Press Releases
As Another Month of Rent is Due, Senator Hirono Cosponsors Bill to Extend Nationwide Eviction Moratorium
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) cosponsored the Protecting Renters from Eviction and Fees Act, legislation introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to extend and expand the federal eviction moratorium for renters set out in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that is set to end on July 24, 2020. The bill would extend the existing moratorium on evictions from properties with federally-backed mortgages through March 27, 2021 and expand it to … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Hirono Demands Commerce Department Stop Obstructing Release of Inspector General Report on “Sharpiegate” Controversy
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) called on the Department of Commerce to stop obstructing the release of the Inspector General (IG) Peggy Gustafson's report into the politicization of science during Hurricane Dorian in September 2019. "Americans in the path of a serious storm should be able to rely on the federal government to provide factual, science-based information to keep them safe," Senator Hirono said. "'Sharpiegate' was a completely unnecessary and harmful attempt b… Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Hirono Announces $8.9 Million Grant for Kauai and Hawaii Counties to Provide Rural Transit Service During Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) $8.9 million to support rural transit service in Kauai and Hawaii counties during the coronavirus pandemic. The Kauai County Transportation Agency and the County of Hawaii Mass Transit Agency can use these funds on capital, planning, or operational expenses like salaries, fuel, vehicle maintenance, and supplies to clean and dis… Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Hirono, Wyden, Blumenthal, and Schumer Introduce Emergency Broadband Connections Act to Protect Americans’ Access to Broadband During Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with her colleagues Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced the Emergency Broadband Connections Act, legislation that helps Americans continue to access high-speed internet during the pandemic. The bill is based on broadband provisions in the House-passed HEROES Act. This bill would provide internet-connected devices and $50 a month toward broadband access to workers who were l… Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Hawaii Department of Health to Receive More Than $5.6 Million for Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced that the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) will receive more than $5.6 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program. Funding under PHEP allows state health departments, along with local and territorial agencies, to strengthen their response to public health threats like infectious diseases, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiol… Continue Reading
June 24, 2020
Hirono Calls for Transparency, Accountability During Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Development
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) wrote to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Operation Warp Speed (OWS) Chief Advisor Dr. Moncef Slaoui, and Army Material Command Commanding General Gustave F. Perna, urging them to provide briefings to Congress every two weeks on the status of the administration's initiative to develop, manufacture, and distribute 300 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by 2021. Senator H… Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Hawaii Delegation to USDA: Detect and Eradicate Murder Hornet, Other Invasive Hornets at U.S. Ports of Entry
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with delegation colleagues Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Representative Ed Case (D-Hawaii), and Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), urged U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue to utilize USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) emergency funding if necessary to quickly detect and eradicate the Asian giant hornet, sometimes referred to as the murder hornet. These giant hornets' arrival t… Continue Reading
June 18, 2020
Hirono Welcomes Supreme Court Decision on DACA, Demands Congress Take Immediate Action to Protect Dreamers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement on the Supreme Court's decision on the Trump administration's attempt to dismantle the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program: "Today, I join the hundreds of thousands of Dreamers, including those from Hawaii, in celebrating their hard-won victory at the Supreme Court. I will never forget how these inspiring young people flooded the halls of Congress, refused to be ignored, and galvanized the cou… Continue Reading
June 17, 2020
Hirono, Cantwell, Markey Ask SBA, Treasury to Provide Support for Smallest Businesses in Coronavirus Relief Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) wrote to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin requesting support for small businesses with 10 or fewer employees to make sure these businesses can fully access coronavirus relief programs. Nationally, there are 31.7 million small businesses in the United States. Hawaii is home to 135,567 small businesses-representing … Continue Reading
June 17, 2020
Hirono-Backed Great American Outdoors Act Passes Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, voted to pass the Great American Outdoors Act, bipartisan legislation she cosponsored that will address the National Park Service's (NPS) nearly $12 billion in deferred maintenance, permanently and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and fund deferred maintenance needs in other agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,… Continue Reading
June 15, 2020
Hirono Leads 20 Senate Democrats in Calling for DOJ Inspector General Investigation into Attorney General Barr’s Conduct in Suppressing Peaceful Protests around Lafayette Square on June 1
