Press Releases

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...

The House of Representatives unanimously passed the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act (S.1555), sponsored by Senator Mazie K. Hirono and Representative Tulsi Gabbard. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the bill in July, which recognizes Filipino soldiers who fought under U.S. command during World War II. “For...

Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-02) announced today the House will vote on legislation to award WWII Filipino Veterans the Congressional Gold Medal. The bill unanimously passed the Senate in July, and is scheduled for a vote in the House on Wednesday, November 30. Should the bill pass the House, it will be sent to...

Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced the bipartisan Protecting Seniors through Immunization Act (S.3477)  to increase seniors’ access to the shingles vaccine. Seniors are at a greater risk of developing shingles. Shingles is a painful rash and sufferers are at risk for developing more serious...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement in response to top Trump surrogate Carl Higbie’s remarks that the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II should be used as precedent for the creation of a Muslim registry: “The internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II was a historic injustice and nothing...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that the Hawaii Department of Education will receive more than $223,000 in U.S. Department of Education funding to improve data disaggregation for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. Disaggregating data helps to better understand unique student populations, making it easier for schools and teachers...