Press Releases

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono and Lieutenant Governor Doug Chin visited Mililani High School to highlight the Aina Pono Farm-to-School Initiative and Harvest of the Month programs that increase the use of locally grown produce and beef in public school lunches. “The Aina Pono Farm-to-School Initiative and Harvest of the Month...

WAINIHA – Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho, soldiers from the Hawaii National Guard, and federal, state, and local emergency management officials to assess storm damage on Kauai’s North Shore and discuss ways the federal government can assist community residents as they work to recover from the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono denounced the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nepalese nationals living in the United States following the devastating earthquake in April 2015 that killed more than 9,000 people and rendered thousands more displaced and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, issued the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee approved bipartisan legislation to protect the Special Counsel on a 14-7 vote.  “These are not normal times. “My Republican colleagues...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, issued the following statement after Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson withdrew his nomination to serve as Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA): “Ronny Jackson made the right decision to withdraw. “Our veterans deserve a fully-vetted VA...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono rallied with Karen Korematsu, civil rights groups, and activists at the Supreme Court after the Court heard oral arguments in Trump v. Hawaii ­– a case that will determine the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s Muslim ban. “If the Supreme Court allows this...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Admiral Lloyd R. “Joe” Vasey Pacific War Commemorative Display Establishment Act – a bill sponsored by Senator Mazie K. Hirono and Representative Colleen Hanabusa to establish a memorial at Pearl Harbor honoring the service of World War II veterans...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) applauded the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) inclusion of the Korea Internet and Security Agency, South Korea’s lead cybersecurity agency, in its Automated Indicator Sharing (AIS) system that enables the exchange of cyber threat indicators...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono met with Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) nominee Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson today. The meeting occurred ahead of Rear Admiral Jackson’s Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on April 25. “I welcome Admiral Jackson’s commitment that he will not privatize...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono, Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and 37 Senators introduced a resolution formally calling on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to resign. The resolution comes in response to Pruitt’s numerous instances of undermining ethics values, alleged misuse of taxpayer dollars, and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) introduced the Immigration Court Improvement Act – a bill that would insulate immigration judges from improper political interference or manipulation. The Senators introduced this bill in response to the recent revelations...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and 22 Senate Democrats joined together to call on the Trump administration to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nepalese nationals living in the United States after the devastating earthquake in April 2015 killed more than 9,000 people and rendered thousands more displaced and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, applauded the Supreme Court’s decision to release an audio recording and transcript of oral arguments in the highly-anticipated Trump v. Hawaii case immediately...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the air strikes in Syria. “Bashar al-Assad has again used chemical weapons against his own people. This is another atrocity and breach of international law, and the international community must hold...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) voted against the confirmation of Andrew Wheeler to serve as the Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Wheeler, a coal industry lobbyist who denies the existence of climate change, was confirmed by the Senate on a 53-45 vote. “At a time when the current EPA administrator is under...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) urged her colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee to support Jill Otake’s nomination to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii in a Committee markup today. Ms. Otake’s nomination was approved by the Committee unanimously, and will now be considered by the full Senate. From...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced former Hawaii Attorney General Mark Bennett during today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to consider his nomination to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. From Senator Hirono’s remarks: “Mark has led a distinguished career both in private practice and in...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and four of her colleagues called on U.S. Department of Interior Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall to conduct an investigation into potential alterations to a scientific report titled “Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge Projections for the National Park Service” by...

HONOLULU- Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on the passing of Senator Daniel K. Akaka: “Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka embodied the Aloha Spirit. He dedicated his life to serving the people of Hawaii as an educator, and in the U.S. Army, state government, the U.S. House, and the U.S. Senate. In Congress, Senator...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono visited Hale Makua on Maui to highlight her work to allow the facility to continue to serve as a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provider. Following the VA’s decision to terminate a provider agreement that had been in place since 2013, Senator Hirono facilitated discussions that culminated in Hale Makua being...