Press Releases
Senators Hirono, Whitehouse, Blumenthal, Markey, Feinstein, and Harris File Brief to Hold Oil Companies Responsible for Climate Change
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) have filed a brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in the case of Oakland v. BP, arguing that major oil companies and producers have interfered and blocked action in Congress on climate change. These oil companies' "Pollyannaish paean to our separated powers ignores … Continue Reading
March 26, 2019
Senator Hirono, Representative Lee Introduce Legislation Aimed at Empowering Women through Climate Change Commitments
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Representative Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) introduced the Women and Climate Change Act of 2019, which would affirm the United States' commitment to empowering women through economic development planning and international climate change policies. It will also include practices to help communities embark on a path toward clean and sustainable development. "Far too often, women are left out of the conversation on how to best confront the … Continue Reading
March 26, 2019
Hirono Presses VA Secretary for Commitment to Complete the ALOHA Project on Time
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, pressed Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Robert Wilkie to approve the pending lease for the Advanced Leeward Outpatient Healthcare Access (ALOHA) Project during a Committee hearing today. The ALOHA Project would almost double the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System's capacity, increase access for veterans in Leeward Oahu and for veterans traveling from the Neighbor Islands, and reduce veteran traf… Continue Reading
March 25, 2019
Hirono Announces Class of 2023 Nominees to U.S. Service Academies
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced her nomination list of 40 students to four of the U.S. military service academies for the Class of 2023. The academies are now considering the students' applications for final selections.There are five military service academies. Senator Hirono is proud to nominate these students to the following four: the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The U.S. … Continue Reading
March 24, 2019
Hirono Statement on the Attorney General’s Summary of the Mueller Report
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement after the release of Attorney General Bill Barr's summary of the Mueller Report. "Robert Mueller did not exonerate Donald Trump on obstruction of justice. Instead, Attorney General Bill Barr made his own determination consistent with his unsolicited 19-page memo arguing that the President cannot be charged with obstruction of justice. Congress needs to see the full report to assess the underlying evidence. The… Continue Reading
March 22, 2019
Hirono Statement on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Report to the Attorney General
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement after Special Counsel Robert Mueller submitted his report to the Attorney General: "Today, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has concluded his investigation and delivered his report to the Attorney General. His investigation has already revealed many details about an extensive Russian campaign to elect Donald Trump and resulted in indictments of high ranking Trump campaign officials. "As many of my colleagues an… Continue Reading
March 21, 2019
Senators Hirono, Warner, Kaine, Collins, and Van Hollen Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Deliver Financial Assistance to Federal Employees Relocating for Work
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would provide certain civilian federal employees financial relief if they are relocated for work. The Relocation Expense Parity Act would ensure that all federal employees who qualify to have their moving costs reimbursed by the government are repaid for the taxes owed on those reimbursements. "Moving to Ha… Continue Reading
March 14, 2019
Hawaii Congressional Delegation Presses USDA to Provide Agricultural Producers with Relief Beyond Standard Disaster Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Hawaii Congressional Delegation is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue working to provide much needed relief to Hawaii farmers and agricultural producers who were adversely affected by multiple natural disasters last year, including record-breaking rain events, associated flooding, and a volcanic eruption. Last December USDA Secretary Perdue visited impacted producers in Hawaii and voiced willingness to help them recover from recent disasters. "Ou… Continue Reading
March 14, 2019
Senator Hirono Leads Democratic Colleagues in Letter to TSA Demanding Overdue Back Pay for Federal Employees
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a letter to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) wrote to Administrator David Pekoske to express their concern about reports that over 1,000 TSA employees nationwide have still not received the entirety of back pay they are owed from the 35-day government shutdown. "Thousands of TSA employees reported for work du… Continue Reading
March 13, 2019
Senator Hirono, Senate Democrats Call on Secretary DeVos to Take Action Assisting Students Following Argosy University Closure
WASHINGTON, D.C.-In a letter to the U.S. Department of Education (Department), Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and twelve of her Senate Democratic colleagues wrote to Secretary Betsy DeVos urging her to take immediate action to assist students affected by the collapse of Argosy University. Argosy Hawaii, which enrolled roughly 800 students in the state, officially closed on March 8, 2019. "The Department must coordinate with other federal and state agencies to ensure students are fully aware… Continue Reading
March 13, 2019
