located in Paia, Hawaii as the Patsy Takemoto Mink Post Office Building, and the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act (H.R. 2619 / Public Law No. 108-481). Two of his other bills were included in subsequent legislation. H.R. 3535, to include country of origin labeling for macadamia nuts, was included in the 2008 Farm Bill. Congresswoman Mazie Hirono reintroduced the Kalaupapa Memorial Act (H.R. 4529), which she added to Public Law No. 111-11.

While Case entered the House of Representatives too late to cast a vote on the Iraq War Resolution, he supported the Iraq War throughout his tenure in the House. As late as 2006, he opposed a firm timetable for withdrawal.[24]

Case often sided with Republicans on major tax legislation. He was one of only 34 Democrats (who sided with 196 Republicans) to support reducing the estate tax.[25] He also was one of 15 Democrats (who sided with 229 Republicans) to support lower taxes on investment income.[26]

In 2005, Case voted for Rep. Jeb Hensarling's (R-TX) amendment to eliminate funding for PBS, NPR, and Title X family planning, including money for Planned Parenthood. He was the only Democrat to support the amendment, which failed 102–320.[27][28]

Case also introduced the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Marine Refuge Act (H.R. 2376), which would have protected the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands by making them a national marine refuge. In June 2006, President George W. Bush achieved much of the bill's goals by issuing a public proclamation creating the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument under the authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906.

He has co-sponsored 808 bills during the same time period. He missed 148 (6%) of 2435 votes in his tenure.[29]

He re-joined the Blue Dog Coalition on January 29, 2019.[30]

On July 25, 2019, Case along with Congressmen Don Young, Brad Sherman and Ted Yoho founded the Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus in order to increase Congressional attention to the importance of the Indo-Pacific region.[31] The Caucus was also formed to encourage greater education for Members of the House of Representatives to the unique environmental, defense and economic issues of island nations and states in the Pacific Ocean.

On August 27, 2019 Case introduced H.R. 4547, the Safe and Quiet Skies Act. The bill would regulate tour airplane and helicopter flights and, among other things, set decibel limits over residential neighborhoods, prohibit overflights of military facilities, national parks, and residential areas by air tours and require a sterile cockpit. [32] The introduction followed two fatal air tour helicopter crashes in Hawaii that killed a total of 14 people.[33]

On December 18 2019, Case voted to impeach President Donald Trump.[34]

2002-2007

• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on Agriculture
  • Subcommittee on Livestock (Ranking member 109th Congress)
  • Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development and Research
  • Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
• Committee on Education and the Workforce
  • Subcommittee on Education Reform
  • Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations
• Committee on Small Business
  • Subcommittee on Tax, Finance, and Exports
  • Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Rural Enterprises, Agriculture and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment and Government Programs

2019–present[35]

• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch
• Committee on Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
  • Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the United States
  • Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife

Case's caucus memberships include:[36]

• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (executive board member)
• New Democrat Coalition
• Blue Dog Coalition