Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced the nomination of 38 Hawaii students to U.S. military service academies for the Class of 2026. The academies now consider the students’ applications for final selections. “Every year, I have the honor of nominating some of Hawaii’s top students to the military...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) released the following statement in response to President Biden’s State of the Union Address: “Tonight President Biden made one thing clear: Democrats are working for the American people and Republicans are working for corporations and special interests. “There is no...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) released the following statement on Senate Republicans blocking H.R. 3755, the House-passed Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), from advancing to a final vote in the Senate. Senator Hirono co-sponsored this bill’s Senate companion, S. 1975. “Yet again, Republicans...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) has invited Whitney Aragaki, a biology and environmental science teacher at Waiakea High School in Hilo, to be her virtual guest for President Biden’s State of the Union Address. This past December, Aragaki was recognized as the 2022 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year by the Hawaii...

HONOLULU, HI – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Judiciary  Committee, released the following statement on President Biden’s historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States: “Today is an historic day. President Biden has nominated the first Black woman to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: “As President Biden said, America and our allies stand united in condemning in the strongest terms possible Russia’s reckless and unprovoked...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) released the following statement in observance of tomorrow’s 80th anniversary of President Roosevelt signing Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, which led to the internment of Japanese Americans: “Long-standing racism and xenophobia led to one of the worst decisions...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) released the following statement on Senate passage of the continuing resolution-legislation to keep the government funded—which includes $350 million to address the Red Hill crisis. The legislation, which now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law, includes...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) re-introduced the Neighbors Not Enemies Act, which would repeal the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) of 1798—a xenophobic anti-immigrant law that has been used to justify the incarceration of Japanese, German, and Italian Americans during World War II, as well as the Muslim Ban by...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), in a letter signed by over 100 colleagues, urged President Biden to reverse inhumane immigration policies, such as Title 42 expulsions, originally introduced under the Trump Administration, that expel people needing protection under our asylum laws. The letter also requests more equitable...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the Department of Defense considers options for the long-term strategic fuel reserve needs of the Indo Pacific region, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to the Secretary of Defense urging the Department to focus on options that do not rely on Red Hill, given...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) highlighted the Red Hill water contamination crisis as she questioned Robert Storch, nominee to be Inspector General of the DoD, and Christopher Lowman, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment. Senator Hirono inquired...

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), along with other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is calling on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to provide information on the use of solitary confinement in ICE facilities. In a letter to Acting Director Tae Johnson, Hirono – joined by U.S. Senators...

Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) released the following statement on Red Hill. A link to download a broadcast quality video of the Senator delivering the statement as prepared for delivery is available here.   “The people of Hawaii deserve a resolution to the Red Hill crisis as quickly as possible,...

Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), applauded Senate passage of the bipartisan Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act. This legislation, which Senator Hirono is a co-sponsor of, prevents perpetrators from being able to push survivors of sexual harassment and assault into the secretive,...

(Washington, D.C.) — Senator Hirono joined six colleagues in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough to voice concerns about a Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General report highlighting failures within DoD to screen for and prevent suicide amongst...

Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the Department of Defense’s (DoD) decision to appeal the Hawaii Department of Health Emergency Order on Red Hill:  “Yesterday evening, I had a conversation with Deputy Secretary of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) released the following statement after a Hawaii Congressional delegation meeting with Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and Admiral John Aquilino to discuss the Department of Defense’s plans for the future of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility: “As we continue...

Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Hirono, member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after reports that Justice Stephen Breyer plans to announce his retirement from the Supreme Court: “Throughout his 27 years of service on the Supreme Court, Justice Stephen Breyer has been a steadfast champion...

(Washington, D.C.) — Today, Senator Hirono, along with more than 190 congressional Democrats, submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a case looking at the EPA’s ability to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions under the Clean Air Act (CAA). “In Hawaii, we...