MEDIA RELEASE

Linda Lingle, candidate for Hawaii’s open U.S. Senate seat, will host U.S. Congressman Tom Cole, a small business leader and the only Native American in the U.S. House of Representatives, at a special luncheon 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday, May 21 at the King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel.

“Congressman Cole has been a strong, clear voice for indigenous people in Washington, D.C. since he began serving the people of Oklahoma 10 years ago. As a Congressman and member of the Chickasaw Nation, Congressman Cole has made providing indigenous people, including Native Hawaiians, the means for self-determination, self-governance and self-reliance a legislative priority,” Lingle said.

“Congressman Cole and I share interests beyond federal recognition of Native Hawaiians, including the Congressman’s commitment to encouraging private sector economic growth. As a former small business owner, Congressman Cole knows first-hand the hardships that many of our small businesses on the Big Island are facing. Congressman Cole’s visit is timely and relevant because Hawaii County continues to have among the state’s highest unemployment rates,” she said.

Oklahoma’s Fourth District voters first elected Cole to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002. Since that time, Cole has earned a national reputation as a thoughtful and effective leader.

As a former business owner and representative for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Cole has been a tireless advocate for small businesses.

Additionally, as the only Native American (an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation) in the U.S. House of Representatives, Cole has aggressively worked for federal support of Native American self-governance and economic development, including co-sponsoring House legislation to create a Native Hawaiian government.

Cole is a member of the Committee on Appropriations, where he is the Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, and serves on the Subcommittee on Defense and Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. He also serves on the Committee on the Budget.

For more information or to secure a ticket to the luncheon, contact Kari Hofer via email at Kari@Lingle2012.com or call (808) 298-8057.