Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) reintroduced the bicameral Patsy T. Mink and Louise M. Slaughter Gender Equity in Education Act (GEEA), legislation that would provide additional resources, training, and technical assistance to combat harassment and discrimination in...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Representatives Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.), chairman of the House Education & Labor Committee, reintroduced the Pell Grant...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Representative Ed Case (D-Hawaii), and Representative Steve Womack (R-Ark.) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to restore access to a range of federal benefits for citizens of the Freely Associated States of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) wrote to President Joe Biden urging him to take immediate action to ensure women’s rights and safety are protected in the wake of the pending U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Noting that protecting Afghan women and girls...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced a resolution marking May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The resolution highlights the contributions to our country by generations of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. “This Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is particularly...

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement after President Joe Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law: “After a year in which the AAPI community experienced a horrifying rise in hate crimes and incidents driven by racist and inflammatory language during the pandemic, I was proud to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Representatives Ed Case (D-Hawaii) and Don Young (R-Alaska) today reintroduced the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act (S.1708), legislation that would speed up the visa process for children of Filipino World War II...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced a resolution calling for the United States Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). UNCLOS, which has been ratified by 166 nations and the European Union, details the rights and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with her colleagues Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) reintroduced the I am Vanessa Guillen Act, legislation that addresses sexual harassment and sexual assault...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, issued the following statement after reports of a fuel release at the Red Hill Bulk Storage Facility: “Earlier today, I spoke with Admiral Aquilino – who provided me with an update on the fuel release at Red Hill. While the...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), along with their colleagues Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) sent letters yesterday to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee, issued the following statement after Admiral John C. Aquilino assumed command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, following last week’s unanimous Senate confirmation vote:  “Last month, I introduced and endorsed Admiral...

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with her colleagues Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) sent a letter to President Biden calling on him to direct his administration to address sexual harassment in the scientific professions. As...

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced that the Kona Soil and Water Conservation District and seven partners have been awarded $2,028,572 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to boost biodiversity and support wildlife habitat for a variety of Hawaiian forest birds, including the akiapolaau, Hawaii akepa,...

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, the U.S. Senate passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act by a vote of 94-1, a bill to address the rise in hate crimes and violence against the AAPI community. Following its passage, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Representative Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) called for swift House consideration of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) introduced the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to address the child care crisis and ensure that working families can find and afford high-quality child care, along with 34 additional cosponsors in the Senate. Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) and...

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced they have reached an agreement on language amending the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to broaden bipartisan support while retaining the purpose of the bill. The substitute bill language is available here. “Working closely together, Senator...

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House, along with Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) leadership.  President Biden, Vice President Harris, and the CAPAC members discussed critical issues facing the country during a productive...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee, voted with her Senate Armed Services Committee colleagues to unanimously advance the nomination of Admiral John C. Aquilino to serve as the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command. Admiral Aquilino’s nomination now...

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono issued the following statement after President Biden named Erika Moritsugu as Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison: “Erika is an excellent choice to serve as the White House AAPI Senior Liaison. I’m proud to say that Erika is from...