Senators Hirono, Duckworth Introduce Legislation to Repeal Hyde Amendment
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), along with seven of their Senate Democratic colleagues, introduced the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act, or EACH Woman Act. The bill would repeal the Hyde Amendment, lifting the current ban that prohibits federal health plans and programs such as Medicaid, TRICARE, and the VA from providing coverage for abortion care. "All women - regardless of their income level or type of health insur… Continue Reading
March 13, 2019
Hawaii Congressional Delegation Demands Updates from National Park Service on Reopening USS Arizona Memorial
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a letter to National Park Service (NPS) Acting Director Dan Smith, the Hawaii Congressional Delegation requested frequent updates detailing progress made on the reopening of the floating dock at the USS Arizona Memorial that unexpectedly closed in May 2018. The floating dock is the only way for visitors to access the memorial on foot. During closure of the dock, visitor access is limited to a narrated harbor tour in the vicinity of the memorial. "Given that the details and… Continue Reading
March 12, 2019
Hirono Leads Entire Democratic Caucus in Fight to Protect Health Care for Millions of Americans
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a speech on the Senate floor today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in urging swift passage of a resolution urging the Department of Justice to defend the Affordable Care Act's pre-existing condition protections in the ongoing Texas v. United States case. Senate Republicans blocked the resolution from passing by unanimous consent. From Senator Hirono's Remarks "The entire Senate Democratic Caucus and I are introducing a resolutio… Continue Reading
March 05, 2019
Senators Hirono, Blumenthal, Boozman, Sullivan, and Brown Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Veterans Suicide Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), introduced the bipartisan Reach Every Veteran in Crisis Act. The legislation, which would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to improve oversight and evaluation of its suicide prevention media outreach campaigns, follows a 2018 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found the VA was not effectively and fully usi… Continue Reading
March 04, 2019
Hirono, Harris Lead Call to Pass Disaster Relief Supplemental that Includes Funding for States, Tribal Nations, and U.S. Territories
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) led nine other senators in urging the bipartisan leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives to pass disaster supplemental legislation that includes much needed relief for states like Hawaii and California, Tribal Nations, and U.S. Territories. "We urge you to immediately bring up for consideration disaster supplemental appropriations that are sufficient to meet the needs of all affected communities… Continue Reading
February 27, 2019
Hirono Continues Advocacy to Restore Medicaid Eligibility for FAS Citizens
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono continued her longstanding advocacy to restore Medicaid eligibility for Freely Associated States (FAS) citizens living in the United States with the governors of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to examine the state of U.S. Territories today. Under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) - a critical national security partnership in the Indo-Pacific Region - … Continue Reading
February 26, 2019
Hirono, Murray, Casey, Scott, and Sablan Reintroduce Bicameral Legislation to Expand Child Care and Early Learning Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) joined Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), as well as 30 of their Senate colleagues, parents, and child care educators and advocates, to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act. The bill seeks to expand access to high-quality, affordable early childhood programs for working and middle class families. Representative Bobby Scott (D-Va.), chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, introduced a companion… Continue Reading
February 25, 2019
Hirono, Murray, and Colleagues Denounce Latest Republican Attack on a Woman’s Right to Choose in Remarks on the Senate Floor
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), took to the Senate floor to oppose S. 311, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. The legislation would allow abortion providers to be sued for not providing the invasive and unwarranted medical procedures that the bill could require, subject providers to criminal penalties for providing standard medical care, and interfere… Continue Reading
February 21, 2019
Hirono Announces $1 Million in Federal Funding for STEM Scholarships
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced that the University of Hawaii will receive $1 million in support from the National Science Foundation for a new project aimed at improving the pipeline of low-income students into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Designed to meet Hawaii's need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians, the competitive federal National Science Foundation funding will fund annual scholarsh… Continue Reading
February 15, 2019
Hirono: “Donald Trump is Putting His Vanity Wall above the Constitution and the American People.”
HONOLULU - Senator Mazie K. Hirono, the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, issued the following statement following Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency: "At today's announcement, Donald Trump lied about walls, borders, crime, and legal immigration to justify his declaration of a fake emergency at our southern border. With this desperate action, Donald Trump is putting his vanity wall above the Constitution and the American people. As usual, h… Continue Reading
