Press Releases
SENATE APPROVES IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL THAT DELIVERS BIG RESULTS FOR HAWAII
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono voted today for the Senate immigration reform bill that delivers big results for Hawaii and includes a number of measures that protect immigrant women and families. The U.S. Senate's only immigrant, Hirono worked closely with colleagues to shape the bill in the Judiciary Committee and on the Senate floor. "I stand with the large, bipartisan group of senators in voting for an immigration bill that will benefit Hawaii and our nation. This bill is not per… Continue Reading
June 27, 2013
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES $250 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR HONOLULU AUTHORITY FOR RAPID TRANSPORTATION
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement after the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $250 million in funding for Honolulu Authority For Rapid Transportation, matching in full President Obama's 2014 budget request and the 2012 Full Funding Grant Agreement. The funding was included in both House and Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bills. "I appreciate the support of my colleagues on the Senate and House Appropria… Continue Reading
June 26, 2013
HIRONO TAPPED TO FILL TEMPORARY VACANCY ON KEY SENATE COMMITTEE FOR HAWAII
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced today she will accept a temporary seat on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hirono was selected by her colleagues to fill the seat that became open after New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg's death. She will sit on the Committee until October. "Hawaii's environment - one of the most biodiverse in the world - is not only the foundation of the state's unique heritage and identity, but it is also the bedrock of our economic s… Continue Reading
June 26, 2013
HIRONO CELEBRATES SUPREME COURT RULING OVERTURNING DOMA
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement celebrating the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act: "This is a historic day for civil rights and marriage equality. I am heartened by the Supreme Court's decision affirming equal protection for married gay couples under the 5th Amendment. "The marriage equality movement has come a long way, both in Hawaii and across the country. In 1998, I wa… Continue Reading
June 25, 2013
HIRONO CELEBRATES TITLE IX LEGACY OF PATSY MINK
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement commemorating the 41st anniversary this week of the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, commonly known as Title IX. This federal law protects students from gender discrimination in federally supported education programs and activities. The landmark legislation was signed into law on June 23, 1972. "Title IX was signed into law more than four decades ago to open the doors of opportunity for new genera… Continue Reading
June 25, 2013
HIRONO DENOUNCES SUPREME COURT DECISION GUTTING VOTING RIGHTS ACT
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement condemning the Supreme Court's decision to strike down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, a key provision enabling the Department of Justice to protect minority voters: "The Voting Rights Act has been critical to ensuring every American has access to one of our country's most fundamental freedoms -- the right to vote. I am very disappointed that the Supreme Court assumed tha… Continue Reading
June 24, 2013
IN EFFORT TO GET A PASSABLE IMMIGRATION BILL, SENATOR MAZIE K. HIRONO VOTES FOR CORKER-HOEVEN BORDER SECURITY MEASURE
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement after voting in support of cloture for Corker-Hoeven border security amendment to the Senate immigration bill. "I am deeply concerned with the huge spending increase in this border security measure, but I too understand that it is likely a necessary political step in order to pass immigration reform. We have spent many weeks now discussing border security and very little time examining how the new green card system will… Continue Reading
June 20, 2013
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: "FEMALE SENATORS WANT MORE WOMEN ALLOWED IN U.S."
Today's Washington Post detailed how Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Senator Patty Murray and 11 of their female colleagues introduced an amendment that would make the Senate's immigration bill fairer to women. The article reads below: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/proposal-would-allow-more-women-to-come-to-us-under-immigration-bill/2013/06/19/45fa2bc0-d8f8-11e2-9df4-895344c13c30_story.html June 19, 2013 Female senators want more women allowed in U.S. By David Nakamura A group of fema… Continue Reading
June 20, 2013
BIPARTISAN GROUP OF 13 WOMEN SENATORS INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO MAKE IMMIGRATION BILL FAIRER TO WOMEN
WASHINGTON, D.C. - United States Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Patty Murray joined their colleagues Lisa Murkowski, Barbara Boxer, Kirsten Gillibrand, Maria Cantwell, Debbie Stabenow, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren ,Tammy Baldwin, Barbara Mikulski, Mary Landrieu and Jeanne Shaheen to introduce legislation that would make the Senate's immigration bill fairer to women. By shifting the emphasis from a family-based legal immigration system to an employment-based green card system, the immigration bi… Continue Reading
June 18, 2013
HIRONO INTRODUCES AMENDMENT TO IMMIGRATION BILL TO FIX PROVISIONS THAT UNFAIRLY PENALIZE IMMIGRANT TAXPAYERS
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono introduced an amendment to the immigration bill that would fix components of the law that unfairly penalize immigrant taxpayers. Her amendment #1317 would allow immigrant taxpayers to access federal safety net programs they pay for with their taxes. The bill prohibits immigrant taxpayers from using safety net programs for at least 13 years, even though they pay the same taxes as everyone else. Hirono's amendment would fix this. Today the Congressional … Continue Reading
June 18, 2013
HIRONO AGAIN PUSHES TO MAKE IMMIGRATION BILL FAIRER FOR WOMEN
