Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Seapower and member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement following her meeting this afternoon with Ashton Carter, President Obama’s nominee for Secretary of...

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono took to the Senate floor to urge the House and Senate to come together to pass a clean appropriations bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security.  Earlier in the 114th Congress, the Republican controlled House passed a bill that would irresponsibly risk shutting down the Department...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced her nomination list of 32 students to the U.S. military service academies for the Class of 2019. The students’ applications are now being considered by the four academies for final selections. The four military service academies are: the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Military...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement today to recognize the 42nd anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision: “As a college student at the University of Hawaii, I wrote my first political letter to Hawaii’s Congressional delegation asking for their position on a woman’s right...

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined a unanimous, bipartisan vote in the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee to advance H.R. 203, the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act, which would improve access to mental health services and suicide prevention resources for American veterans. Committee...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement commending President Obama’s State of the Union address: “In his State of the Union address tonight, the President made it clear he is on the side of the middle class, and I’m proud to stand with him on the side of working families. I will...

Washington, D.C. —Today Senator Mazie K. Hirono took to the Senate floor to speak in opposition to an amendment that would dismantle the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, commonly known as the Jones Act. The Jones Act requires maritime vessels engaged in shipping goods between U.S. ports to be built in the United States, at least...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Dean Heller (R-NV) joined with Congresswoman Grace Meng in introducing the Filipino Veterans Promise Act, a bipartisan bill that would help all Filipino World War II veterans receive benefits that they earned for their service to the United States. These veterans fought alongside...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono has been named the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Seapower. The assignment places Senator Hirono in position to oversee matters directly relating to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. “I am proud to serve as the ranking Democrat on the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Senator Mazie K. Hirono today applauded the announcement that President Obama will nominate former Bank of Hawaii Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Allan Landon to serve as a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. “Our nation’s economic policy should be focused on growing...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Tonight the Senate voted on a 1,600 page bill that funds nearly every policy area and government program through September 30, 2015. Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined a number of her colleagues in voting against this proposal, which passed on a vote of 56 to 40. Senator Hirono joined 39 of her colleagues including...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services and the Veterans’ Affairs committees, today voted to pass the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The defense bill includes important provisions for Hawaii including providing for construction and upgrades to military facilities,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced she will continue her work on the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs during the 114th Congress. In addition, Senator Hirono has been assigned to three new committees; the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Senate...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today presided over a full Senate Judiciary Committee hearing examining President Obama’s executive order that will bring 5 million undocumented people in our country out of the shadows, including an estimated 7,000 individuals in Hawaii. The committee hearing highlighted the executive...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted to advance the nomination of Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr. to the post of Commander of the United States Pacific Command. Senator Mazie K. Hirono voted in favor of Admiral Harris’s nomination, which now goes to the full Senate. “During my conversations with Admiral...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today released the following statement on the announcement by Hawaiian Electric Industries and NextEra Energy. “Today’s announcement is profound and historic for Hawaii. Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (HEI) is well established in this community and the decision to combine with...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today voted to confirm Nani A. Coloretti to the position of Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Senate confirmed Coloretti’s nomination by a vote of 68–28. “Congratulations to Nani on her confirmation as Deputy Secretary of HUD. We are...

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, the only immigrant serving in U.S. Senate, released the following statement on President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration enforcement. “This is a big step toward bringing millions out of the shadows to help strengthen our economy and our national security. Every...

WASHINGTON, D.C.  –  Senator Mazie K. Hirono today released the following statement after voting against the expedited construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The bill failed on a 59-41 vote as 60 were needed for passage. "The fact remains that we as a country should refocus our efforts on developing truly clean and renewable...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) today were joined by a bipartisan group of Senate women including U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.),...