PHOTOS: Hirono Meets with Veterans and Small Business Owners on Kauai
HONOLULU, HI – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) met with veterans and small business owners on Kauai. First, Senator Hirono, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, met with local veterans to discuss several bills recently signed into law—such as the PACT Act and the MAMMO for Veterans Act—to expand access to health care for veterans, and hear about the unique challenges veterans living on Kauai and other neighbor islands face.
“There are over 110,000 veterans in Hawaii and they deserve access to high-quality, timely care through the VA,” said Senator Hirono. “I appreciated hearing directly from our veterans about what the VA is doing right, and what more it needs to do to meet the needs of all our veterans in Hawaii. As a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, I’m focused on making sure the VA has the resources and insight it needs to fully serve Hawaii’s veterans. I’ll continue working to strengthen the VA help ensure all of our veterans can get the resources and support they need and deserve.”
Afterwards, the Senator, a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, visited Kauai Kookie and Kauai Sweet Shoppe—local businesses that have received federal assistance—and spoke with businessowners. The businesses have received guidance and support from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), including through Hawaii SBDC, which receives federal funding from SBA’s Small Business Development Center Program. During her visits, Senator Hirono discussed federal funding these businesses received through the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to cover payroll costs and related expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“From longtime institutions like Kauai Kookie to newer businesses like Hawaii Sweet Shoppe, small businesses are integral to Hawaii’s culture and economy,” said Senator Hirono. “Thanks to the resilience of these businessowners, as well as resources provided by Congress and the Small Business Administration, these businesses—and others like them across Hawaii—were able to overcome the challenges of the pandemic and continue serving our communities. I was glad to be able to try some of the delicious sweets these businesses are known for, and I’ll continue working to support them and all of Hawaii’s small businesses.”
Senator Hirono has consistently worked to support veterans in Hawaii and across the country. As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, last November, she pressed officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to always include Native Hawaiian veterans when discussing and developing policies to better support Native veterans. In August, she helped pass the Honoring Our PACT Act—comprehensive, bipartisan legislation to expand VA health care for veterans with health conditions related to burn pit and Agent Orange exposure. In October, Senator Hirono also hosted a series of events—including a field hearing where she questioned U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough—focused on discussing the state of VA resources and programs in Hawaii. In September, Senator Hirono announced that the VA awarded $1.5 million in federal funding to Hawaii to support veterans’ suicide prevention efforts.
As a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, Senator Hirono has worked to secure federal support for Hawaii’s small businesses. In December, she introduced the Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 2022, legislation to reauthorize and improve the SBA’s SBDC Program. Last November, she visited small businesses in Kaimuki to meet with business owners and discuss how federal programs, including PPP, enabled them to remain in business through the COVID-19 pandemic. In August, she hosted SBA Administrator Isabella Guzman on Oahu to meet with Hawaii resource partners and the businesses they serve. During the visit, Administrator Guzman heard directly from Hawaii businesses about the challenges they have faced as they have continued to recover from the pandemic.
Photos of the Senator’s events are available here
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