Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3.8 million grant to Hi‘ipaka, LLC, Haleiwa, Hawaii, to boost tourism through the renovation and expansion of an important Native Hawaiian cultural site and popular...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the appointment of Rear Admiral John Wade to serve as Commander of the Joint Task Force responsible for the safe defueling and closure of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility on Oahu: “In...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded more than $31 million in capitalization grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to Hawaii through the State Revolving Funds (SRFs) program....

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, joined Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, and several of their Senate Democratic colleagues in introducing the Women’s Business Centers Improvement Act of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined 29 of her Senate colleagues in a letter led by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), in calling on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take immediate action to safeguard women’s privacy and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), John Cornyn (R-TX), and 43 of her Senate colleagues in introducing a commemorative resolution recognizing September 15th through October 15th, 2022, as Hispanic Heritage Month. The resolution celebrates the heritage, culture and immense...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), along with several of their Democratic colleagues, in a press conference to speak out against Senate Republicans’ recently-introduced legislation to ban abortion...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance legislation sponsored by Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) to limit the enforceability of non-disclosure agreements and non-disparagement agreements (NDAs) where a sexual harassment or sexual assault dispute arises and survivors wish to break their silence. The bipartisan,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) delivered remarks on the Senate floor in support of the nomination of Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta to serve as Ambassador-at-large for Global Women’s Issues and condemning Republicans’ continued obstruction of her nomination. For months, Republicans blocked consideration of Dr....

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, emphasized the need for immigration reform to address the strain caused by the shortage of health care workers in Hawaii and across the country during a Subcommittee hearing. In the hearing,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor speaking out against the radical nationwide abortion ban recently introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Despite previous Republican statements that abortion laws should be decided by the states,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, highlighted the serious privacy and national security threats posed by Twitter’s alleged mishandling of data and information at a full Committee hearing. In the hearing, Senator Hirono questioned Mr. Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, a...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono delivered remarks at Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s weekly press conference highlighting the historic provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 to make health care more affordable for people in Hawaii and across the country. The IRA will lower health care costs for seniors...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined 18 of her colleagues, in a letter led by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), in commenting on the Department of Education’s proposed Title IX rule. In the letter, the Senators commend the Department’s efforts to ensure survivors can seek justice, extend...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Small Business Committee, announced that the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) will receive $500,000 through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) State Trade Expansion Program (STEP). The funding will be used to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined five of her Senate colleagues in urging the Department of Defense (DOD) to permit individuals living with well-managed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) to enlist and serve in the military. Given the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the Department of Defense’s updated plan for the defueling and closure of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility: “DOD has updated its defueling plan and added additional information...

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the only immigrant serving in the Senate, released the following statement on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) final “Public Charge” rule. This rule, which DHS Secretary Mayorkas finalized today, replaces the...

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) condemned Republican attacks on the Biden Administration’s landmark decision last week to allow the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to provide abortion care to veterans and their eligible dependents...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) released the following statement ahead of Labor Day: “On Labor Day, we honor working people in Hawaii and across the country who keep our communities and our economy running. Workers have helped keep us healthy, fed and safe over the past two and a half years, and as we...