Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) led seven of their Senate colleagues in writing to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Secretary Chad Wolf, asking for DHS to increase the safety of air travel and support the recovery of our nation’s travel and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono issued the following statement in recognition of Veterans Day: “Veterans Day is an opportunity to celebrate the bravery and commitment of those who have served and those who still serve our country. As a nation, we are humbled and honored by their sacrifices in defense of our...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Brian Schatz, and Representatives Tulsi Gabbard and Ed Case wrote to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor, calling on him to reconsider recent policy changes that prevent state and local governments and private nonprofit organizations from receiving...

HONOLULU – Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Brian Schatz, and Representatives Tulsi Gabbard and Ed Case wrote to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, calling attention to the recent positive identification of Hemileia vastatrix, the fungus that causes Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR), on coffee leaves on Maui. This is the first known...

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced a resolution in the United States Senate to recognize October as Filipino American History Month. S. Res. 761 honors and celebrates the history and culture of Filipino Americans. It also honors Filipino-American contributions to the United States. Representative T.J. Cox (D-Calif.)...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tonight, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, urged the Senate to reject the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court in a speech on the Senate floor. During her remarks, Senator Hirono shared the story of how the late...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with her colleagues Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Tom Carper (D-Del.) wrote to Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Mark Esper, calling for him to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with her colleagues Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asking them to provide additional funding to protect America’s agriculture and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, announced that Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) will receive $500,000 to support local businesses as they adapt and respond to the pandemic. The funding, provided through the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced that Hawaii will receive more than $1.5 million in funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to support the City and County of Honolulu and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) with improvements to various parks on Oahu, Kauai, and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with her colleague Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) announced their plan to introduce the Learning Opportunity and Achievement Act (LOAA), which would improve distance and blended learning in our public schools during the coronavirus pandemic. LOAA combats instructional loss,...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) announced the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA), sweeping...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the Neighbors Not Enemies Act, legislation that repeals the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.  Originally part of four laws known as the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Alien Enemies Act is only one of the four...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that Hawaii County will receive $1,494,360 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as part of a grant agreement based on losses at Isaac Hale Beach Park due to the 2018 Kilauea eruption. The funding will utilized for park related infrastructure to assist with Puna’s...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with her colleagues Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), introduced the Federal Worker Leave Fairness Act, legislation that will...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) introduced the COVID-19 Disinformation Research and Reporting Act, legislation directing a study of the “infodemic” of COVID-19-related disinformation and misinformation that has impacted the effectiveness of the response to this...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono issued the following statement announcing her opposition to the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the United States Supreme Court: “I will not support the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the following reasons: “She will vote to strike down the Affordable Care Act after...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) announced the University of Hawaii (UH) has been awarded nearly $13.4 million from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to develop workforce training programs focused on high-paying, in-demand jobs within the health care, technology, and skilled trades industries. The funding, created by...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, supported passage of the Veteran Benefits Enhancement and Expansion Act, which includes her Veteran Home Loan Disaster Recovery Act. The bill was approved by the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee yesterday. Senator...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) wrote to Governor David Ige earlier this week asking that he detail how he will spend down the $321 million that the state received from the federal government and has not yet allocated to any purpose, which may have to be returned to the U.S. Treasury. In her letter, the Senator noted...