Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono successfully included her Macadamia Tree Health Initiative – legislation that prioritizes research into combating the macadamia felted coccid, an invasive pest threatening Hawaii’s macadamia nut industry – in the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Report. The bipartisan Farm Bill, which sets...

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Senate unanimously passed legislation supported by Senator Mazie K. Hirono that would remove existing barriers that limit citizens of the Freely Associated States (FAS) from accessing long-term, REAL ID compliant, state-issued driver’s licenses and identification.  The bill, H.R. 3398, the REAL ID Act Modification...

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, released the following statement on the nomination of William Barr to serve as Attorney General: “The selection of William Barr to serve as Attorney General is another example of Donald Trump’s...

WASHINGTON, DC – After passing the House of Representatives last week, bipartisan legislation to improve access to dental health services will head to the President’s desk to be signed into law. Senators Mazie K. Hirono, Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the legislation, the Action for Dental Health...

WASHINGTON, D.C.– The IRS office in Honolulu and 45 other offices across the country will continue to have access to automatic external defibrillators (AED) following intervention from Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) in opposition to the IRS’ plan to remove the devices. The IRS suspended its plan to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced S.3660, the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA) of 2018. HEAA lays out a comprehensive roadmap to address health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ community, rural populations, and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. “Minority communities...

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) voted today to advance a resolution to end U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. Following the vote, Senator Hirono released the following statement: “I remain deeply concerned about the Trump Administration’s policy toward Saudi Arabia. The President believes that we...

WASHINGTON, D.C.– In response to a request by Senator Mazie K. Hirono, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report reviewing the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) role in the January 13, 2018 false missile alert sent to Hawaii residents. The OIG’s report...

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, Senators Mazie K.  Hirono (D-Hawaii), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI.) filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s appointment of Matthew Whitaker as the Acting Attorney General. On...

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) urged Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to expand any investigation into Facebook and Cambridge Analytica to include whether Facebook—or any other entity affiliated with or hired by...

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) will receive $1.59 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding to improve water infrastructure of the Hoolehua Water System on Molokai. “More than 2,000 Molokai residents depend on the Hoolehua Water System for...

HONOLULU– Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) released the following statement on Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ forced resignation: “In a direct move to undermine the Mueller investigation, Donald Trump forced Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign. I am concerned that the Mueller investigation will now be overseen by Acting...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined Unite Here Local 5 workers on the picket line outside the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel in Waikiki, and stood in solidarity with them in their fight for a higher wages. “I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with my brothers and sisters in Local 5 on the picket line, fighting for...

HONOLULU- Senator Mazie K. Hirono and Representative Colleen Hanabusa introduced a bipartisan, bicameral resolution in the United States Senate to recognize the month of October as Filipino American History Month. The resolution acknowledges the key role Filipino Americans play in shaping our country. “In Hawaii, we see the many contributions...

HONOLULU– Last week, the President signed the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2018, legislation co-authored by Senator Mazie K. Hirono. The new law provides a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for the rates of veterans’ disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance...

WASHINGTON, D.C.-  Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, was selected by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) to receive its 2018 Meritorious Service Award in recognition of her years of work to advance policies that help end veteran homelessness. Established in 1990, NCHV...

HONOLULU– Last week, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that beneficiaries will receive a 2.8% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) increase for 2019, the highest increase since 2012. “Social Security is an earned benefit that provides a critical source of income for millions of individuals and families around the country,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.-  Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) released the following statement in solidarity with Unite Here Local 5 members striking at Marriott-operated hotels on Oahu and Maui: “I stand in solidarity with Hawaii’s hotel workers. Their collective action to go on strike is a powerful reminder that big corporations’...

WASHINGTON, D.C.-  Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) released the following statement in support of Hawaii U.S. Postal Service (USPS) workers’ rally to oppose the Trump administration’s efforts to privatize USPS: “To the more than 2,000 hardworking employees of the U.S. Postal Service in Hawaii, I stand in solidarity with...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) urged the new Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service Charles P. Rettig to reconsider the IRS’ plan to remove automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) from IRS offices with fewer than 100 employees, including the Honolulu IRS Office and...