Hirono puts top military leaders on hot seat in wake of Red Hill fuel crisis

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono questioned the nation’s top military leaders about the Red Hill fuel crisis among national security priorities Tuesday morning.

She wanted to know whether unfunded projects in Hawaii to improve infrastructure would be addressed.

“How is the department ensuring that infrastructure, maintenance and modernization needs are met before disasters like Red Hill occur?” Hirono asked.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin answered: “We will continue to invest in this, but to your point, services should invest in this, to make sure that the infrastructure needed to support them is in fact, first rate.”

Hirono also asked the military to reconsider the decision to cut the Cost of Living Allotment for Hawaii servicemembers.

As a member of the Senate Armed Service Committee, Hirono is focused on overseeing the safe closure of Red Hill as well as rebuilding and modernizing military infrastructure in Hawaii and around the country.