Press Releases
Hirono Holds Events on Oahu and Maui Focused on Supporting Families and Investing in Communities in Hawaii
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) held events this week in Hawaii focused on supporting families and investing in communities across Hawaii. Over the past week, Senator Hirono has been on Maui and Oahu, touring infrastructure projects, small businesses, and youth services providers, and meeting with teachers, child care workers, and abortion providers. Senator Hirono is fighting to protect abortion rights and expand access to child care. She also helped pass the bipartisan Infra… Continue Reading
June 02, 2022
PHOTOS: Hirono Tours Youth Services Sites, Meets with Hawaii Teachers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) toured two centers serving vulnerable youth in Hawaii - RYSE (Residential Youth Services and Empowerment) and We Are Oceania's (WAO) Youth Empowerment Center - and met with leaders of the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) to discuss the ongoing challenges COVID has created for teachers and students. The Senator began her day at the RYSE Campus, where she met with Executive Director Carla Houser and team of outreach and case managers that … Continue Reading
June 02, 2022
Hirono, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Recognizing June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN) and all 50 Senate Democrats in introducing a Senate resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month. The senators' resolution highlights the contributions LGBTQ individuals have made to American society, notes several major milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBTQ Americans, and resolves to continue efforts to achieve full equality for LGBTQ indivi… Continue Reading
June 01, 2022
PHOTOS: Hirono Holds Events on Maui Highlighting Investments in Hawaii Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) held events on Maui highlighting federal investments in Hawaii communities and efforts to support the state's ongoing recovery and rebuilding from the COVID-19 pandemic. During her visit, Senator Hirono toured the site of the Honoapiilani Highway Realignment Project, which last year received $22 million in federal funding. She also visited two restaurants and a performance venue which all received federal economic relief funding during the COVID-… Continue Reading
May 31, 2022
Hirono, Grassley Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced a bipartisan resolution marking May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The resolution recognizes the significant contributions Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs), which includes Native Hawaiians, have made to this country. It also highlights the racism and discrimination APIAs have faced and continue to struggle with, including the recent rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents as a result o… Continue Reading
May 31, 2022
Hirono Urges Biden to Commute the Sentence of Native American Activist Leonard Peltier
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) wrote to President Biden urging him to commute the sentence of Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist who has been imprisoned for 46 years. In 1977, Peltier, a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), was convicted of the murder of two Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) agents and sentenced to two life sentences in a trial that the U.S. Attorney overseeing the case has since called "unjust." Now 77 years old, Peltier suffers from a n… Continue Reading
May 26, 2022
Hirono Introduces Legislation to Restore Access to Federal Benefits for Immigrant Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) introduced legislation to reinstate access to federal benefits for immigrants, who currently must wait five years after entering the country before becoming eligible due to unjust policy enacted nearly 30 years ago. In 1996, Congress passed restrictive welfare and immigration legislation that created unnecessary barriers, including an arbitrary five-year waiting period, that delay access to crucial benefits and services for millions of immig… Continue Reading
May 20, 2022
Hirono and Meng Call on Attorney General Garland to Ensure Community-Based Organization Are Prioritized for New Grants to Combat Hate Crimes and Incidents
WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Grace Meng (D-NY) called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to prioritize specific eligibility requirements for the newly created $5 million grant for Community-Based Approaches to Advancing Justice, that was established through the Fiscal Year 2022 spending bill. As community-based organizations have been critical in supporting victims and their families through the surge in hate crimes and incidents during the pandemic, thi… Continue Reading
May 20, 2022
Senator Hirono, Representative Meng Statements Commemorating One-Year Anniversary of Passage of COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Grace Meng (D-NY) issued the following statements on the one-year anniversary of President Biden signing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law. Following the rise of hate crimes and violence targeted at Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) communities, last March, Senator Hirono and Representative Meng introduced legislation to combat hate crimes and violence targeted at every marginalized community. "One year ago t… Continue Reading
May 19, 2022
Hirono Introduces Bill to Promote the Teaching of Asian Pacific American History to Teachers and Students
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) led nine of her Senate colleagues in introducing the Teaching Asian Pacific American History Act, bicameral legislation that would promote the teaching of Asian Pacific American (APA) history for high school students and teachers who enroll in the U.S. Department of Education's American History and Civics Academies programs. Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) individuals and communities, which includes Native Hawaiians, have l… Continue Reading