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) led 20 Senate Democrats in requesting that Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz open an investigation into the conduct of Attorney General William Barr and the Department of Justice in directing the use of force against peaceful protestors around Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020. The Senators also called on the Inspector General to probe the deployment of federal law enforcement to suppress protests and intimidate protest… Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Hirono Secures More Than $200 Million for Critical Hawaii Military Construction Projects in NDAA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced today that the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act includes more than $200 million to support critical military construction projects in Hawaii. The Senate Armed Services Committee passed the legislation on a 25-2 vote. "Military installations across Hawaii play an essential role in supporting our country's strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific region, and it is imperative that we make necessary investments to sup… Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Hirono Secures Authorization for Construction of Two Military Child Care Centers in Hawaii in NDAA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced today that two child care centers for Hawaii were authorized for construction in the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday on a 25-2 vote. Both the Aliamanu Military Reservation and Schofield Barracks are the anticipated sites for these child care centers, which are expected to serve hundreds of children and military families. The NDAA authorized $110 mil… Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Following Hirono Advocacy, Senate Armed Services Committee Reinstates Full Funding Authorization for HDR-H During NDAA Markup
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced today that the Senate Armed Services Committee added full funding authorization for the Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii (HDR-H) during its markup on the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The inclusion of the $162 million authorization reverses the Trump Administration's decision to zero-out funding in its budget request for the project - which will be a critical component of the United States' ballistic missi… Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Hirono Secures More Than $200 Million for Critical Hawaii Military Construction Projects in NDAA
Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced today that the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act includes more than $200 million to support critical military construction projects in Hawaii. The Senate Armed Services Committee passed the legislation on a 25-2 vote. "Military installations across Hawaii play an essential role in supporting our country's strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific region, and it is imperative that we make necessary investments to support our military i… Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Hirono Secures Authorization for Construction of Two Military Child Care Centers in Hawaii in NDAA
Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced today that two child care centers for Hawaii were authorized for construction in the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday on a 25-2 vote. Both the Aliamanu Military Reservation and Schofield Barracks are the anticipated sites for these child care centers, which are expected to serve hundreds of children and military families. The NDAA authorized $110 million to meet the in… Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Hirono, Cantwell, Markey Ask SBA, Treasury to Provide Support for Smallest Businesses in Coronavirus Relief Programs
Today, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) wrote to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin requesting support for small businesses with 10 or fewer employees to make sure these businesses can fully access coronavirus relief programs. Nationally, there are 31.7 million small businesses in the United States. Hawaii is home to 135,567 small businesses-representing 99.3 percent of the… Continue Reading
June 08, 2020
Senator Hirono Cosponsors Justice in Policing Act, Legislation to Strengthen Police Accountability, Transparency
Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) cosponsored the Justice in Policing Act, legislation introduced by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass (D-Calif.), and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.). The legislation marks the first comprehensive bill dedicated to ending police brutality, holding police accountable for egregious misconduct, strengthening transparency by collecting better data, and improving … Continue Reading
June 04, 2020
Senators Hirono, Bennet, Colleagues Urge DOD Not to Use Military to Suppress Nationwide Protests Against Police Brutality and Racism
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), along with 19 of their colleagues, wrote to Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley to express their alarm at President Trump's threat to invoke the Insurrection Act as a response to protests across the country calling for justice and accountability for George Floyd's murder and an end to police brutality and systemic racism… Continue Reading
June 04, 2020
Senator Hirono Highlights Challenges for Small Businesses During Coronavirus in Small Business Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) used the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing to highlight the challenges to accessing capital that small businesses face during the coronavirus pandemic. The Senator focused on the important role of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and other community-based lenders in supporting small and emerging businesses in underserved communities in Hawaii and across the country, and the nee… Continue Reading
