Press Releases
Hirono: Budget Vote Sets the Stage to Support Working Families, Create Jobs, Address the Climate Crisis, Reduce Child Poverty
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) today voted to begin work to pass the American Families Plan, legislation that will support America's working families and small businesses while creating jobs, addressing the climate crisis, reducing child poverty, and investing in our education system. This legislation follows key investments Democrats made in the American Rescue Plan and its success at delivering relief to the American people earlier this year. "This vote sets the stage t… Continue Reading
August 10, 2021
Hirono Votes to Pass $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill, Calls for Immediate Consideration of American Families Plan
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Chair of the Energy Subcommittee, voted with her colleagues to pass the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act today. The sweeping legislation provides $1.2 trillion in federal investments that will address our country's roads and bridges, transit systems, internet, wildfires, water infrastructure, and more. "This historic investment in our nation's infrastructure means that communities across the country can address their longst… Continue Reading
August 06, 2021
Senators Hirono, Klobuchar, King, Smith, Merkley, Van Hollen Introduce Legislation to Address Maintenance Backlog at Agricultural Research Facilities
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angus King (I-Maine), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) introduced the AG RESEARCH Act to address the multi-billion dollar maintenance backlog and modernization needs at various agricultural research facilities, including the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural R… Continue Reading
July 23, 2021
Hirono Secures New Provisions to Strengthen Window Safety Protections for Children Living in Military Housing in FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, successfully included new provisions in the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would strengthen window safety protections for children living in military housing. These protections build on the legacy of Evan's Law - named after seven-year-old Hawaii resident Evan English - that required the installation window safety devices in military housing as part of the F… Continue Reading
July 22, 2021
Senator Hirono Secures $85 Million for HDR-H in Senate Armed Services Committee NDAA Markup for Fiscal Year 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced today that the Senate Armed Services Committee added an $85 million authorization for the Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii (HDR-H) during its markup of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), rejecting the administration's decision to zero out funding in its budget request for the project. When completed, HDR-H will be a key component of our nation's ballistic missile defense system against evolving threats fro… Continue Reading
July 22, 2021
Hirono Announces More than $74 Billion for Navy and Marine Corps Programs in FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Chair of the Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee, announced that the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes more than $74 billion for critical Navy and Marine Corps Programs. This includes over $2 billion in additional funds on top of the base budget for key programs identified by the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps on their unfunded priority lists, such as the restoration… Continue Reading
July 02, 2021
Hirono Proposes New Investments to Improve Opportunities for Women and Minorities to Pursue STEM Careers, Reintroduces Legislation to Promote and Support Diversity in STEM Pipeline
HONOLULU - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced her plan to improve opportunities for women and minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. "Amid growing global economic competition, the United States cannot afford to ignore the barriers women and minorities face in pursuing STEM education and careers," Senator Hirono said. "These two bills would make key investments to unlock new pathways for women and people of color to pursue STEM education and care… Continue Reading
June 25, 2021
Hirono Introduces Bill to Make Key VA Information Accessible in 10 Most Common Non-English Languages
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, introduced the Veterans and Family Information Act, legislation that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make critical information it provides veterans and their families more accessible for non-English language speakers. An estimated 4.2 million veterans in the U.S. are foreign-born or the children of immigrants, a share of the veteran population that has been stead… Continue Reading
June 23, 2021
Hirono, Matsui Reintroduce Bicameral Bill to Boost Gender Equity in Education, Support Title IX
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) reintroduced the bicameral Patsy T. Mink and Louise M. Slaughter Gender Equity in Education Act (GEEA), legislation that would provide additional resources, training, and technical assistance to combat harassment and discrimination in education. "Trailblazers Patsy Mink and Louise Slaughter spent their careers demanding better opportunities for all Americans, regardless of their gender. This bill bui… Continue Reading
June 16, 2021
Hirono, Murray, Pocan, Scott Introduce Bill to Double Pell Grant, Make College More Affordable
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Representatives Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-Va.), chairman of the House Education & Labor Committee, reintroduced the Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act, legislation that would double the Pell Grant award, index the award to inflation, and make other changes to expand the award for working students an… Continue Reading
