SCOTT SIMON, host:
Now we turn to another freshman member of the House of Representative, Colleen Hanabusa of Hawaii. Representative Hanabusa is one of only nine new Democrats who join the House of Representatives this year.
Representative Hanabusa, thanks so much for being with us.
Representative COLLEEN HANABUSA (Democrat, Hawaii): Well, thanks for having me.
SIMON: You were, again(ph), a president to the state Senate in Hawaii, so you know politics. What do you want to do?
Rep. HANABUSA: When I grow up? No...
SIMON: I hope...
(Soundbite of laughter)
Rep. HANABUSA: (Unintelligible) want to do...
SIMON: I hope it's this. I mean...
Rep. HANABUSA: Yeah. What I'd like to see is I'd like to have the ability to ensure that what - our economy is improving, our numbers are getting better. And I attribute a lot of that to the fact that we have had the benefit of federal funding, and Hawaii's economy is able to stabilize because of the fact that we have, well, not only military presence, but we've always had the benefit of federal funding. And that's what I want to ensure that we continue.
SIMON: Do you think Congress is an effective institution?
Rep. HANABUSA: Congress has got to be an effective institution, simply because it is the institution that's going to have to address the problems that this nation is in. There's no place else to go. Like in - when you're in a state legislature, you can always say, well, you know, the Fed's got to take care of this or Congress has got to take care of this. But when you're here, it's like there's no one else to pass the buck to. So I don't think people will ever be happy with Congress and no one's ever happy with any legislative body that they have.
SIMON: You represent Honolulu.
Rep. HANABUSA: I represent Honolulu.
SIMON: And what particular interest do you think you'd like to bring to Congress representing your district?
Rep. HANABUSA: First of all, I'd like to bring to them the ability to recognize that, one, there is a way to work together. But more importantly than that, there's also a way as to how we work. So there are different views, because we are never going to be alike and the regions that each of us represent are - to a large extent it's going to dictate how a particular elected official views specific issues, that someone who is in a swing state, for example, you know, you'd like to be able to have the ability to ensure that that person can vote a certain way if they need to vote a certain way, if they want to reflect the vote of their constituency.
SIMON: I must say, you sound more practical than ideological.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Rep. HANABUSA: The bottom line is, our job is to get legislation passed. You can't just vote no. I saw people - the easiest thing you can do is to kill things, you just vote no or you block or dig in. But the real challenge in one's skill as a legislator is to know what's fundamentally your core. But also being able to reach out, compromise, and get to some piece of legislation that you believe you can get passed. That's where I'm practical.
Representative Colleen Hanabusa, one of nine freshmen Democrats in the House of Representatives.
Thanks so much for joining us.
Rep. HANABUSA: Thank you for having me.