Press Releases

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee, issued the following statement after Admiral John C. Aquilino assumed command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, following last week’s unanimous Senate confirmation vote:  “Last month, I introduced and endorsed Admiral...

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with her colleagues Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) sent a letter to President Biden calling on him to direct his administration to address sexual harassment in the scientific professions. As...

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced that the Kona Soil and Water Conservation District and seven partners have been awarded $2,028,572 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to boost biodiversity and support wildlife habitat for a variety of Hawaiian forest birds, including the akiapolaau, Hawaii akepa,...

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, the U.S. Senate passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act by a vote of 94-1, a bill to address the rise in hate crimes and violence against the AAPI community. Following its passage, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Representative Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) called for swift House consideration of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) introduced the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to address the child care crisis and ensure that working families can find and afford high-quality child care, along with 34 additional cosponsors in the Senate. Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) and...

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced they have reached an agreement on language amending the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to broaden bipartisan support while retaining the purpose of the bill. The substitute bill language is available here. “Working closely together, Senator...

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House, along with Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) leadership.  President Biden, Vice President Harris, and the CAPAC members discussed critical issues facing the country during a productive...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee, voted with her Senate Armed Services Committee colleagues to unanimously advance the nomination of Admiral John C. Aquilino to serve as the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command. Admiral Aquilino’s nomination now...

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono issued the following statement after President Biden named Erika Moritsugu as Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison: “Erika is an excellent choice to serve as the White House AAPI Senior Liaison. I’m proud to say that Erika is from...

HONOLULU -- Today, Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Brian Schatz, and Representatives Kaialii Kahele and Ed Case announced their intention to name the Advanced Leeward Outpatient Health Care Access (ALOHA) Project after former Hawaii Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka – who first spearheaded the project working alongside Hawaii veterans. Earlier...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on today’s attack at the U.S. Capitol: “I join the entire Congressional community in mourning the death of Officer William Evans in today’s senseless attack at the U.S. Capitol. This tragedy occurred only three months after a violent insurrection at the...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement after President Joe Biden announced his initial slate of 11 nominations to fill judicial vacancies: “Over his four years in office, Donald Trump nominated a series of extreme, unqualified, and ideologically-driven judges to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and their colleagues introduced the Impact Aid Infrastructure Act (IAIA) last week, which would provide $1 billion in supplemental funding for school infrastructure construction grants in Fiscal Year 2022 through the Impact Aid...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced that 14 community health centers across Hawaii would receive a total of $31,969,250 from the American Rescue Plan to expand COVID-19 vaccine access for at-risk and hardest-hit communities, and provide more testing, treatment, and preventative care. The funds will also allow...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Congressman Kai Kahele (D-Hawaii), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, announced that the T&I Committee approved a resolution that is the final step for the Department of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) along with 35 of their Senate colleagues introduced a resolution to condemn all forms of anti-Asian sentiment, racism, and discrimination, and call on federal officials, in collaboration with state and local agencies and Asian American and Pacific...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act of 2021, legislation that would provide Medicare beneficiaries access to all recommended vaccines at no additional cost, including shingles...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee, introduced and enthusiastically endorsed the nomination of Admiral John C. Aquilino to serve as the next commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command during his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee today. From Senator...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Representative Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) introduced the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, legislation to address the rise of hate crimes and violence targeted at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) by assigning a point person at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to expedite the review...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.), and Congressman Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) introduced the Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement (IDEA) Act of 2021, bicameral, bipartisan legislation to close the gap that women, minorities, and others face...