Tokuda, Jill N.

Jill Tokuda represents Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District and serves as Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology. In this role, she leads the Democratic minority on the subcommittee, which oversees agricultural research, conservation programs, and resource management. As ranking member, she shapes the committee's priorities and leads opposition to Republican proposals, with particular influence over farm conservation policy and agricultural research funding. Tokuda brings substantial expertise to this position from her 12 years in the Hawaii State Senate, where she chaired the Ways and Means Committee overseeing the state's $14 billion budget and also chaired the Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs Committee. She championed legislation protecting Hawaii's Important Agricultural Lands and has long advocated for increasing locally grown food in food-insecure communities. Since entering Congress in 2023, Tokuda has been active on agricultural issues affecting Hawaii's farmers, introducing bills on tariff relief for agricultural inputs, food assistance programs, and tropical forestry research. She has also testified before her subcommittee on climate resilience and conservation tools for farmers and ranchers. Beyond agriculture, she serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Tokuda is the only member of Hawaii's congressional delegation serving on an agriculture committee, positioning her as a crucial voice for the state's unique agricultural challenges and opportunities.