Press Releases

HONOLULU- Senator Mazie K. Hirono today welcomed 77 new American citizens from 26 countries during a naturalization ceremony at the Mission Memorial Auditorium on the grounds of Honolulu Hale. U.S. Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Hawaii Robert Faris presided over the proceedings. Addressing the new citizens shortly after they took their...

KAHULUI- Senator Mazie K. Hirono today chaired a Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee hearing at Maui High School on increasing opportunities for women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Senator Hirono heard from national experts at the National Science...

HONOLULU- Senator Mazie K. Hirono today visited Farrington High School with Hawaii Department of Education Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi, Board of Education Member Kenneth Uemura, administrators, educators, and students to discuss how federal programs, such as the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act, support Hawaii...

Senators Mazie K. Hirono and John Boozman (R-AR), members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced legislation to reauthorize a number of important federal homeless veteran programs for the next fiscal year. The Keeping Our Commitment to Ending Veteran Homelessness Act would renew seven Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today joined international partners and Hawaii community leaders aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier U.S.S. John C. Stennis to observe the ongoing Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise – the world’s largest naval exercise. Senator Hirono met with the U.S.S. Stennis Strike Group...

HONOLULU- Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on the passing of Representative Mark Takai: “Mark Takai was a devoted public servant who was committed to bettering our state and country in public office for more than two decades. He also gave back to his community as a celebrated champion collegiate swimmer, a Lieutenant...

HONOLULU- Senator Mazie K. Hirono delivered the keynote address at today's dedication of the new MV-22 Hangar at Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay. The ceremony marked the opening of the first of two hangers that will serve as the permanent homes to two MV-22 Osprey squadrons. Senator Hirono is the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services...

On Monday, Senator Mazie K. Hirono encouraged students attending the Third Annual Science Camp sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service to continue nurturing their interest in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering (STEM) fields. “To maintain our...

HONOLULU- Senator Mazie K. Hirono tonight recognized the incoming leadership of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii (FCCH) at the organization’s 62nd Annual Installation Banquet. Senator Hirono also congratulated FCCH for its contributions to Hawaii’s economy. “Hawaii’s Filipino community has made...

The United States Senate passed a resolution authored by Senator Mazie K. Hirono honoring the 100th anniversaries of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii Island and Haleakala National Park on Maui. Senator Hirono’s resolution recognizes August 1 as “Hawaii Volcanoes and Haleakala National Parks Day.” “For the last...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono was named to the Senate-House Conference Committee for the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The role of the Conference Committee is to resolve differences between the versions of the NDAA passed by the House and Senate earlier this year. The NDAA is a bill that lays out the resource levels and...

The U.S. Senate today passed a bill authored by Senator Mazie K. Hirono to award Filipino World War II veterans who fought for the United States the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award that Congress can bestow. A broad, bipartisan coalition of 71 Senators co-sponsored the legislation, which recognizes Filipino soldiers who fought...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono today voted to approve S.764, bipartisan legislation that establishes a mandatory federal labeling system for GMOs, which passed 63-30. Senator Hirono released the following statement after the vote: “Regardless of your position on GMOs, most of us agree that we all have a right to know what is in the food we eat. I...

Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono introduced the Patsy Mink Gender Equity in Education Act. This bill would provide more resources for schools, school districts, states, and institutions of higher education to fully implement the Patsy Mink Equal Opportunity Act, commonly referred to as Title IX – which prohibits discrimination on the basis of...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today hosted the first in a series of outreach events to assist Filipino World War II veterans in applying to reunite with family members still living in the Philippines. Senator Hirono brought together close to 50 Filipino veterans and family members with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced that Singapore has been officially added to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Global Entry Program, which means that Singaporean citizens can now apply for expedited customs clearance for visiting the United States and vice versa. Senator Hirono led a bipartisan effort to encourage the U.S....

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on the passing of former Hawaii House of Representatives speaker, Maui mayor, and businessman Elmer Cravalho: “Mayor Cravalho was a politically astute visionary. He cared for Maui first and foremost and his primary concern during his time in public office was to do...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono today applauded the Supreme Court’s 5-3 decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, which struck down a Texas law restricting access to reproductive health care. Had the Court ruled in favor of the Texas law, states across the nation could have enacted similarly restrictive laws. Senator Hirono joined her...

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, the Supreme Court released a deadlocked ruling on U.S. v. Texas, which halts President Obama’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs. After the ruling was released, Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono today voted to support two commonsense measures to curb gun violence. The first, authored by Senator Christopher Murphy (D-CT) would strengthen background checks for gun buyers. The second, authored by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and cosponsored by Senator Hirono, would close the “terror gap” by giving the...