Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Brian Schatz today announced Hawaii will receive more than $1 million for the Pupukea Mauka Watershed and Habitat Protection Project. This funding will help foster partnerships between the state government and private landowners or conservation groups to protect the habitats of threatened...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono is urging eligible small, nonfarm businesses in Hawaii County that suffered significant economic damage due to Tropical Storm Iselle to apply for newly announced federal emergency loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). This SBA support follows today's announcement from U.S. Department of...

HONOLULU -- Senator Mazie K. Hirono today applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Secretarial disaster designation for Hawaii County which will allow farmers to access emergency loans in the wake of the destruction caused last month by Tropical Storm Iselle. “Much of East Hawaii’s agricultural sector including...

HIRONO HEARS FROM HAWAII VETERANS, QUESTIONS VA OFFICIALS ON HEALTH CARE IN HAWAII At Hawaii Field Hearing Hirono Questions VA Officials on Patient Wait Times, Listens to Hawaii Veterans’ Health Care Access Issues HONOLULU – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono chaired the first Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing on...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced the award of  $16.8 million in federal funds to the State of Hawaii for the construction of the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Building at Hilo International Airport. This funding will be used to help Hilo airport meet federal safety requirements and extend the life of ARFF...

Residents Needing AssistanceAffected families on Hawaii Island needing assistance from volunteers can call (808) 464-3175 between the hours of 8am and 4pm. Anyone looking to volunteer their services is also encouraged to call that number. To Report Damage Hawaii residents can call (808) 935-0031 to report damage and (808) 961-8790 for any emergency...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced the award of a $4 million Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant to continue the ongoing rehabilitation of Hangar 110, the only large capacity hangar available for general aviation use, at Kalaeloa Airport (John Rodgers Field) on Oahu. This FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant...

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced the award of $12,339,016 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant funding to support Native Hawaiian health care centers across Hawaii. These grants are essential to the continued operation of Native Hawaiian health care centers, enabling them to pay for rent, salaries,...

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today voted to pass two major bills to help improve access to health care for our nation’s veterans and also continue key funding that improves and strengthens Hawaii roads while supporting 6,896 jobs in the islands. The Senate’s passage of H.R. 3230, the Veterans’ Access to Care...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono applauded the confirmation of Erika Moritsugu for the position of Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  Moritsugu was confirmed by voice vote. “I’ve known Erika and her family for many years and it’s no...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Conference Committee, today announced a bipartisan compromise agreement between the Senate and House on legislation to reform the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs delivery of health care to ensure quality, timely health care for veterans. In the...

Washington, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono will welcome more than 30 Hawaii businesses and vendors to the United States Capitol on Wednesday, July 23 for the first-ever Hawaii on the Hill, which consists of the Hawaii on the Hill Policy Summit and Taste of Hawaii On Capitol Hill reception. Senator Hirono will serve as an honorary guest,...

Washington, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, voted today to approve a constitutional amendment to help curb unlimited corporate spending in elections. Hirono forcefully rebutted Republican arguments by presenting the historical precedence for amending the U.S. Constitution in order to improve our...

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) called on President Barack Obama to humanely address the surge of unaccompanied children at the Southern U.S. Border. The Senators’ letter notes that the Administration’s response to this...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement denouncing today’s U.S. Supreme Court Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., decision that allows corporations to exclude contraceptive coverage from their employees’ health care insurance plans: “In yet another sharply divided 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the passage of S.744, the Senate’s immigration reform bill: “Today marks one year since the Senate came together on a bipartisan basis to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. As our country waits for the House to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono voted today to confirm Hawaii’s Esther Kiaaina as Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas at the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). Kiaaina was confirmed unanimously by voice vote. Hirono had previously introduced Kiaaina’s nomination during a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono voted today to pass the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), bipartisan legislation to update the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. The bill improves the nation’s workforce development system by streamlining programs, increasing efficiency and helping local businesses find...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Conference Committee, gave an opening statement on Hawaii wait times at the committee’s first meeting. The committee is working on a compromise version of the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act,...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement commemorating the 42nd anniversary of the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, commonly known as Title IX. This landmark federal law requires gender equity in federally-supported education programs and athletics: “When Title IX...