Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) today announced that Social Security beneficiaries and others who do not file taxes with qualifying dependent children should apply for their direct cash payments (up to $1,200 per individual) and additional payments for eligible children ($500 per child) before the Internal Revenue...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced today that the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division of the Hawaii State Department of Health received $2 million in emergency grant funding from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to expand and strengthen access to substance abuse and mental health...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Representative Judy Chu (D-Calif.) led 28 Senators and 76 Members of the House of Representatives in writing to members of Congressional leadership to call for an inclusive coronavirus relief package that ensures that urgently-needed coronavirus testing and medical care and relief...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and 25 of their colleagues urged Senate and House leadership to include at least $1 billion for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Lifeline program in future coronavirus relief packages. The Lifeline program extends access to internet...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), sent a bipartisan letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) asking Secretary Sonny Perdue to set aside a portion of the $9.5 billion provided to the USDA in the third...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) called on the leaders of eight domain name registrars and hosting sites to combat scams and misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senators asked the executives of GoDaddy, Dynadot, Donuts Inc., Namecheap Inc., Web.com,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) joined Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and 31 of their Democratic colleagues to urge the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to ensure that workers who Congress intended to allow access to the Pandemic...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) signed onto a letter that Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and 13 of their Senate colleagues sent to President Trump, calling on him to intervene in the production of counterfeit personal protective equipment and price gouging on essential medical goods.  The letter calls for a clear...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Senator Mazie K. Hirono issued the following statement about providing additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program: “Small businesses I’ve heard from in Hawaii appreciate the action by the federal government to provide relief, but now find themselves frustrated by the confusing...

Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) signed onto a letter that Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.) led, urging the Trump Administration to establish strong public health practices for transit agencies and provide frontline transit workers with personal protective equipment (PPE). The letter was also signed by 19 of their Senate colleagues. It highlights...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Senator Mazie K. Hirono issued the following statement on the passing of Irene Hirano Inouye: “My thoughts go out to the Yasutake and Inouye ohana today as we mourn the passing of Irene Hirano Inouye. Irene’s passion for serving her community on the local, national and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and 17 other Senators to call for funding to support local journalists and media in future COVID-19 relief packages.  The letter, sent to Senate leadership, cautions of the already widespread devastation of the coronavirus pandemic on...

ASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced that community health centers across Hawaii will receive over $10 million in additional funding to respond to, prevent, diagnose, and treat COVID-19. The funds are available as part of the CARES Act, the third coronavirus relief package Congress recently passed. Community...

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) sent a letter calling on Facebook to stop the spread of misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic on WhatsApp. The Senators sent their letter after widespread reports of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Representatives Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Ed Case (D-Hawaii) wrote to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza to request their coordinated assistance...

Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Representatives Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), and Lou Correa (D-Calif.) unveiled new legislation to ensure that everyone in our country – especially vulnerable communities – can access health care and other critical resources during the coronavirus...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced that Hawaii will receive more than $107 million in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grants to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. These funds are distributed out of the third coronavirus relief package Congress passed last week. The grants support urban and rural...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced that Hawaii has received more than $12 million in Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants to address the critical housing needs of Hawaii residents during the coronavirus pandemic. These funds come from the third coronavirus relief package Congress passed...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement after President Trump granted a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of Hawaii. This declaration will trigger the release of additional federal funds to help Hawaii recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. “Combating the coronavirus pandemic will require...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced today that Hawaii will receive $5.5 million in funding under the Byrne-Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program to support state and county law officials as they combat the coronavirus outbreak. Congress passed an increase in JAG grant funding as part of the third coronavirus...