Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined ten of her Senate colleagues in issuing the following joint statement in response to reports of potentially harmful changes to the U.S. asylum system being considered in the ongoing bipartisan negotiations around the supplemental aid...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Representatives Ed Case (D-HI) and Jill Tokuda (D-HI) issued the following statement on the report released today by the Red Hill Water Alliance Initiative (WAI). “As we’ve worked to secure the federal resources needed for defueling and closing Red Hill, we have...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, released the following statement after Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day humanitarian pause in order to facilitate the release of 50 hostages held by Hamas and allow for...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, joined Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) in introducing the Advancing VA’s Emergency Response to (AVERT) Crises Act of 2023, legislation to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) emergency response. “In August, one of...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led eight of her Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution commemorating November 20, 2023, as Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). The House companion bill was introduced by Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Sara Jacobs (D-CA).   “Transgender and gender-nonconforming people,...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) announced that the University of Hawaii (UH) will receive over $6.6 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program. This funding will support existing child care programs in Hawaii and efforts...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced the availability of $20 million in funding to help strengthen climate resilience in the Native Hawaiian community. The funding will support the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Native Hawaiian Relations’ (ONHR) new...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), and U.S. Representative Jim Hymes (D-CT) in introducing the Lori Jackson – Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act to protect domestic violence survivors from gun violence. The legislation would expand on a...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, on the 29th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) entering into force, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced a resolution calling on the U.S. Senate to ratify UNCLOS. UNCLOS, which has been ratified by 168 nations and the European...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) led 15 of their Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) colleagues in urging President Biden to reduce the visa backlog, which keeps millions of immigrants—including many immigrants from Asia—separated from their families. “This backlog shows...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in introducing the bipartisan National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Extension Act to reauthorize relief for an additional four years for qualifying members of the National Guard and Reserves experiencing financial hardship. The legislation...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined over a hundred colleagues from the House and Senate in calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to finalize their proposed rule to expand health coverage for those participating in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, crime victims, and...

WASHINGTON, DC – President Joseph R. Biden signed into law bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and Senator Mike Braun (R-IN). The Korean American VALOR Act allows veterans who served in the armed forces of the Republic of Korea during the Vietnam War, and have...

~ Members advocate $6 billion be allocated to ACP, as requested by President Biden’s emergency supplemental funding proposal ~ WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined the Chairs of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and 100 of her colleagues in...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, urged the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, to take steps to improve the way the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) handles major disasters across the services. “Over the...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, ahead of World Public Transport Day, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led the introduction of the Saving Transit Art Resources (STAR) Act, legislation that would allow local transit authorities to incorporate art into federally-funded transportation project through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). “Through its...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, delivered remarks on the Senate floor emphasizing the need for the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote to authorize issuing subpoenas to Harlan Crow, Leonard Leo, and Robin Arkley...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Government Surveillance Reform Act, to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act with important new protections for Americans’ constitutional rights.    The bill, led by Senators...

WASHINGTON, DC – In response to a letter from the Hawaii Congressional delegation, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it is implementing a 6-month deferment period for Maui businesses impacted by the Hawaii wildfires. This deferment period covers principal and interest payments, as well as a pause on interest accrual, and...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and five of her colleagues in reintroducing the Federal Firearm Licensing Act, legislation that would require individuals to obtain a federal firearm license before purchasing or receiving a firearm. “Our nation is awash with guns—just this year alone, there have...