Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, Senate Democrats, led by Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Senator Barbara Mikulski unveiled an amendment to provide an additional $41 million to Department of Justice programs that prevent discrimination and hate crimes. Introduced in response to the targeted attacks driven by hate against the...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono took to the Senate floor to join Senator Christopher Murphy (D-CT) and Senate Democrats in a filibuster to demand that the U.S. Senate vote on commonsense solutions to combat gun violence. In her speech, Senator Hirono paid tribute to former Hawaii resident Kimberly “KJ” Morris, who was one of 49 victims killed...

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono today marked the fourth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has brought 700,000 young adults out of the shadows, and allowed them to pursue higher education and jobs without fearing deportation. “Over the past four years, DACA has changed the lives of...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and Ranking Member of the Seapower Subcommittee, voted to approve the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill 85-13, which includes more than $600 billion in funding for our service members and national...

Senators Mazie K. Hirono, Harry Reid (D-NV), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Chief of Staff Juliet Choi, Filipino World War II veterans Rudy Panaglima and Celestino Almeda, and advocates today to announce the implementation of a long-awaited program to reunite aging Filipino World War II veterans with...

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono today welcomed nearly 75 members of Hawaii’s business community to Capitol Hill for the Third Annual Hawaii on the Hill Policy Summit. Business owners representing diverse industries – including manufacturing, health care, transportation, and others – participated in the event. “We...

Senators Mazie K. Hirono, Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Patty Murray (D-WA), and a broad coalition of their Senate colleagues called on the U.S. Soccer Federation to ensure that players on the U.S. Women’s National Team are paid fairly. The letter follows the filing of a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging players...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, included a number of provisions to grow and support Hawaii’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce in the 2017 Intelligence Authorization Act. One provision would require the U.S. intelligence community to evaluate existing intelligence...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on the passing of Hawaii jazz legend Jimmy Borges. “For six decades, Jimmy Borges brought joy to audiences with his unique voice, distinctive vocal jazz interpretations and warm sense of humor. Throughout his musical career, Jimmy entertained, but he also served with distinction as an...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono paid tribute to service members, veterans, and their families this Memorial Day. “Hawaii is the home to generations of service members, from the Civil War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Memorial Day is an opportunity to celebrate these service members, remember those who gave their life in service to our country,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The U.S. Senate today passed a bipartisan resolution lead by Senator Mazie K. Hirono to recognize May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. S.Res. 481 celebrates the contributions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community to American history. “Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a time for the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced that the University of Hawaii was selected for two federal programs to assist veterans entering the civilian workforce. The University of Hawaii system is one of six new universities nationwide to receive support from the U.S. Small Business Administration to establish a Veterans Business...

Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), along with a bipartisan group of Senators and advocates, today called on the Senate to pass the bipartisan Military Justice Improvement Act, which would establish an impartial, fair, and accountable military justice system to address the crisis of sexual assault. Since 2013, Senator...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on Representative Mark Takai’s announcement that he will not seek reelection: “Mark has served our state and our country honorably as a public servant, elected official, and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Hawaii Army National Guard. He has an unwavering commitment to improving the...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono today met with Judge Merrick Garland, nominee for the Supreme Court. Senator Hirono also called on her Republican colleagues to do their job and hold a hearing to consider Judge Garland’s nomination. “Judge Garland’s character and record of judicial service are impressive, and Americans deserve to hear from...

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono today voted in support of more than $1 billion in emergency funding to fight the Zika virus. The Senate advanced a $1.1 billion bipartisan compromise amendment to the appropriations bill currently being debated on the Senate floor. While the funding is short of the Administration’s $1.9 billion...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced that Hawaiian Airlines was awarded a direct route from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Kona International Airport. While the flight route is approved, flights must still stop on Oahu until a permanent Customs and Border Protection (CBP) checkpoint is established in Kona. “Today’s announcement that...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and Ranking Member of the Seapower Subcommittee, voted to approve the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17), sending the bill to the full Senate for consideration. The NDAA is a comprehensive bill passed annually that sets policy and funding...

After fighting poison-pill amendments on the Senate floor, Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power, today voted to support the Fiscal Year 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations Act, which funds the activities of the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Army Corps of...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement after President Obama announced that he will visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial later this month, becoming the first sitting United States President to visit: "I commend President Obama's decision to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, which serves as a poignant reminder of the devastating...