Press Releases
HIRONO HAILS USDA LIFTING BAN ON SHIPPING HAWAII AVOCADOS TO MAINLAND
Washington, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced today the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will lift a ban on Hawaii Sharwil avocado shipments to the mainland. Earlier this year, Hirono wrote and sent a letter - signed by Hawaii's congressional delegation - urging the USDA to lift its 1992 ban, arguing that numerous scientific studies have found that the avocados prove to be a very poor host for the fruit flies USDA is trying to prevent from coming to the mainland. Since sendi… Continue Reading
September 11, 2013
ON 12th ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACK, HIRONO COMMEMORATES THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES
Washington, D.C. - On the 12th anniversary of the September 11 attack, Senator Mazie K. Hirono commemorated those who lost their lives. Earlier this summer, Senator Hirono joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in paying her respects at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, and this morning, she joined her colleagues on the steps of the U.S. Capitol for a remembrance ceremony. Her statement reads below: "Twelve years after the September 11 attacks against our nation… Continue Reading
September 10, 2013
HIRONO COMMENDS SELECTION OF HAWAII’S ESTHER KIAAINA TO DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR LEADERSHIP
Washington, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono commended President Obama today for selecting Hawaii's Esther Kiaaina to serve as Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas at the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). "Congratulations to Esther on her selection as DOI Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas," Hirono said. "Esther has a long record of advancing the priorities of both Hawaii and native peoples in Washington, serving our state in leadership roles in both the House and Senate. In particular, … Continue Reading
September 10, 2013
HIRONO STATEMENT FOLLOWING PRESIDENT OBAMA’S SPEECH ON SYRIA
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on President Obama's speech on Syria. "This evening, President Obama presented the facts to consider as we contemplate action in Syria. Clearly, the situation is changing rapidly. The reopening of diplomatic dialogue between Syria and the international community is a hopeful sign, but, like many others, I believe its too early to tell if the regime will follow through. I continue to assess the situation with our militar… Continue Reading
September 09, 2013
HIRONO ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $21 MILLION IN TRANSPORTATION FUNDING FOR HAWAII
Washington, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that Hawaii will receive more than $21 million in key transportation funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). More than $10 million in funding will be used to rehabilitate a runway at Honolulu International Airport, $3 million will be used to make storm safety improvements at Molokai Airport, $2.5 million will help the state evaluate the condition of airport runways across the state, and $1 million will improve runway lighting… Continue Reading
September 09, 2013
HIRONO STATEMENT ON DEVELOPING SYRIA SITUATION
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on the developing situation in Syria: "Authorizing the use of force is one of the most serious and consequential decisions a Member of Congress can make. Over the next 48 hours, I will be attending three classified briefings - one at the White House, one with Department of Defense officials and one for all Senators. I will make my decision after carefully considering the facts presented in these meetings and input I've r… Continue Reading
September 05, 2013
HIRONO ANNOUNCES KALAELOA AIRPORT TO RECEIVE $2 MILLION FOR FACILITY UPGRADES
Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that the Kalaeloa Airport on Oahu will receive $2 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to renovate hangar facilities for general aviation use. The renovated hangar will be able to safely accommodate up to 20 aircraft. "The Kalaeloa Airport plays a diverse and important role, serving the U.S. Coast Guard, Hawaii Air National Guard, and commercial air travel," Hirono said. "The airport helps support the Coast Guard's air rescue missions and the Hono… Continue Reading
September 05, 2013
HIRONO STATEMENT ON SITUATION IN SYRIA
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on proposed Congressional action in response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria: "This is one of the toughest decisions a Member of Congress makes. I am reviewing the facts surrounding the reported chemical weapon attacks, the administration's plan and the scope of the authorizing resolution. The use of chemical weapons is universally abhorrent and deplorable, but we should always be cautious about the use of force … Continue Reading
September 02, 2013
HIRONO COMMEMORATES LABOR DAY
Honolulu, HI - Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement commemorating Labor Day: "As families in Hawaii and around the nation celebrate Labor Day weekend, we should all recognize the greater meaning behind this holiday. Generations of working men and women have struggled and organized to build and protect the middle class we have today. We sometimes take for granted some of their victories, such as basic rights like safe working conditions and fair wages. We know this fight is f… Continue Reading
August 30, 2013
HIRONO JOINS NATIONAL DEFENSE-FOCUSED DELEGATION TO KEY ASIA-PACIFIC NATIONS
Honolulu, HI - Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, will join a national defense-focused congressional delegation next week to China, Japan and South Korea. The bipartisan group includes Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representatives Grace Meng (D-NY), Dan Benishek (R-MI) and Terri Sewell (D-AL). "Each of these three nations plays a key role in the long-term military and economic security of the Asia-Pacific region, and this visit is an opportunity to… Continue Reading
August 28, 2013
