Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) announced $8.4 million in funding for The Food Basket, a food bank on Hawaii Island working to end hunger and distribute safe, high quality food in the community. The funding will go toward the “DA BUX” program, a partnership with local food retailers to make Hawaii-grown fruits and vegetables...

WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement (IDEA) Act of 2024, legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), both members of the Committee. The bicameral, bipartisan legislation will permit the collection of data that will provide a better...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement celebrating the announcement of more than $56 million in federal funding to modernize Honolulu Harbor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the port along with $2.5 million to develop strategies to improve air quality at ports around the state, developed in...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Bill Cassidy (R-IA) introduced legislation to enhance the quality and efficiency of health care services provided to veterans. The VetPAC Act of 2024 creates a new Veterans Health Administration Policy Advisory Commission (VetPAC) to facilitate a transparent, expert-driven review process for...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined U.S. Representatives Ed Case (D-HI), Michelle Steel (R-CA), Robert Cortez Scott (D-VA), James Moylan (R-GU), and Jill Tokuda (D-HI) in leading a bipartisan, bicameral resolution commemorating October as Filipino-American History Month. The resolution celebrates the long and distinguished...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the bicameral, bipartisan Judiciary Accountability Act of 2024 (JAA). The legislation would ensure the more than 30,000 employees of the federal judiciary have strong statutory rights and protections against...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and six colleagues in introducing bicameral legislation to protect voters and election workers from intimidation and threats of violence at the ballot box. The Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act would help ensure that every voter and election...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in introducing legislation to support survivors of sexual assault on college campuses. The Survivor Outreach and Support on Campus Act, or S.O.S. Campus Act, would require that every college and university that receives federal funding...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) led 7 of their colleagues in sending a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young on Statistical Policy Directive 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and...

Sen. Hirono: “As Republicans continue on their anti-freedom, anti-women crusade, Democrats will continue fighting to protect the right to IVF as we work to ensure people can make decisions about their bodies, their lives, and their futures, free from government interference.” ~ Video of Senator Hirono’s remarks is available here ~ WASHINGTON, DC –...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Representatives Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Young Kim (R-CA) announced the reintroduction of the Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement (IDEA) Act of 2024, bicameral, bipartisan legislation to permit the collection of data that will provide a better...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) announcement that it intends to offer medical care to American veterans living in the Freely Associated States (FAS) of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced legislation to promote Native arts and culture and unlock federal funding for Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs). The Native Arts & Culture Promotion Act provides a technical fix to the Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native Culture and...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Jill Tokuda (D-HI) introduced the Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act, legislation that would strengthen Social Security’s financial state and ensure that seniors continue to benefit from the programs they have paid into throughout their lives. “Social Security...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) delivered remarks on the Senate floor marking one year since the devastating Maui wildfires. During her speech, Senator Hirono paid tribute to the individuals lost in the fires, honored the resilience of those impacted by the fires, and also emphasized the need for Congress to pass a...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led 28 of her Senate colleagues in introducing a constitutional amendment making clear that no one in the United States is above the law, including the President. In addition to Senator Hirono, the amendment is cosponsored by Senate Majority...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Representatives Norma Torres (D-CA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), and Jerry Nadler (D-NY) released a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report addressing the Judiciary’s policies and...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined four of her colleagues in introducing a bicameral resolution aimed at encouraging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide a pathway for individuals who have been unjustly deported from the United States to return and reunite with their families. The Chance to Come Home...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Steve Daines (R-MT) successfully passed through the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST). The Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening (BABES) Enhancement Act would require the Transportation...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and leading champion for Supreme Court reform, released the following statement on President Biden’s Supreme Court reform proposal: “Unbound by norms, the Supreme Court has shown itself all too willing to throw out longstanding precedent, putting...