Press Releases
Hirono Condemns Trump Administration Plan to Raid Military Funds to Build Border Wall
HONOLULU - U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) released the following statement after the Trump administration announced that it would raid military funds in Hawaii to pay for President Trump's border wall: "It is now clear to all of us that Donald Trump and his complicit allies in Congress will sacrifice projects crucial for military readiness in order to appease his base and build his vanity wall. "The Trump administration's cuts to military construction projects for service members in H… Continue Reading
September 04, 2019
Following Hirono & Schatz Advocacy, Secretary of the Navy Approves Creation of Naval ROTC at UH Manoa
HONOLULU - Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, and Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, announced that Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer approved the creation of a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The announcement followed years of advocacy from Hawaii's Congressional … Continue Reading
August 28, 2019
Hirono Welcomes Re-Opening of USS Arizona Memorial
HONOLULU - U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono today welcomed the National Park Service's (NPS) announcement that it will re-open the USS Arizona Memorial on September 1. "Today's announcement is welcome news for the millions of people - including thousands of World War II veterans - who travel to Hawaii to visit the USS Arizona," Senator Hirono said. "I will continue to work with NPS and other federal officials to ensure this, and the other sites that comprise the Pearl Harbor National Memorial remai… Continue Reading
August 21, 2019
Hirono on Trump Administration’s Rule to Indefinitely Detain Migrant Children: “No Amount of Cruelty is Enough for this Administration. We Need to Fight Back”
HONOLULU - U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced a final rule aimed at dismantling protections for migrant children under the Flores Settlement Agreement: "This is an administration that apparently sits around trying to come up with at least one cruel thing they can do to immigrants every single day. Now, the same people behind separating families, holding children in dangerous and unsanitary conditions, and constantly … Continue Reading
August 13, 2019
Senator Hirono: Change to Public Charge Rule is “Terrorizing Immigrant Families by Sowing Confusion and Keeping Families Apart”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) released the following statement after the Trump administration issued a final rule that dramatically changes our country's immigration system and harms immigrant families. The rule redefines who can be barred from entering the United States or become a legal permanent resident based on the individual's likelihood to become a "public charge," or someone primarily dependent on the government for subsistence. Under the rule, the administration … Continue Reading
August 08, 2019
Senators Hirono, Wyden, Brown, Democratic Colleagues Urge Trump Administration to Reject Tax Cut for Wealthy
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Earlier this week, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and 39 of their U.S. Senate Democratic colleagues sent a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin to urge against unilaterally cutting capital gains taxes for the wealthiest Americans by an additional $100 billion over ten years. In their letter, the Senators argued that cutting the capital gains taxes for the wealthy would defy longstanding Treasury Department and Jus… Continue Reading
August 07, 2019
Senators Hirono, Udall, Democratic Colleagues Call on EPA to Ban Toxic Pesticide
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Earlier this week, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and thirteen of their U.S. Senate colleagues sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler urging him to reconsider the decision not to ban chlorpyrifos, a toxic pesticide linked to brain damage in children and known to cause serious harm to human health. In the letter, the Senators ask the EPA to reverse its decision and place a ban on chlorpyrifos immediately in … Continue Reading
August 02, 2019
Hirono: Trump Administration Decision to End Filipino World War II Veteran Parole Program “Serves His Pathological Need to Treat Immigrants as Cruelly as Possible”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement after the Trump Administration announced it was terminating the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program (FWVP):“To serve his pathological need to treat immigrants as cruelly as possible, and to undo any program ever created by Barack Obama, Donald Trump is dishonoring Filipino World War II veterans by ending the program that allows them to reunite their families in the United States. The President’s… Continue Reading
August 02, 2019
Hirono: Trump Administration Decision to End Filipino World War II Veteran Parole Program “Serves His Pathological Need to Treat Immigrants as Cruelly as Possible”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement after the Trump Administration announced it was terminating the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program (FWVP): "To serve his pathological need to treat immigrants as cruelly as possible, and to undo any program ever created by Barack Obama, Donald Trump is dishonoring Filipino World War II veterans by ending the program that allows them to reunite their families in the United States. The President's deci… Continue Reading
August 02, 2019
Senators Hirono, Schatz, Rubio, Scott Introduce Legislation to Restore, Conserve Coral Reefs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would promote the conservation of coral reefs in the United States. The Restoring Resilient Reefs Act of 2019 would reauthorize and modernize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, which expired fifteen years ago. U.S. Representatives Darren Soto (D-Fla.) and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-Puerto Rico) introduce… Continue Reading
