Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on President Obama's speech on Syria. "This evening, President Obama presented the facts to consider as we contemplate action in Syria. Clearly, the situation is changing rapidly. The reopening of diplomatic dialogue between Syria and the international community is a hopeful...

Washington, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that Hawaii will receive more than $21 million in key transportation funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). More than $10 million in funding will be used to rehabilitate a runway at Honolulu International Airport, $3 million will be used to make storm safety improvements at...

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on the developing situation in Syria: "Authorizing the use of force is one of the most serious and consequential decisions a Member of Congress can make. Over the next 48 hours, I will be attending three classified briefings – one at the White House, one with...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that the Kalaeloa Airport on Oahu will receive $2 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to renovate hangar facilities for general aviation use. The renovated hangar will be able to safely accommodate up to 20 aircraft. “The Kalaeloa Airport plays a diverse and important role, serving the U.S....

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on proposed Congressional action in response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria: "This is one of the toughest decisions a Member of Congress makes. I am reviewing the facts surrounding the reported chemical weapon attacks, the administration's plan and the scope of the...

Honolulu, HI – Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement commemorating Labor Day: “As families in Hawaii and around the nation celebrate Labor Day weekend, we should all recognize the greater meaning behind this holiday. Generations of working men and women have struggled and organized to build and protect the middle...

Honolulu, HI – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, will join a national defense-focused congressional delegation next week to China, Japan and South Korea. The bipartisan group includes Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representatives Grace Meng (D-NY), Dan Benishek (R-MI) and Terri Sewell (D-AL)....

Honolulu, HI – Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. “Fifty years ago, Americans joined on the National Mall to peacefully stand up against intolerance and injustice....

Honolulu, HI – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, the first Japanese immigrant to serve in the Senate and Co-Chair of the Congressional Study Group on Japan, discussed her childhood in Japan and stressed the importance of the Hawaii-Japan relationship in an interview featured in Japan Airlines’ (JAL) Eheu in-flight magazine. The piece is running...

Waimanalo, HI – Senator Mazie K. Hirono toured Hawaii Pacific University’s (HPU) new Oceanic Learning Center Annex. This center will help Oceanic Institute, an HPU affiliate research organization, provide workforce training for the development of the aquaculture industry, specifically training of laboratory technicians from Hawaii and...

Honolulu, HI – Senator Mazie K. Hirono commended the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) announcement yesterday that flight attendants will be covered under Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) workplace protections. OSHA protections cover such on-the-job hazards as dangerous chemicals and blood-borne pathogens....

Kaneohe, HI – Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel today during his stop at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe. Before the event, Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, urged the Secretary to address Hawaii’s base infrastructure issues and discussed the military’s rebalance to the...

Honolulu, HI – Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement in recognition of Hawaii Statehood Day: “Hawaii’s transition from a territory to a state in 1959 was a tremendous event that forever changed the islands we love, and today Hawaii is a modern, vibrant state of nearly 1.4 million people. Statehood Day holds a...

Honolulu, HI – Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that $800,000 awarded to the County of Maui from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is now available for the county’s use. The county originally received a competitive grant award last year to build ten shelters in high-impact locations in Kahului, Wailuku and Kihei. These...

Honolulu, HI – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined a number of her Senate colleagues in urging the Pentagon to change military lending rules to better protect service members and their families from deceptive and predatory lending practices. Hirono and her colleagues sent a letter calling on...

Kona, HI -- After working sixteen months to expand Social Security Administration (SSA) services for kupuna on Hawaii Island, Senator Mazie K. Hirono unveiled a new video conferencing service yesterday that will allow West Hawaii residents to meet with SSA reps without having to make a four hour round-trip drive to Hilo. Check out the front-page...

Kona, HI – After working for 16 months to increase Social Security Administration (SSA) service for West Hawaii residents, Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined SSA Regional Commissioner Grace Kim and Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi to announce expanded Social Security services for residents at the West Hawaii Civic Center. In November, the Social...

Washington, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono praised President Obama’s announcement today that he is awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Senator Daniel K. Inouye. The award is one of the highest civilian awards bestowed in the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal, which Inouye previously received for his World War II...

Honolulu, HI – More than 60 Hawaii small business leaders attended a workshop held by Senator Mazie K. Hirono and the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) of the United States aimed at boosting the exports of local small businesses. During the session, members of the Ex-Im Bank briefed small business owners on how their agency can help businesses...

Washington, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono today praised the confirmation of Raymond Chen as United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit. Chen becomes the first Asian Pacific American (APA) on the federal circuit in over 25 years as well as the first Taiwanese American on a federal appellate court. Hirono presided over the Senate Judiciary...