SENATOR HIRONO STANDS UP FOR MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES

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 Senators Carl Levin (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jon Tester (D-MT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Al Franken (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in voting against the bill.

“The price of funding government programs for only one year should not be permanent changes to laws that will have lasting impacts on working families for years to come and that is why I could not in good conscience support this bill,” said Senator Hirono. “I respect the right of every Senator to vote his or her conscience on every difficult vote. And this was a difficult vote. Despite the differences reflected in this vote, my hope is that we will go forward to do our work so that the outcomes will reflect clearly that we are on the side of working, everyday American people.”

“Important government programs that support our families and communities should not be held hostage to get permanent changes to laws that undermine the middle class. This bill revises pension laws in a way that breaks a longstanding commitment to retirees and working people,” said Senator Hirono. “In Hawaii this change could impact thousands of union members and their families. This bill waters down hard-fought limits on Wall Street recklessness and lifts the ceiling for political contributions to parties at a time when the flood of big money in our democracy is a matter of national outrage.”