August 01, 2019
Senator Hirono Reintroduces Legislation to Aid Transition into Low Carbon Economy
WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced legislation that would promote affordable and reliable electricity from clean energy sources. The Next Generation Electric Systems Act would establish a competitive grant program to modernize the nation's electric systems to accommodate additional renewable sources, improve energy storage systems, and deliver affordable and reliable energy service to communities. This legislation would help advance Hawaii's electric powe… Continue Reading
July 31, 2019
Hirono Statement on the Nomination of General John Hyten
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, issued the following statement after voting against advancing the nomination of General John Hyten to serve as the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff out of the Armed Services Committee. "Over the past three weeks, the Senate Armed Services Committee has grappled with serious allegations raised against General Hyten. Given that the General's nomination will not receive a fina… Continue Reading
July 31, 2019
Senators Hirono, Rounds Introduce Legislation to Prepare Veterans for Professional License and Certification Exams
WASHINGTON, D.C. -This week, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced the GI Bill Access to Career Credentials Act, which would allow the GI Bill to cover the cost of approved preparatory courses for professional and career license and certification exams. U.S. Representatives Gregorio Sablan (D-CNMI-AL) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. "Veterans depend on GI Bill benefits to pursue their educational and… Continue Reading
July 31, 2019
Senator Hirono Reintroduces Legislation to Protect Native Plant Species
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and ten of her U.S. Senate colleagues introduced legislation that would promote native plant use, research, and protection. The Botanical Sciences and Native Plant Materials Research, Restoration, and Promotion Act would encourage federal land management agencies to hire botanists, establish a collaborative grant program to support efforts to keep rare plant species from becoming endangered and help endangered plant species recover, and… Continue Reading
July 29, 2019
Hirono, Senate Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Help Small Businesses Become ADA Compliant
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Last week, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced legislation that would provide business owners financial assistance to renovate their businesses to become compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and accessible for people with disabilities. The Disabled Access Credit Expansion Act wo… Continue Reading
July 25, 2019
Hirono, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Urging U.S. Approval of the Law of the Sea Treaty
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced S.Res.284, a resolution calling on the U.S. Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). UNCLOS, which has been ratified by 167 nations and the European Union, lays out the rights and responsibilities of countries related to the world's oceans, including guidelines for businesses and the management of marine natural resources. U.S. Representatives Joe Courtney … Continue Reading
July 25, 2019
Hirono, Tillis, Velázquez, Stivers Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Help Close the Patent Gap Faced by Women, Minorities
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.), and Congressman Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) introduced bicameral, bipartisan legislation, the Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement Act ("IDEA Act") of 2019. The IDEA Act is designed to help close the gap faced by women, minorities, and others when it comes to procuring patent rights in the United States. "The United States has long been a global leader … Continue Reading
July 24, 2019
Senators Hirono, Schatz Reintroduce Legislation to Restore Health Care Access for COFA Citizens
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Today, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) reintroduced the Covering our FAS Allies Act, which would reinstate Medicaid coverage, also known as Med-QUEST in Hawaii, for citizens of the Freely Associated States (FAS) living in the United States under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA). As a long-standing advocate for COFA citizens, Senator Hirono stated, "Health care is a human right, and for far too long, COFA citizens have not had equal access… Continue Reading
July 23, 2019
Hirono, Senate Democrats Call Attention to Treatment of Children at the Border
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) led a Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) hearing to investigate the deteriorating conditions at the United States' southern border, as well as reports of abuse and cruelty in border detention facilities. At the hearing - titled "America Speaks Out: Stop Trump's Cruel Treatment of Children at the Border" - the Senators heard testimony from medi… Continue Reading
July 23, 2019
Senator Hirono Continues Advocacy for Restoring Medicaid Coverage to COFA Citizens
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) highlighted the importance of restoring equal access to Medicaid for citizens of the Freely Associated States (FAS) living in the United States during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the United States' critical national security interests and partnerships with the FAS nations of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau. Under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA), COFA citizens are allowed to live and work in th… Continue Reading
