Press Releases
Hirono, Cardin, Van Hollen Introduce Bill to Expand Telework Opportunities for Federal Employees
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) introduced S. 3428, the Telework Metrics and Cost Savings Act - legislation that requires federal agencies to expand teleworking after years of attacks by the Trump Administration. Expanding telework options for federal employees is particularly urgent as the growing coronavirus epidemic places greater strain on federal workers. "Expanding telework options for federal employees is cri… Continue Reading
March 11, 2020
Hirono Secures Commitment from Interior Secretary for Regular Updates on Rebuilding Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) secured a commitment from Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt to provide six-month updates on the progress of rebuilding the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) on Hawaii Island during an Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing. From Senator Hirono's Exchange with Secretary Bernhardt: Senator Hirono: "I'd like to get a commitment that the Department or USGS will provide me with 6-month upda… Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Hirono, Sullivan Introduce Bill to Reunite Korean Americans with Long-Separated Family Members in North Korea
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) introduced S.3395, the bipartisan Korean War Divided Families Reunification Act, legislation directing the U.S. Secretary of State to prioritize helping divided Korean American families reunite with family members in North Korea. Since the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953, there has been little to no contact between Korean Americans and family members who remain in Nort… Continue Reading
March 04, 2020
Hirono Statement on Bipartisan, Bicameral Spending Legislation to Confront Coronavirus Outbreak
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement after the successful introduction of bipartisan, bicameral legislation to provide $8.3 billion in funding to confront the public health emergency posed by the spread of the novel coronavirus: "Confronting a growing coronavirus outbreak in the United States requires a concerted, whole-of-government approach that includes a robust federal response and close coordination with state and local governments. This bip… Continue Reading
March 04, 2020
Hirono to Defense Secretary and Joint Chiefs: HDR-H Provides Critical, Layered Defense for Hawaii
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) pressed Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to justify why the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2021 zeroes out funding for the Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii (HDR-H) - a critical program that would help protect Hawaii from the threat of a ballistic missile attack from North Korea. Congress has previously authorized the program four times and has appropriated funding for it three times. The Senator also insisted that Secretary Esper commit not to… Continue Reading
March 04, 2020
Hirono Emphasizes Urgency to Modernize Public Shipyards During Seapower Subcommittee Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee, pressed Assistant Secretary of the Navy James Geurts about the need to modernize public shipyards like Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard during a hearing about the Navy's shipbuilding programs. The Senator noted that if all four public shipyards aren't modernized, it will be even more challenging to keep the fleet in fighting shape. "I want to focus again on modernizing the… Continue Reading
February 26, 2020
Hirono, Grijalva Ask GAO to Investigate Potential Political Interference in DOI Grantmaking Process
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources sent a letter asking the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the Department of the Interior's (DOI) grant and cooperative agreement review process. The letter requests that GAO investigate DOI's process for awarding grants and cooperative agreements, incl… Continue Reading
February 25, 2020
Hirono Secures Commitments from Forest Service Chief on Vital Hawaii Priorities During Energy Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Fiscal Year 2021 Budget, Senator Mazie K. Hirono secured commitments from Vicki Christiansen, Chief of the USFS, to work together on critical priorities for Hawaii's forests. These commitments include: - A promise from Chief Christiansen to examine the creation of a new state-of-the-art biocontrol research facility to protect Hawaii's environment, agriculture, and… Continue Reading
February 20, 2020
Senators Hirono, Kaine Visit Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard
HONOLULU - Yesterday, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee, visited Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard (PHNSY) to meet with workers and military leaders, and to present a lei at the memorial for victims of the December shooting at the Shipyard. During their visit, Senators Hirono and Kaine met with Admiral John Aquilino, Co… Continue Reading
February 13, 2020
Senator Hirono Announces Class of 2024 Nominees to the United States Service Academies
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced the nomination of 32 Hawaii students to U.S. military service academies for the Class of 2024. The academies are now considering the students' applications for final selections. "I am proud to nominate these young people who have demonstrated their academic excellence and dedication to serving our nation in uniform," Senator Hirono said. "After years of conscientious study, community engagement, and commitment to physical fitness and o… Continue Reading
February 11, 2020
