Press Releases
Hirono: Whole Woman’s Health Ruling A Victory For Women & Access To Fundamental Health Care Services
Senator Mazie K. Hirono today applauded the Supreme Court's 5-3 decision in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, which struck down a Texas law restricting access to reproductive health care. Had the Court ruled in favor of the Texas law, states across the nation could have enacted similarly restrictive laws. Senator Hirono joined her Senate colleagues on an amicus brief to the Supreme Court urging the justices to rule in favor of the plaintiff, Whole Woman's Health, and to preserve access to re… Continue Reading
June 23, 2016
Hirono: Court’s Deadlock Denies Hope & Opportunity To Millions
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, the Supreme Court released a deadlocked ruling on U.S. v. Texas, which halts President Obama's Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs. After the ruling was released, Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement: "In 2014, President Obama gave hope to millions of workers and families by expanding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program… Continue Reading
June 20, 2016
Hirono: Victims Of Gun Violence Deserve More Than Empty Promises
Senator Mazie K. Hirono today voted to support two commonsense measures to curb gun violence. The first, authored by Senator Christopher Murphy (D-CT) would strengthen background checks for gun buyers. The second, authored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and cosponsored by Senator Hirono, would close the "terror gap" by giving the Attorney General the discretion to keep suspected terrorists from buying a gun. "Last week on the Senate floor, I joined Senator Murphy in calling for action on co… Continue Reading
June 16, 2016
Hirono, Senate Democrats Unveil Proposal To Boost Funding For Programs to Reduce and Respond to Hate Crimes, Community Conflict
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, Senate Democrats, led by Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Senator Barbara Mikulski unveiled an amendment to provide an additional $41 million to Department of Justice programs that prevent discrimination and hate crimes. Introduced in response to the targeted attacks driven by hate against the LGBT and Latino communities in Orlando, the amendment would ensure the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and Office of Community Relations Service h… Continue Reading
June 15, 2016
Hirono, Senate Democrats Filibuster To Demand Votes On Solutions To Combat Gun Violence
Senator Mazie K. Hirono took to the Senate floor to join Senator Christopher Murphy (D-CT) and Senate Democrats in a filibuster to demand that the U.S. Senate vote on commonsense solutions to combat gun violence. In her speech, Senator Hirono paid tribute to former Hawaii resident Kimberly "KJ" Morris, who was one of 49 victims killed in Orlando this past weekend. Senator Murphy began his filibuster at 11:30 a.m. EST, and has maintained it for more than eight hours at the time of publication. F… Continue Reading
June 15, 2016
Hirono Marks Fourth Anniversary Of DACA
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono today marked the fourth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has brought 700,000 young adults out of the shadows, and allowed them to pursue higher education and jobs without fearing deportation. "Over the past four years, DACA has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who were brought to our country as undocumented children through no fault of their own," said Senator Hirono. "The President's ac… Continue Reading
June 15, 2016
Senate Passes Defense Bill That Supports Hawaii, Indo-Asia-Pacific Rebalance
Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and Ranking Member of the Seapower Subcommittee, voted to approve the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill 85-13, which includes more than $600 billion in funding for our service members and national security, and several measures championed by Senator Hirono. "I voted to approve the National Defense Authorization Act because, on balance, this legisla… Continue Reading
June 09, 2016
Hirono, Senate Democrats Announce Program To Reunite Filipino World War II Veterans With Their Families
Senators Mazie K. Hirono, Harry Reid (D-NV), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Chief of Staff Juliet Choi, Filipino World War II veterans Rudy Panaglima and Celestino Almeda, and advocates today to announce the implementation of a long-awaited program to reunite aging Filipino World War II veterans with their children and families. Under the USCIS Filipino World War II Veterans Parole (FWVP) program, Filipino veterans whose service has been recognized … Continue Reading
June 08, 2016
Hirono Connects Hawaii Businesses With Top Federal Policy Makers
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono today welcomed nearly 75 members of Hawaii's business community to Capitol Hill for the Third Annual Hawaii on the Hill Policy Summit. Business owners representing diverse industries - including manufacturing, health care, transportation, and others - participated in the event. "We started Hawaii on the Hill three years ago to give Hawaii businesses a direct line to federal decision makers. I'm pleased that in our third year, we were able to connect ove… Continue Reading
June 02, 2016
Hirono Calls For Equal Pay For U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team
Senators Mazie K. Hirono, Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Patty Murray (D-WA), and a broad coalition of their Senate colleagues called on the U.S. Soccer Federation to ensure that players on the U.S. Women's National Team are paid fairly. The letter follows the filing of a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging players on the women's team are paid significantly less than players on the men's team. The senators wrote: "The Equal Pay Act requires that employers pay men an… Continue Reading
June 02, 2016