May 28, 2021
Hirono, Case, Womack Introduce Legislation to Restore Access Federal Benefits for COFA Citizens Legally Present in the United States
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Representative Ed Case (D-Hawaii), and Representative Steve Womack (R-Ark.) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to restore access to a range of federal benefits for citizens of the Freely Associated States of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau who reside in the United States. Under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA), national security agreements critical to safe… Continue Reading
May 28, 2021
Hirono, Shaheen, Collins Call on President Biden to Take Immediate Action to Ensure Women’s Rights and Safety are Protected after Withdrawal from Afghanistan
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) wrote to President Joe Biden urging him to take immediate action to ensure women's rights and safety are protected in the wake of the pending U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Noting that protecting Afghan women and girls post-withdrawal will require a whole of government approach, the Senators urged the President to immediately appoint an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues who… Continue Reading
May 27, 2021
Hirono Introduces Resolution Marking May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced a resolution marking May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The resolution highlights the contributions to our country by generations of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. "This Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is particularly meaningful. As we celebrate the rich diversity and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in our country, these very communities h… Continue Reading
May 21, 2021
President Biden Signs COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into Law
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement after President Joe Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law: "After a year in which the AAPI community experienced a horrifying rise in hate crimes and incidents driven by racist and inflammatory language during the pandemic, I was proud to stand beside President Biden and Vice President Harris as the President signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law. This bipartisan piece of legislation sends a c… Continue Reading
May 19, 2021
Hirono, Murkowski, Sullivan, Case, Young Introduce Bicameral Bill to Reunite Filipino World War II Veterans with Their Children
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Representatives Ed Case (D-Hawaii) and Don Young (R-Alaska) today reintroduced the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act (S.1708), legislation that would speed up the visa process for children of Filipino World War II veterans. "Filipino and American servicemembers fought side by side during World War II. As a grateful nation, we should do everything we can to reunite Filipino so… Continue Reading
May 18, 2021
Senators Hirono, Murkowski, Kaine Introduce Resolution Calling on the Senate to Ratify UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced a resolution calling for the United States Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). UNCLOS, which has been ratified by 166 nations and the European Union, details the rights and responsibilities of countries regarding the world's oceans, including guidelines for businesses and the management of marine natural resources. U.S. Representatives Joe… Continue Reading
May 13, 2021
Senator Hirono, Colleagues Reintroduce I Am Vanessa Guillen Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with her colleagues Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) reintroduced the I am Vanessa Guillen Act, legislation that addresses sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military by removing decisions about prosecuting those cases from the chain of command, requiring independent investigations for sexual harassment ou… Continue Reading
May 07, 2021
Hirono Statement on the Fuel Release at the Red Hill Facility
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, issued the following statement after reports of a fuel release at the Red Hill Bulk Storage Facility: "Earlier today, I spoke with Admiral Aquilino - who provided me with an update on the fuel release at Red Hill. While the initial assessment is ongoing, Admiral Aquilino assured me that the detection and response system worked and the fuel release is contained. He will stay in touch with me … Continue Reading
May 05, 2021
Hirono, Schatz, Brown, Blumenthal, Van Hollen, Menendez, Booker Call for United Airlines to Stop Outsourcing 2,500 Catering Jobs
HONOLULU - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), along with their colleagues Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) sent letters yesterday to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby about United Airlines' intention to outsource inflight catering jobs for thousands of workers based in Honolulu, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, and Newark. In… Continue Reading
May 03, 2021
Senator Hirono Statement Following Indo-Pacific Change of Command
HONOLULU - Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee, issued the following statement after Admiral John C. Aquilino assumed command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, following last week's unanimous Senate confirmation vote: "Last month, I introduced and endorsed Admiral Aquilino when the Senate Armed Services Committee considered his nomination to serve as Commander of the Indo-Pacific Command. After working with Admiral Aquilino, I know he unde… Continue Reading