May 19, 2022
Hirono Announces $62 Million in Federal Funding For Hawaii Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has approved $62 million in federal funding for Hawaii small businesses through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). The funding, which was included in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that Senator Hirono helped pass last year, will be used to provide financing and credit to Hawaii small businesses and invest in busine… Continue Reading
May 19, 2022
Hirono, Senate Democrats Push Biden for White House Formula Coordinator to Lead National Strategy
Washington, D.C. -Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Bob Casey (D-PA) and 30 of their Democratic colleagues in urging President Joe Biden to immediately assign a coordinator within the White House on infant formula to address the shortage and implement a national strategy to increase the resiliency of the infant formula supply chain and protect against future contamination and shortages.… Continue Reading
May 19, 2022
Senate Passes Bill Establishing a Commission to Study Creation of National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill brought to the floor by Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) establishing a commission to study the creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture. Amid a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, the creation of such a museum would help promote understanding about Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) communities and their many contributions to American history and culture. The bill previously passed in the House,… Continue Reading
May 17, 2022
Hirono Bill Naming ALOHA VA Clinic For Senator Akaka Passes House, Heads to President Biden’s Desk
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation introduced by Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) to name the Advanced Leeward Outpatient Health Care Access (ALOHA) VA clinic currently under construction on Oahu after the late former Hawaii Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka - who first spearheaded the project working alongside Hawaii veterans. The bill passed the Senate in December 2021, and it now goes to President Biden to be signed into law. Congressman Kaiali'i Kahele … Continue Reading
May 16, 2022
Hirono Joins Colleagues in Introducing Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, & Transparency Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined six of her Senate colleagues in introducing a new version of the Twenty-First Century Court Act to promote accountability and increase transparency in the federal courts. The Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act was marked up in the House Judiciary Committee last Wednesday, teeing it up for a vote in the full House in the days ahead. "Americans across the country are questio… Continue Reading
May 13, 2022
Hirono, Cotton Introduce Bill to Expand U.S. Diplomatic Presence in the Pacific Islands
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced the Expanding America's Pacific Diplomatic Presence Act of 2022, bipartisan legislation to enhance the United States' presence in the Pacific Island region by studying the feasibility of creating new U.S. diplomatic posts in Pacific Island nations and territories that do not currently have U.S. embassies. Expanding our presence would enable U.S. diplomats to build lasting relationships with the peopl… Continue Reading
May 11, 2022
Hirono Statement Following Republican Refusal to Protect Women’s Reproductive Freedom
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) today voted to advance the Women's Health Protection Act, legislation to codify Roe v. Wade in federal law. After Republican Senators blocked the legislation from advancing, Senator Hirono released the following statement: "Today's vote on the Women's Health Protection Act was about who should control a woman's body-women, or the government. It is deeply upsetting, but not surprising, that my Republican colleagues voted to allow the governm… Continue Reading
May 11, 2022
Senator Hirono Urges FDA to Quickly Resolve Baby Formula Crisis, Develop Plan to Alleviate Future Shortages
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Earlier today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging them to expedite their efficient and thorough investigation of Abbott Nutrition's Sturgis facility, as families across the country continue to suffer the consequences of the supply-chain crisis. Additionally, Senator Hirono asked the agency to develop a long-term plan to alleviate future problems with supply and distribution, including any coordination with other f… Continue Reading
May 11, 2022
Senator Hirono Votes to Confirm Alvaro Bedoya as Federal Trade Commissioner, Breaking FTC’s Partisan Deadlock
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) voted to confirm Alvaro Bedoya as a Federal Trade Commissioner. His confirmation to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) breaks a seven-month-long 2-2 partisan split at the FTC, giving Democrats a majority to carry out the FTC's consumer protection mission. "With prices rising and corporations raking in record profits, the American people deserve strong leadership at the FTC that will do everything in its power to protect consumers and… Continue Reading
May 09, 2022
Hirono Advocates for Abortion Rights in Senate Floor Speech
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor emphasizing the need to protect abortion rights in response to the draft Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade. In her remarks, Senator Hirono called out the Republican party's hypocrisy on this issue, highlighted the disproportionate impact overturning Roe would have on low-income people and people of color, and warned that the right-wing … Continue Reading