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono today took to the Senate floor to highlight a major flaw in the immigration reform bill currently being debated in the Senate. In her remarks, Hirono pointed out how the new merit-based immigration system that gives preference to potential immigrants with high level education and technical expertise would heavily disadvantage women, since women across the globe do not have the same educational and career opportunities as men. "Too many women overseas d… Continue Reading
June 18, 2013
HIRONO AND ARMED SERVICES COLLEAGUES COMPLETE MARKUP OF DEFENSE BILL, INCLUDE MILLIONS IN MILITARY CONSTRUCTION FUNDING, HONOR INOUYE
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono and her Senate Armed Services Committee colleagues drafted and voted late last week to pass the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act out of committee and to the full Senate for consideration. The bill would provide more than $400 million in military construction projects in Hawaii, $44 million more than the previous year. Military installations including Fort Shafter, Pearl Harbor and Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe will receive funds… Continue Reading
June 17, 2013
HIRONO STATEMENT ON PAR PETROLEUM PURCHASE OF KAPOLEI TESORO REFINERY
Washington, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono today released the following statement regarding the announced purchase of the Kapolei Tesoro refinery by Par Petroleum. Par Petroleum Corporation is a Houston-based company that intends to continue Tesoro's refining, logistics and retail operations. "Today's announcement that Par Petroleum intends to continue the refining, logistics and retail operations of the Kapolei refinery is positive news for Hawaii. As Hawaii's largest refinery, this facility i… Continue Reading
June 14, 2013
HIRONO MEETS WITH SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION NOMINEE, DISCUSSES HONOLULU RAIL & KALAUPAPA ESSENTIAL AIR SERVICE
Washington, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono met this week with U.S. Secretary of Transportation nominee and Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx. During the meeting, Foxx and Hirono discussed the importance of Honolulu's rail system, for which the city secured a full funding grant agreement in December 2012. Foxx, noting how important Charlotte's light rail expansion was to the city's economic growth, noted his support for Honolulu's critical infrastructure project. The two also discussed continuing to e… Continue Reading
June 13, 2013
ON SENATE FLOOR, HIRONO CALLS ON COLLEAGUES TO FIX PARTS OF IMMIGRATION BILL THAT INADVERTENTLY DISCRIMINATE AGAINST WOMEN IMMIGRANTS, UNFAIRLY PENALIZE IMMIGRANT TAXPAYERS
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono today took to the Senate floor to highlight two major flaws in the immigration reform bill currently being debated in the Senate. In her remarks, Hirono pointed out how the new merit-based immigration system that gives preference to potential immigrants with high level education and technical expertise would heavily disadvantage women, since women across the globe do not have the same educational and career opportunities as men. "Women in too many othe… Continue Reading
June 13, 2013
Honolulu Star-Advertiser Endorses Hirono Measures Included In Immigration Bill
In today's Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the newspaper's editorial board endorsed Senator Mazie K. Hirono's measure in the immigration reform bill that would restore Medicaid eligibility for COFA migrants, saving the state millions each year. The editorial board also praised other amendments that Hirono convinced her colleagues to include in the bill that would boost tourism, help Hawaii fishermen and reunite Filipino World War II veterans with their children. The entire editorial reads below: ht… Continue Reading
June 12, 2013
HIRONO VOTES TO FIGHT SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN THE MILITARY
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono voted today during a meeting of the Senate Armed Services Committee in support of a measure aimed at stopping and prosecuting sexual assaults in the military. The measure would give military prosecutors the power to decide which sexual assault cases to try, taking that power out of the hands of military commanders. Hirono joined a minority of senators in voting to keep the measure in the National Defense Authorization Act. "Our women and men in uniform… Continue Reading
June 06, 2013
SENATOR MAZIE K. HIRONO VOTES TO STOP STUDENT LOAN INTEREST RATES FROM DOUBLING ON JULY 1
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement after voting for a Democratic proposal to keep student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1 and against a Republican plan that would saddle students with even more debt: Education isn't just the clearest path to economic opportunity in this country; it's one of the best investments we can make in our economy. That's why I voted for the Democratic plan to keep student loan interest rates from doubling without add… Continue Reading
June 06, 2013
HAWAII DELEGATION INTRODUCES IMPROVEMENTS TO NATIVE HAWAIIAN EDUCATION ACT
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Hawaii's congressional delegation introduced a bill today that would make important changes to the Native Hawaiian Education Act, an existing program that has improved educational opportunities for thousands of Native Hawaiian kids and families. The changes would strengthen and help secure the program's future by increasing accountability, sharing grantees' best practices, and ensuring that Native Hawaiians have access to the opportunities this program provides. "The Native… Continue Reading
June 05, 2013
HIRONO APPLAUDS NEWS THAT PRESIDENT WILL APPOINT SUSAN RICE AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Senator Mazie K. Hirono, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement upon news that President Obama will appoint U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to be his next National Security Advisor: "Ambassador Susan Rice is a great choice to be President Obama's National Security Advisor. She has had a string of successes at the United Nations as a forceful advocate for our strategic interests and defender human rights for women and LGBT people across the… Continue Reading
