Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) today announced that Taiwan has officially been added to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Global Entry program. This decision enables Taiwanese to apply for expedited customs clearance when visiting the United States. American citizens will also be extended similar benefits on...

Washington, D.C.—Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) led a Senate resolution recognizing October as Women’s Small Business Month, and encouraging minority women entrepreneurs. “National Women’s Small Business Month is an opportunity to celebrate women entrepreneurs in Hawaii, and recommit to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) today hailed the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) decision to expand its PreCheck program to All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest airline. ANA operates three flights daily from Tokyo to Daniel K. Inouye Honolulu International Airport. TSA PreCheck allows...

20 Hawaii Veterans & Family Members Attend Capitol Ceremony  Ceremony Follows Years-Long Effort to Recognize Filipino World War II Veterans WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, and Congressional leaders presented the Congressional Gold Medal to Filipino World War II veterans. The presentation ceremony was...

Legislation Now Goes to President for Approval  Over 200 Hawaii Residents Currently Benefit from the Program WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives passed Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Steve Daines’ (R-Mont.) bill to make permanent the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Card Program. The bill,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Brian Schatz, and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard announced that the Hawaiian Shores Community Association (HSCA) will receive nearly $3 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to improve its community drinking water system in Puna, Hawaii.  “Rural communities in...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today voted against the Republican budget resolution for federal fiscal year 2018. The resolution passed on a 51-49 vote. While the budget resolution does not become law, it outlines the budget and tax priorities that Congress will pursue in the coming year. “This budget reflects Donald...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on strengthening cybersecurity, Senator Mazie K. Hirono questioned Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security Kenneth Rapuano on how the Department is helping defense contractors comply with heightened requirements to ensure sensitive...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono grilled Greg Katsas, a nominee to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, about his past opposition to Native Hawaiian rights during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee today. As a senior official in the George W. Bush Justice Department, Mr. Katsas...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on the President’s decision to decertify the Iran Nuclear Deal: “Our European Allies, the United Nations, and the President’s own civilian and military national security team all agree that Iran is not in material breach of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of...

Nearly 40 Percent of NPS Employees Report Harassment or Discrimination in Past Year  Ranking Member of Senate National Parks Subcommittee Commits to Additional Oversight to Address Epidemic of Workplace Harassment HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks,...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono issued a call to action to attendees of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement’s Native Hawaiian Convention to continue their work fighting to protect federal Native Hawaiian housing, education, and health care programs. Senator Hirono also highlighted the importance of building strong federal and...

HONOLULU – The U.S. Senate passed legislation supported by Senator Mazie K. Hirono that would extend the federal Historically Underutilized Business Zone Contracting (HUBZone) program for Maui County small businesses, and other communities that are set to lose their HUBZone designation. “Maui County businesses who have benefitted from...

HILO- Senator Mazie K. Hirono today dedicated a new phase of the Daniel K. Inouye Highway, formerly known as Saddle Road. Today’s ceremony marked the completion of the Saddle Road Improvement Project. Construction on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway began in 2004, and the project’s completion creates the shortest route between East and West...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced that two Hawaii businesses will receive $1.5 million in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding to develop offshore seaweed as a potential clean energy source. The funding was awarded through DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) program. “These...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), and 14 colleagues to introduce the Keep Americans Safe Act – a commonsense proposal to ban the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of gun magazines that hold more...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono questioned former Equifax CEO Richard Smith on actions that Equifax could have taken to prevent the release of 145 million Americans’ personal information, including information on 462,195 Hawaii residents, and Equifax’s completely inadequate response to the massive data...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters to receive an update on the Trump administration’s response to helping Puerto Ricans recovering from Hurricane Maria. Senator Hirono heard from FEMA Acting Deputy Administrator Daniel Kaniewski and other top Administration...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) slammed Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ decision to revoke guidance that directs schools on how to handle sexual assault investigations. In a letter to Secretary DeVos, 32 Senate Democrats urged her to reverse her decision, which undermined the rights of...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Tom Udall (D-N.M.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, introduced a bill to reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) through 2022. NAHASDA provides federal housing assistance and housing...