HIRONO COMMEMORATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON
Honolulu, HI - Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. "Fifty years ago, Americans joined on the National Mall to peacefully stand up against intolerance and injustice. Together, they and the world witnessed as a preacher from Georgia stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and shared his dream of an America where his four children would be judged no… Continue Reading
August 26, 2013
HIRONO FEATURED IN JAPAN AIRLINES’ IN-FLIGHT MAGAZINE
Honolulu, HI - Senator Mazie K. Hirono, the first Japanese immigrant to serve in the Senate and Co-Chair of the Congressional Study Group on Japan, discussed her childhood in Japan and stressed the importance of the Hawaii-Japan relationship in an interview featured in Japan Airlines' (JAL) Eheu in-flight magazine. The piece is running in the summer 2013 edition of the quarterly magazine, which is available on flights from Japan to Hawaii. The magazine helps promote Hawaii as a premier destinati… Continue Reading
August 23, 2013
HIRONO TOURS NEW HAWAII PACIFIC UNIVERSITY AQUACULTURE CENTER
Waimanalo, HI - Senator Mazie K. Hirono toured Hawaii Pacific University's (HPU) new Oceanic Learning Center Annex. This center will help Oceanic Institute, an HPU affiliate research organization, provide workforce training for the development of the aquaculture industry, specifically training of laboratory technicians from Hawaii and the outer Pacific territories to work in the aquaculture and marine biotechnology industries. "It was a privilege to tour the Oceanic Learning Center Annex and le… Continue Reading
August 23, 2013
HIRONO COMMENDS FAA POLICY TO IMPROVE SAFETY STANDARDS FOR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS
Honolulu, HI - Senator Mazie K. Hirono commended the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) announcement yesterday that flight attendants will be covered under Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) workplace protections. OSHA protections cover such on-the-job hazards as dangerous chemicals and blood-borne pathogens. "I commend FAA and OSHA for finalizing their policy to expand workplace protections for flight attendants. This change has been a long time coming," Hirono said. "I … Continue Reading
August 22, 2013
HIRONO JOINS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE IN VISIT WITH MARINES IN KANEOHE
Kaneohe, HI - Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel today during his stop at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe. Before the event, Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, urged the Secretary to address Hawaii's base infrastructure issues and discussed the military's rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region and the Department of Defense's (DOD) recent measures to address sexual assaults in the military. "I was glad to join Secretary Hagel in Hawaii today a… Continue Reading
August 16, 2013
HIRONO CELEBRATES HAWAII STATEHOOD, URGES CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR NATIVE HAWAIIANS
Honolulu, HI - Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement in recognition of Hawaii Statehood Day: "Hawaii's transition from a territory to a state in 1959 was a tremendous event that forever changed the islands we love, and today Hawaii is a modern, vibrant state of nearly 1.4 million people. Statehood Day holds a personal significance for me, as it marks the year I became a naturalized U.S. citizen after arriving in Hawaii as a young girl. In fact, I still remember pinning the st… Continue Reading
August 15, 2013
HIRONO ANNOUNCES $800,000 FOR MAUI BUS IMPROVEMENTS
Honolulu, HI - Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that $800,000 awarded to the County of Maui from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is now available for the county's use. The county originally received a competitive grant award last year to build ten shelters in high-impact locations in Kahului, Wailuku and Kihei. These shelters will be accessible for riders with disabilities. "This funding is critical to improving the transportation infrastructure on Maui," Hirono said. "These ten sh… Continue Reading
August 14, 2013
HIRONO URGES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO FIGHT EXPLOITIVE FINANCIAL SCHEMES TARGETING MILITARY FAMILIES
Honolulu, HI - Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined a number of her Senate colleagues in urging the Pentagon to change military lending rules to better protect service members and their families from deceptive and predatory lending practices. Hirono and her colleagues sent a letter calling on Defense Secretary Hagel to close a loophole in lending protections that leaves service members vulnerable to abuse through certain types of loans. "Given the man… Continue Reading
August 09, 2013
“GOOD NEWS FOR WEST HAWAII RESIDENTS NEEDING TO TAKE CARE OF SOCIAL SECURITY BUSINESS”
Kona, HI -- After working sixteen months to expand Social Security Administration (SSA) services for kupuna on Hawaii Island, Senator Mazie K. Hirono unveiled a new video conferencing service yesterday that will allow West Hawaii residents to meet with SSA reps without having to make a four hour round-trip drive to Hilo. Check out the front-page story from West Hawaii Today and watch Hawaii News Now's coverage of the announcement below: Hawaii News Now: Senator Hirono helps expand Social Securi… Continue Reading
August 08, 2013
HIRONO, SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, HAWAII COUNTY ANNOUNCE EXPANDED SOCIAL SECURITY SERVICES TO WEST HAWAII RESIDENTS THROUGH VIDEO CONFERENCING IN KONA
Kona, HI - After working for 16 months to increase Social Security Administration (SSA) service for West Hawaii residents, Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined SSA Regional Commissioner Grace Kim and Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi to announce expanded Social Security services for residents at the West Hawaii Civic Center. In November, the Social Security Administration announced it would end monthly Kona office hours due to budget constraints, forcing West Hawaii kupuna to make a four-hour roundtrip… Continue Reading
