Rep. Kaiali'i Kahele has solely voted in particular person 5 instances.
Buying and selling the nation’s capital for the pleasant skies?
Rep. Kaiali’i Kahele (D-Hawaii) has been absent from Congress for many of 2022, solely voting in particular person 5 instances — inflicting many to query what the congressman and business airline pilot is doing along with his time.
This week, the Honolulu Civil Beat discovered that Kahele has voted by proxy at the very least 120 instances since taking workplace — profiting from a coronavirus-induced coverage that has allowed Home members to designate a fellow member to vote for them on the ground if they're unable to be current.
Solely three different members of the Home — Democratic Reps. Albio Sires of New Jersey, Lucille Roybal-Allard of California and Al Lawson of Florida — have used the coverage greater than Kahele.
Kahele submitted his most up-to-date letter of intention to vote by proxy on April 4, citing the “ongoing public well being emergency.” Since then, the congressman has been noticed at a number of public occasions throughout the Aloha State — showing maskless in pictures shared on social media.
Moreover, the outlet discovered that Kahele has skipped out on many Washington, DC, occasions, together with President Biden’s State of the Union handle, conferences between Hawaii’s federal delegation and metropolis officers, and a Home Armed Companies Committee listening to final week.
Kahele’s official authorities web site proclaims that the lawmaker “flies the Airbus A330 wide-body plane on each home and worldwide routes.”
Spokesperson Michael Ahn confirmed Kahele’s employment to Politico on Monday, saying he flies “occasional flights to take care of his certification.”
It's unclear how usually Kahele has flown in 2022 thus far, or how a lot cash he has earned within the course of. Members of the Home are solely permitted to earn $29,595 in exterior revenue.
In keeping with his 2020 monetary disclosure report, Kahele made almost $120,000 from Hawaiian Airways. Ahn has insisted Kahele, who was elected in 2020, doesn't earn that a lot anymore.
“The congressman just isn't making $120,000. He's absolutely in compliance with Ethics,” Ahn informed Politico. “He's an energetic member of the airline union, the ALPA Pilots Union, and is an authorized business pilot and energetic member of Hawaiian Airways.”
Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) prolonged the proxy voting coverage final month till Could 14, a lot to the chagrin of Home Republicans.
Members on either side of the aisle have used — and abused — the coverage because it was applied in Could 2020, with some utilizing it to dedicate time to marketing campaign actions.
It's unclear if Kahele will run for re-election on this 12 months’s midterms, however native stories have speculated that the congressman could throw his hat within the ring for governor.
Ahn didn't instantly reply to The Submit’s request for remark.
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