Hirono Provisions Will Strengthen STEM Pipeline, Cyber Workforce
Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, included a number of provisions to grow and support Hawaii's science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce in the 2017 Intelligence Authorization Act. One provision would require the U.S. intelligence community to evaluate existing intelligence community academic programs that grow and diversify the cyber workforce, including the National Security Agency's National Centers of Excellence in Cyber Defe… Continue Reading
May 31, 2016
Hirono Statement On The Passing Of Jimmy Borges
Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on the passing of Hawaii jazz legend Jimmy Borges. "For six decades, Jimmy Borges brought joy to audiences with his unique voice, distinctive vocal jazz interpretations and warm sense of humor. Throughout his musical career, Jimmy entertained, but he also served with distinction as an ambassador for Hawaii. "Off stage, Jimmy regularly gave back to his community, and particularly to Hawaii's young talented musicians. The Jimmy Borges En… Continue Reading
May 30, 2016
Hirono Honors Service Members & Their Families On Memorial Day
Senator Mazie K. Hirono paid tribute to service members, veterans, and their families this Memorial Day. "Hawaii is the home to generations of service members, from the Civil War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Memorial Day is an opportunity to celebrate these service members, remember those who gave their life in service to our country, and reflect on legacy they left behind. On this solemn day, we not only honor the sacrifices made by our service members and veterans, but also reaffirm o… Continue Reading
May 26, 2016
Senate Unanimously Passes Hirono-Led Effort To Recognize Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
WASHINGTON, D.C.- The U.S. Senate today passed a bipartisan resolution lead by Senator Mazie K. Hirono to recognize May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. S.Res. 481 celebrates the contributions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community to American history. "Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a time for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community to reflect on and celebrate the significant role our communities will play in shaping our nation's future," said … Continue Reading
May 25, 2016
Hirono Announces New Veterans Training Programs At University Of Hawaii
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced that the University of Hawaii was selected for two federal programs to assist veterans entering the civilian workforce. The University of Hawaii system is one of six new universities nationwide to receive support from the U.S. Small Business Administration to establish a Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) program. In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that Honolulu Community College will join the Department's Solar Re… Continue Reading
May 24, 2016
Hirono, Gillibrand Renew Call To Address Military Sexual Assault
Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), along with a bipartisan group of Senators and advocates, today called on the Senate to pass the bipartisan Military Justice Improvement Act, which would establish an impartial, fair, and accountable military justice system to address the crisis of sexual assault. Since 2013, Senator Hirono has championed this legislation, which would put the decision to prosecute serious crimes like sexual assault into the hands of impartial military prosec… Continue Reading
May 19, 2016
Statement From Senator Mazie K. Hirono
Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on Representative Mark Takai's announcement that he will not seek reelection: "Mark has served our state and our country honorably as a public servant, elected official, and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Hawaii Army National Guard. He has an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of Hawaii families. "I have worked closely with Mark for many years on education reform, and especially on Impact Aid for Hawaii's schools when I served in… Continue Reading
May 18, 2016
Hirono Meets With Garland, Urges Senate Republicans To Do Their Job
Senator Mazie K. Hirono today met with Judge Merrick Garland, nominee for the Supreme Court. Senator Hirono also called on her Republican colleagues to do their job and hold a hearing to consider Judge Garland's nomination. "Judge Garland's character and record of judicial service are impressive, and Americans deserve to hear from him in a public Judiciary Committee hearing," said Senator Hirono. "In the Senate's history of holding public confirmation hearings, the majority party has never befo… Continue Reading
May 17, 2016
As Peak Mosquito Season Approaches, Hirono Advances Measure To Fund Fight Against Zika
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono today voted in support of more than $1 billion in emergency funding to fight the Zika virus. The Senate advanced a $1.1 billion bipartisan compromise amendment to the appropriations bill currently being debated on the Senate floor. While the funding is short of the Administration's $1.9 billion emergency request, the compromise measure will lay a foundation to fight Zika without including cuts to other important public health initiatives as Republicans h… Continue Reading
May 13, 2016
Hawaiian Airlines Awarded Direct Route From Haneda To Kona
Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced that Hawaiian Airlines was awarded a direct route from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Kona International Airport. While the flight route is approved, flights must still stop on Oahu until a permanent Customs and Border Protection (CBP) checkpoint is established in Kona. "Today's announcement that Hawaiian Airlines will now have authority to fly a route from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Kona is good for Hawaii's visitor industry and an important first step in re… Continue Reading
