Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) and U.S. Representatives Jill Tokuda (D-HI) and Ed Case (D-HI) applauded the news that the Department of Energy is awarding a combined $17.9 million in grants to the Hawaii Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism. $1.7 million will go toward enabling high...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, reintroduced legislation to provide unaccompanied children with access to legal representation when they appear in proceedings before an immigration judge. Senator Hirono announced the reintroduction of the bill, The Fair Day in Court for Kids Act,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in reintroducing the Youth Voting Rights Act of 2023, comprehensive legislation to enforce the Twenty-Sixth Amendment and expand youth access to voting. The bill would ease many of the barriers young people face in voting, including high rates of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) and U.S. Representatives Jill Tokuda (D-HI) and Ed Case (D-HI) introduced a bicameral resolution honoring the first responders and those who lost their lives in the devastating wildfires on Maui and expressing support for the communities of West and Upcountry Maui. The...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following advocacy by the Hawaii Congressional delegation, today the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it is extending the application deadline for physical damage loans for those impacted by the Hawaii wildfires. The loan application deadline has been extended from October 10, 2023, to November 9, 2023. “As...

~ Video of Senator Hirono’s full opening remarks is available here ~ WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced two nominees to serve as federal judges on the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii during a full committee hearing considering their nominations....

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led eight of her Senate colleagues in introducing a bill to strengthen a program connecting participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with fresh produce. The GusNIP Improvement Act of 2023 updates the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) to help...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and U.S. Representative Norma Torres (D-CA) in introducing legislation to replace the official holiday recognized on the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The bill would also replace any mention of Columbus Day...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) voted to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government and deliver disaster relief for Maui. The CR, which funds the federal government through November 17, 2023, includes $16 billion in supplemental funding for the federal Disaster Relief Fund and passed the Senate by...

~ Video of Senator Hirono’s remarks is available here ~ WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) delivered remarks on the Senate floor, detailing the continued need for federal disaster funding for the people of Lahaina and Upcountry Maui and the effects that a Republican government shutdown would have on disaster relief. In...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Ed Case (D-HI) led their colleagues in introducing a bipartisan, bicameral resolution to recognize October as Filipino American History Month. This resolution honors and celebrates the history and culture of Filipino Americans, honoring the key role they have played in...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led 19 of her Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution designating the week of September 25 through October 1, 2023 as Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) Week. The resolution recognizes the significance, achievements, and goals of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, released the following statement on the Navy’s announcement of accountability for individuals responsible for fuel spills at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility on...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded $1,050,000 to Hawaii for school-based health centers. This funding is being awarded to three community health centers in Hawaii to create new, and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Ed Markey (D-MA) in introducing the Better Oversight of Stub Sales and Strengthening Well Informed and Fair Transactions for Audiences of Concert Ticketing Act (BOSS & SWIFT Act), legislation to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is awarding more than $11 million to the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) to update its...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, led the Hawaii Congressional delegation in a letter to Isabel Guzman, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), urging the agency to extend the physical damage loan application deadline for...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is awarding over $3.5 million to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA). The grants, made possible through the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (MGFSP), will provide support for small-scale...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Representatives Jill Tokuda (D-HI) and Ed Case (D-HI) sent a letter to Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon, the Chief of Engineers and commanding general of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, urging the Army Corps to provide the Hawaii Department of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, voted to confirm General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and advanced the nomination of General Randy George to be Army Chief of...