Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following Saturday’s false emergency threat alert, Senator Mazie K. Hirono secured a commitment from Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen to improve communication between the federal government and states on emergency alerts, including verification of the information contained in alerts. In response to...

Senator Hirono announced that the State of Hawaii will receive $770,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect and improve Hawaii’s watersheds.       “Today’s investment recognizes Hawaii’s ongoing commitment to the protection and restoration of our forested watersheds, and will help enhance the...

The bipartisan Veterans E-Health & Telemedicine Support (VETS) Act, introduced by Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) unanimously passed the Senate. This legislation seeks to improve veterans’ access to health care services by expanding telehealth services – including mental health treatment - provided by the Department...

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono applauded the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works’ approval of a resolution to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to move forward with the solicitation of a lease for the future Leeward Oahu VA Outpatient Clinic. “I thank my colleagues on the Senate Committee on...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono applauded Canada’s approval of legislation to implement a 2015 agreement with the United States to expand U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance locations at airports in Canada. “Canada’s approval of the 2015 preclearance agreement strengthens our close bilateral ties...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono issued the following statement after opposing the continuing resolution: “I voted against the continuing resolution because it did not include programs that would actually help people such as the DREAM Act, a real reauthorization for the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Community...

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Brian Schatz announced the nomination of well-respected, career prosecutor Jill Otake to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. Ms. Otake was among those recommended by Senators Hirono and Schatz, and a merit-based Federal Judicial Selection Commission in 2015. “Ms....

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement following her vote against the Republican tax bill: “The Republican tax bill is a scam. After months of empty promises to the middle class, the President has been caught in another big fat lie. This bill will not help the middle class. It is nothing more than a...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono welcomed Singaporean airliner Scoot’s first flight to Daniel K. Inouye Honolulu International Airport from Singapore via Osaka, Japan. The new air service comes after years of advocacy by Senator Hirono to successfully add Singapore and Japan to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)...

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – On the anniversary of the widely-condemned Korematsu Supreme Court decision that led to the internment of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) intend to introduce the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2017 (S. 2250) to prevent...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the bipartisan Knowledgeable Innovators and Worthy Investors (KIWI) Act, which would extend trade and investor visas to New Zealand citizens to increase international business between the United States and New Zealand. The legislation comes as the United...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono issued the following statement after a vote on the continuing resolution: “By now, we should have an agreement to pass the DREAM Act, reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program, fund Community Health Centers, stabilize the Affordable Care Act, and prevent across the board cuts to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono introduced the Admiral Lloyd R. “Joe” Vasey Pacific War Commemorative Display Establishment Act, which would establish a memorial at Pearl Harbor honoring the service of World War II veterans who served in the Pacific Theater. The bill is the Senate companion to legislation introduced in...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and 26 other Senators urged Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to delay the vote to roll back the nation’s net neutrality rules. In a letter, the Senators expressed concerns over reports that bots filed hundreds of thousands of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) released the following statement: “Today, I am calling on my colleague Al Franken to step aside. I’ve struggled with this decision because he’s been a good Senator and I consider him a friend. But that cannot excuse his behavior and his mistreatment of women. “TIME...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that the Makana North Shore Urgent Care will receive a nearly $1.1 million U.S. Department of Agriculture loan to complete construction and help with operating costs of a new urgent care clinic to serve Kauai’s north shore community. “Rural communities across Hawaii continue to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono voted against H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a bill to provide major tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. The legislation, released just hours before the vote, was passed in the dead of night on a 51-49 vote. After the vote, Senator Hirono released the following...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today introduced an amendment to the Republican tax plan that would hold Senate Republicans accountable for their pledge that their tax plan will not result in any cuts to Medicare. Under the Senate’s...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of expected late night votes on the Senate Republican tax plan, Senator Mazie K. Hirono spoke out against the bill’s devastating impact on Hawaii families and critical state infrastructure. Senator Hirono highlighted the Senate bill’s focus on providing substantial tax relief to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, voted in support of bipartisan legislation to continue funding for veterans’ health care programs, and improve the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Choice Program. The bill included several of Senator Hirono’s...