Press Releases

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) announced that Senator Mazie K. Hirono will continue to serve as the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower in the 115th Congress. “Hawaii continues to be the center of America’s strategic interests in the...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced that she would vote against the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to serve as Attorney General. From Senator Hirono’s remarks: “Over the past two months, I’ve heard from hundreds of my constituents and a number of prominent civil rights...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono vowed to keep up the fight to protect Medicare and Medicaid after all but two Republican Senators voted against her amendment to prevent any changes to either program without a supermajority in the Senate. “During the campaign, President-elect Trump promised not to cut Medicare and Medicaid. Senate Republicans broke...

 Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Senator Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), and 17 Senate Democrats introduced an amendment to protect Medicare and Medicaid from the budget reconciliation process. “For the past 50 years, seniors and working families have enjoyed the peace of mind of knowing that Medicare and Medicaid will be there for...

The Department of the Navy honored Senator Mazie K. Hirono for her advocacy for Navy and Marine Corps service members. Rear Admiral Craig Faller, on behalf of Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, presented Senator Hirono with the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest honor that the Secretary of the Navy can award to a civilian who is not...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono criticized President-elect Donald Trump’s hypocrisy in denying Russian interference in the election during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on cybersecurity threats. “It’s more than ironic that we have a President-elect who kept talking about our elections being rigged, but at the same time denying...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono attended joint remarks by President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe marking their visit to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. “President Obama and Prime Minister Abe’s visit to Pearl Harbor is a testament to reconciliation and a continued, strong alliance between our two...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono welcomed visitors from Hawaiian Airlines’ inaugural flight on its new direct route from Haneda Aiport in Tokyo to Kona International Airport. “Today’s flight is the culmination of years of effort to reestablish international flights outside of North America to Kona, which is important for the Hawaii Island...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that she will return to serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee – which will be instrumental in defending civil rights, vetting a Trump administration’s Supreme Court nominees, and standing up for immigrant communities – in the 115th Congress. Senator Hirono will also continue to serve on the...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that the Hawaii Department of Health will receive $1.1 million in Centers for Disease Control funding to fight the Zika virus. The funding will bolster Hawaii’s lab testing capacity as well as a variety of education, and vector control measures. “Hawaii needs to be vigilant against the continued threat...

President Barack Obama signed into law today the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act introduced by Senator Mazie K. Hirono and Representative Tulsi Gabbard. “The Filipino veterans of World War II overcame many challenges in their fight for compensation, family reunification, and verification of wartime service. By...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that the Hawaii Department of Health will receive nearly $200,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to replace two diesel-powered buses on Hawaii Island with lower-emission buses. The new buses, part of Hawaii County’s Hele-On bus service, will reduce toxic pollutants...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono – a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence – expressed her support for an independent, bipartisan, Congressional inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election and raised six important questions this review should answer. “The Intelligence Community’s assessment that Russia...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that federal, state, and academic organizations in Hawaii will receive nearly $3.1 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding to fight invasive specie­­s, which will address threats facing Hawaii’s environment and farmers, including Rapid Ohia Death, the coffee berry borer, the coconut...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined with 36 Senators – including Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Harry Reid (D-NV), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) – and voted to stand up for middle class workers after Congressional Republicans moved to deny thousands of mine...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, secured Hawaii priorities in the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed the Senate today. The NDAA is a bill that lays out the resource levels and defense policy for the year. Senator Hirono is also a member of the NDAA...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono voted to support the 21st Century CURES Act, a comprehensive bill to accelerate medical research, which passed the Senate today. “This bill directs additional resources to Hawaii researchers on the cutting edge of uncovering new cancer treatments and strengthens seniors’ access to essential durable medical...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono led a bipartisan coalition in introducing a resolution marking the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. “On this solemn anniversary we honor not only those who lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor, but also those who sacrificed so much in the years that followed during World War II,” said...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono applauded today’s announcement that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will reestablish a Federal Inspection Services (FIS) facility at Kona International Airport.  The FIS checkpoint allows for international visitors to fly directly to and from Kona.  “After six years of working closely with...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that Hawaii will receive $5.74 million in continued support under the Preschool Development Grant program, which funds high-quality preschool in Hawaii’s public charter schools, including Hawaiian language immersion programs. “Hawaii’s Preschool Development Grant makes it possible for hundreds of...