Hirono Presses Secretary Driscoll on Continued Commitment to Good Faith Land Lease Negotiations

~ Watch Senator Hirono's Question Line Here ~

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), pressed U.S. Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll on the Army's continued commitment to good faith negotiations regarding land leases in Hawaii that are set to expire. During the full committee hearing, Senator Hirono reiterated the importance of transparency and community engagement as the Army continues its negotiations with the state of Hawaii and pressed Secretary Driscoll on the need for the Army to submit updated Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) to address deficiencies identified by the Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) last summer, which led to their rejection.

"We are now at a point where the leases are almost up, and final negotiations need to occur with meaningful community engagement and input, especially from the Native Hawaiian community," said Senator Hirono. "Secretary Driscoll, you previously committed to negotiating in good faith. Do you still stand by that commitment?"

The U.S. Army's current leases for training lands on the islands of Hawaii and Oahu are set to expire in 2029. During her question line, Senator Hirono emphasized that while these leases are vital to military training and readiness, this land-such as Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) on Hawaii Island-is culturally significant to the Native Hawaiian community and therefore requires, in addition to good faith, fair negotiations with the state of Hawaii, and transparency and engagement with the community.

In response to Senator Hirono, Secretary Driscoll confirmed his commitment to continuing to negotiate in good faith. Senator Hirono also made clear her opposition to any attempt by the Army to unilaterally condemn the land.

For years, Senator Hirono has pushed for good faith negotiations between the U.S. military and the State of Hawaii regarding land leases, with robust community engagement. In April, she highlighted the importance of continued negotiations to Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Jr., Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM). At his confirmation hearing in January, 2025, Senator Hirono questioned Mr. Driscoll on his approach to the renewal of land leases in Hawaii for miliary training areas. Senator Hirono's public oversight and advocacy on the importance of this issue goes back to 2021 when she brought attention to the looming land lease expiration to then-Secretary of Defense nominee General Lloyd Austin, emphasizing the importance of "early, often, and open" communication between the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), state authorities, and the Native Hawaiian community.

The full transcript of Senator Hirono's exchange with Secretary Driscoll is available below. Video of Senator Hirono's question line can be found here.

Sen Hirono: Secretary Driscoll, I want to ask you about your approach to the negotiations surrounding Hawaii's military plans consisting of 25,000 acres. I understand the importance of these lands for Army readiness. I also understand the importance of this land, of these negotiations to the people of Hawaii and the Native Hawaiian community and that is why I have engaged with leaders about how these negotiations will proceed, expressing the need for a community input for a number of years.

During a confirmation hearing you committed to negotiating in good faith with the state and the community. So, it was concerning that instead of what I would consider open communication and transparency, the Army last year pursued unilateral condemnation language as shown by your attempt to add last-minute language to support condemnation and Congress responded by reinforcing a continuing need for good faith negotiations.

A unilateral decision to condemn state lands would bypass the community, the state government and the Congressional delegation. The relevant condemnation statute requires the army to exhaust all available options before starting condemnation proceedings so I don't see how the Army can meet that requirement when it has not even resubmitted corrected EISs to address the deficiencies noted by the Board of Land and Natural Resources which may lead to their disapproval of the Army-submitted EISs.

It has been a year. I hope this is not the case that the Army is trying to run the clock and leave unilateral condemnation as the only viable course of action. I want to say for the record that I oppose unilateral condemnation. What we need is a negotiated approach to each of these lands. I have taken that position for years and we are at the point where the leases are almost up, and final negotiations need to occur with meaningful community engagement and input especially from the Hawaiian Native community.

Secretary Driscoll, I have a number of questions about your plans going forward.

You previously committed to negotiating in good faith. Do you still stand by that commitment?

Secretary Driscoll: Yes, unequivocally.

Sen. Hirono: The Army EISs were rejected by the Hawaii Land Board last summer because of several deficiencies including the failure to adequately assess the cultural and historical impacts of continued training.

Mr. Secretary, can I get your commitment that the Army will resubmit their EISs to address these deficiencies?

Secretary Driscoll: When you talk to our soldiers and families who spend their lives on the Hawaiian islands, they are grateful to the community. The community has been fantastic to them so we have been wanting to be respectful of the deep relationship that those people have with the land. I commit to following up with your office.

Senator Hirono: I hope that means that you will be resubmitting your EISs because to me, resubmitting EISs is part of even what the condemnation statutes require which is to exhaust all avenues of these negotiations.

Next question, what is the status of your negotiations with Hawaii and can you describe what steps you plan to take in the next 60 days? Time is running out on these leases to advance a negotiated agreement with the state.

Secretary Driscoll: We have aspired over the years before I was given the seat I think we have had a number of meetings and I can speak more to that. We have engaged with the delegation both to represent here in Washington, D.C. But we have also had conversations with state leadership and what we have tried to do is balance out fairness to the local population with this idea and this commitment that the United States Army must maintain this land. We need it for training, for the Indo-Pacific and with the timeline you are referencing coming up very soon.

Senator Hirono: Frankly, negotiations must occur with the State of Hawaii. That means negotiating with the governor basically. Those need to proceed in good faith.

I want to urge you again to resume these good-faith negotiations because that is what is going to take for us to come to a resolution that is going to be fair to all parties and that certainly includes the input of the Native Hawaiian community.

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