Press Releases
Hirono Urges SBA Administrator to Continue Engagement with Disaster-Impacted Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono pledged to work with Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon to assist Hawaii small business owners affected by recent natural disasters. Administrator McMahon also committed to visiting Hawaii. Senator Hirono urged her to meet with business-owners impacted by natural disasters on Hawaii Island, Kauai, and Oahu. "Small businesses in all of these communities must completely rebuild or are severely impacted by losses in visitor revenue,… Continue Reading
May 11, 2018
Hirono Statement on Approval of Federal Disaster Declaration for Hawaii Island
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on the President's approval of a federal disaster declaration to bolster the response to volcanic activity on Hawaii Island. "Federal, state, and county governments are coordinating and working together to ensure the safety of Hawaii Island residents and to assist communities affected by the ongoing volcanic activity on Hawaii Island," Senator Hirono said. "The approval of a federal disaster declaration will increase t… Continue Reading
May 11, 2018
Hawai‘i Congressional Delegation Urges President Trump to Quickly Approve Hawai‘i's Disaster Declaration
WASHINGTON - Today, Hawai'i's Congressional Delegation urged President Donald Trump to act swiftly on Governor David Ige's request for a presidential disaster declaration for areas on Hawai'i Island impacted by the ongoing Kilauea Volcano eruptions. The declaration will help ensure that the affected communities can access important federal funding and resources to recover."Based on the severity of the damage and preliminary assessments, it is clear that recovery will overwhelm state and county r… Continue Reading
May 10, 2018
Mark Bennett’s Nomination Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono urged her colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee to support former Hawaii Attorney General Mark Bennett's nomination to serve on the U.S. Circuit Court for the Ninth Circuit during a Committee markup today. Only Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) opposed Mr. Bennett's nomination in Committee. From Senator Hirono's remarks: "Mr. Chairman, today we are voting on the nomination of Mark Bennett to the 9th Circuit from Hawaii. Mr. Ben… Continue Reading
May 09, 2018
Hirono: Hawaii Residents Deserve Timely, Accurate, and Understandable Updates on Volcanic Activity
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono continued her engagement with local and federal stakeholders in response to the ongoing volcanic activity on Hawaii Island. Today, Senator Hirono spoke with Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim and Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IX Administrator Robert Fenton. "The impact of ongoing volcanic activity on Hawaii Island makes it critically important that local, state and federal agencies continue to work in tandem to provide accurate, timely, and und… Continue Reading
May 08, 2018
Hirono Statement on President Trump’s Decision to Violate the Iran Nuclear Agreement
Senator Mazie K. Hirono issued the following statement after President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from and violate the Iran Nuclear Deal. "Today, Donald Trump jeopardized our national security by unilaterally violating an international agreement whose compliance by all parties until now has effectively deterred the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. "The President's decision makes it less likely we will be able to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed po… Continue Reading
May 08, 2018
Hirono Statement on Approval of Federal Disaster Declaration for Kauai, Oahu
Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on the President's approval of a federal disaster declaration to assist communities on Kauai and Oahu affected by April's floods. "Rebuilding Kauai and Oahu communities affected by historic flooding requires a long-term, comprehensive response, and approval of a disaster declaration expands the federal resources available to support these efforts," Senator Hirono said. "As the federal, state, and county governments work together to resp… Continue Reading
May 03, 2018
Hirono Visits Waimanalo Businesses Affected by Flooding, Continues Advocacy for Federal Aid
WAIMANALO - Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Governor David Ige, and representatives from State Government agencies met with farmers and business owners in Waimanalo who were affected by destructive flooding last month. "Farmers and businesses in Waimanalo lost their crops and inventory to flooding last month, but this resilient community has come together to rebuild and support one another," Senator Hirono said. "I will continue to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal agenci… Continue Reading
May 03, 2018
Hawai‘i Congressional Delegation Urges President Trump to Swiftly Accept Hawai‘i's Disaster Declaration
HONOLULU - Today, Hawai'i's Congressional Delegation urged President Donald Trump to act swiftly on Governor David Ige's request for a Presidential disaster declaration for areas on Kaua'i and O'ahu impacted by severe flooding. The declaration will help ensure that the impacted communities can access important federal funding and resources to recover."Based on the severity of the damage, Governor Ige has requested that you issue a Presidential disaster declaration to allow residents and State an… Continue Reading
May 02, 2018
Hirono, Nine Senators Call for Preservation of USGS Climate Adaptation Science Centers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono led nine Senators in urging Senate appropriators to provide full funding to the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National and Regional Climate Adaptation Centers and requested that all eight regional centers across the country, including at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, be maintained. "Without sustained funding for the eight regional Centers to translate science into actionable information, data, and tools for natural resource managers and partners… Continue Reading