Senators Hirono, Carper Introduce Bill Requiring Net-Zero U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, joined Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) and 31 of their colleagues to introduce the Clean Economy Act, legislation that requires the United States to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by no later than 2050. "The devastating consequences of climate change in Hawaii are clear, and that is why we were the first state in the country to commit to achieving a carbon neutral economy by 2… Continue Reading
February 06, 2020
Hirono Supports Legislation To Protect Local Community Television
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced her support of S. 3218, the Protecting Community Television Act, legislation that would protect the funding of community television stations, which educate and inform viewers across Hawaii. In Hawaii, community television stations Na Leo, Hoike, Akaku, and Olelo broadcast across Hawaii Island, Kauai, Maui County, and Oahu, respectively. These stations rely on the franchise fees paid by cable companies to provide invaluable coverage of … Continue Reading
February 05, 2020
Senator Hirono: “I Will Vote to Convict and Remove President Trump for Abusing His Power and Obstructing Congress”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a speech on the floor of the United States Senate today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced she would vote to convict and remove President Donald Trump on both Articles of Impeachment - Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress. From Senator Hirono's Remarks: "Donald Trump was already a danger to this country. We've seen it in his policy decisions - from taking away health care from millions of Americans - to threatening painful cuts to Social Security and Medi… Continue Reading
February 03, 2020
Senator Hirono, 37 Senate Colleagues Demand President Recommit to Funding Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and 36 of their colleagues sent a letter to President Trump demanding he retract comments he made about being open to cutting earned benefits like Medicare or Social Security to pay for his tax giveaway to corporations and the richest Americans. Trump's comments are some of the clearest he's made on the issue since becoming President, and could pave the way for massive cuts to retirement income and health car… Continue Reading
January 29, 2020
Senator Hirono, Congressional Democrats Press Trump Administration to Extend Comment Time for Significant Changes to Environmental Regulations
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and more than 150 Congressional Democrats called on the Trump Administration to extend the deadline for public comment on a proposed weakening of environmental regulations. The letter urges the White House's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to extend the comment period on proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Over the last five decades, NEPA has set rules for environmental impact assessments conducted by fe… Continue Reading
January 28, 2020
Hirono Condemns Trump’s Muslim Ban on Third Anniversary
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, on the third anniversary of the announcement of President Trump's Muslim Ban, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined a rally with Congressional Democrats, faith leaders, and civil rights advocates urging swift passage of S. 1123, the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act. If passed, the legislation would permanently end the Administration's discriminatory policy. "The Muslim Ban is sadly only one part of the Trump Administration's virule… Continue Reading
January 24, 2020
Hirono Cosponsors Bill to Address Physician Shortage in Hawaii
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced she will support bipartisan, bicameral legislation to increase the number of residency slots available through Medicare to help address the growing physician shortage in Hawaii and across the country. The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019 (S. 348) would gradually lift the outdated cap on Medicare-funded graduate medical education positions nationally by creating 15,000 new residency training slots across the cou… Continue Reading
January 20, 2020
Hirono Statement on Naming of Aircraft Carrier After Pearl Harbor Hero Doris Miller
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs Committees, issued the following statement after the naming of a new aircraft carrier after Petty Officer Doris Miller, whose bravery and patriotism during the attack on Pearl Harbor saved American lives. Petty Officer Miller, then serving as a Mess Attendant, was the first African American to receive the Navy Cross after his valiant efforts to protect… Continue Reading
January 16, 2020
Hirono Statement Following the Senate Vote on the New NAFTA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement after voting in favor of the New NAFTA in the Senate: "Too often, free trade agreements have favored corporate interests over protections for workers and the environment. When Donald Trump unveiled his replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement, this dynamic continued. "After Democrats won a majority in the House, this agreement changed substantially. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, working alongside labor… Continue Reading
January 14, 2020
Senate Unanimously Passes Hirono-Backed Bipartisan Bill to Clean Up Plastic in Oceans
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, legislation introduced by Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.). The bill creates a foundation to respond to debris, a prize for innovation, enhances international cooperation on marine debris, boosts domestic infrastructure to prevent debris from entering the environment, and authorizes studies on waste management an… Continue Reading