May 01, 2018
Senator Hirono Expresses Support for Local Products in Public School Lunches in Visit to Mililani High School
HONOLULU - Senator Mazie K. Hirono and Lieutenant Governor Doug Chin visited Mililani High School to highlight the Aina Pono Farm-to-School Initiative and Harvest of the Month programs that increase the use of locally grown produce and beef in public school lunches. "The Aina Pono Farm-to-School Initiative and Harvest of the Month programs connect Hawaii's agriculture community with our public schools to supply our keiki with nutritious, locally grown school lunches," Senator Hirono said. "The … Continue Reading
April 30, 2018
Hirono Assesses Storm Damage, Pledges Assistance to Kauai’s North Shore Community
WAINIHA - Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho, soldiers from the Hawaii National Guard, and federal, state, and local emergency management officials to assess storm damage on Kauai's North Shore and discuss ways the federal government can assist community residents as they work to recover from the storm. "Over the past two weeks, we've seen an overwhelming outpouring of aloha from the entire state to support recovery efforts on Kauai's North Shore. Today, I saw first-han… Continue Reading
April 26, 2018
Hirono: DHS Decision to Terminate Nepal TPS Is Heartless, Continues Attacks on Vulnerable Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono denounced the Department of Homeland Security's decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nepalese nationals living in the United States following the devastating earthquake in April 2015 that killed more than 9,000 people and rendered thousands more displaced and homeless. "The devastating damage in Nepal and the challenges its government faces to rebuild clearly meet the definition of 'extraordinary circumstance' required to extend T… Continue Reading
April 26, 2018
Hirono Statement on Bipartisan Legislation to Protect the Special Counsel
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono, the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, issued the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee approved bipartisan legislation to protect the Special Counsel on a 14-7 vote. "These are not normal times. "My Republican colleagues continue to deny that the President is looking for a way to fire the Special Counsel. "And yet today in an interview with Fox News, the President all but said that's exactly… Continue Reading
April 26, 2018
Hirono Statement on Ronny Jackson
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, issued the following statement after Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson withdrew his nomination to serve as Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA): "Ronny Jackson made the right decision to withdraw. "Our veterans deserve a fully-vetted VA Secretary with the experience to lead the government's second largest agency and who won't be a rubber stamp for the right-wing effort to privatize the VA. "Moving forwa… Continue Reading
April 25, 2018
Hirono Stands Up for Immigrants & Minorities in Supreme Court Rally on Trump v. Hawaii
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono rallied with Karen Korematsu, civil rights groups, and activists at the Supreme Court after the Court heard oral arguments in Trump v. Hawaii - a case that will determine the constitutionality of President Donald Trump's Muslim ban. "If the Supreme Court allows this action by this president to stand, my fear is we don't know what he will do next to hurt other immigrant or minority communities," Senator Hirono said. "This is no time to give up and … Continue Reading
April 23, 2018
Senate Passes Hirono, Hanabusa Bill to Honor World War II Veterans
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Admiral Lloyd R. "Joe" Vasey Pacific War Commemorative Display Establishment Act - a bill sponsored by Senator Mazie K. Hirono and Representative Colleen Hanabusa to establish a memorial at Pearl Harbor honoring the service of World War II veterans who served in the Pacific Theater. "Admiral Joe Vasey dedicated his life to serving our country and worked tirelessly to establish a memorial to pay tribute to his fellow veterans of the Paci… Continue Reading
April 19, 2018
Hirono, Gardner Applaud South Korea’s Addition to DHS Cybersecurity Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) applauded the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) inclusion of the Korea Internet and Security Agency, South Korea's lead cybersecurity agency, in its Automated Indicator Sharing (AIS) system that enables the exchange of cyber threat indicators between international, federal, state, local, and private sector entities at machine speed. "South Korea's inclusion in the AIS program further strengthens our alliance… Continue Reading
April 18, 2018
Hirono Meets with VA Secretary Nominee Ronny Jackson
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono met with Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) nominee Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson today. The meeting occurred ahead of Rear Admiral Jackson's Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on April 25. "I welcome Admiral Jackson's commitment that he will not privatize the VA and I will hold him to it," Senator Hirono said. "We also discussed the unique needs of veterans in Hawaii, including a shared commitment to improving access to health care s… Continue Reading
April 18, 2018
Hirono, Udall, Nearly 40 Senators Introduce Resolution Calling for Scott Pruitt’s Resignation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Mazie K. Hirono, Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and 37 Senators introduced a resolution formally calling on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to resign. The resolution comes in response to Pruitt's numerous instances of undermining ethics values, alleged misuse of taxpayer dollars, and actions that stand in opposition to the mission of the EPA - favoring big polluters at the expense of science, our environment, and the health of children and famili… Continue Reading
