Mazie Hirono RSS Articles

Statement by Congresswoman Hirono on Announcement by President Obama on Contraception Coverage

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

President Obama today announced a new policy that ensures women will have free preventive health care, including contraceptive services, under the Affordable Care Act. Religious organizations will not be required to pay for contraception, under the new policy, but women will be able to access contraceptive coverage from their insurance companies directly, free of charge.

“Making sure women have essential medical care is a fundamental right. I’m glad President Obama brought everyone together so women will have the full range of preventive health care services, regardless of where they work, while also addressing religious concerns,” said Congresswoman Hirono (D-HI), member of the Congressional Women’s Caucus.

Congresswoman Hirono Votes to End Insider Trading by Members of Congress

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (HI-02) today voted in favor of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, or STOCK Act, which bans insider trading by Members of Congress, congressional staff, and officials in the executive and judicial branches of government.

The STOCK Act overwhelmingly passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 417-2.

“The American people wanted the STOCK Act passed and I agree. Members of Congress should play by the same rules as everyone else and not profit from insider information. And executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shouldn’t get bonuses while they’re under government control,” said Congresswoman Hirono, a cosponsor of the House version of the bill. “While I wanted to see a stronger version of the STOCK ACT come to the floor, the bill we passed today is a step forward to restoring Americans’ faith in their government.”

The STOCK Act has support from both sides of the aisle. In addition to the insider trading ban, it also requires Members of Congress to report stock sales within 30 days of the sale and requires disclosure of home mortgages by Members of Congress.

Congresswoman Hirono Applauds Housing Deal to Help Keep Hawaii’s Families in their Homes

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and 49 State Attorneys General (including Hawaii Attorney General David Louie) today announced a $25 billion agreement between federal and state governments and the nation’s five largest mortgage lenders: Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi, and Ally Financial.

“This agreement is a promising step that will provide the State of Hawaii approximately $60-70 million to help responsible homeowners stay in their homes by meeting their financial commitments. This agreement is also important because it doesn’t let the banks off the hook. It requires them to make much-needed lending reforms and institutes stiff penalties if they fail to meet the terms of the agreement.” said Congresswoman Mazie Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Congressional Housing Stabilization Task Force. “I applaud this joint effort to provide relief to Hawaii’s struggling families and commend Attorney General Louie and his colleagues from around the country for coming together in a bipartisan way to address one of the most significant issues facing our communities and economy.

“We still have a lot of work to do. This issue goes far beyond party or ideology because for a full economic recovery to take hold we have to fix the foreclosure and housing crisis. Congress should take a page out of the AGs’ book and get to work in a bipartisan way on legislation to further address this issue.”

Lenders will provide at least $20 billion in financial relief for homeowners, including principal reduction, refinancing, and forbearance. They will provide at least $5 billion directly to federal and state governments to support foreclosure prevention efforts and compensate certain victims of fraud and abuse. The settlement also requires significant changes to the mortgage servicing process, and imposes financial penalties on banks that fail to meet the terms of the settlement.

Additional information on the settlement is available at http://nationalmortgagesettlement.com.

Hawaii County to Receive more than $1 Million to Repair Tsunami Damage at the Kailua-Kona Wharf Small Boat Harbor

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Hawaii County will receive $1,095,907 to repair tsunami damage at the Kailua-Kona Wharf Small Boat Harbor, Senator Daniel K. Inouye, Senator Daniel K. Akaka, U.S. Representative Mazie K. Hirono and U.S. Representative Colleen Hanabusa announced today.

The money will be used to repair extensive damage caused by the March 11, 2011, tsunami. The boat harbor’s pavement, revetment, parking areas, utilities, ramps, and the comfort station were all damaged during the tsunami.

Over 200 waves were recorded at varying heights with the high water mark being 4.5 feet above the wharf pier deck. The work also includes the restoration of 4,650 square yards of four inch thick aggregate concrete pavement and an eight inch sub-base.

The funds were received through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and will be administered by the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources.

“The Kona community depends on a safe and well maintained boat harbor for residents and visitors to use for recreation and business. As our nation continues to help the people of Japan recover from the March earthquake and tsunami, I am very pleased that the administration continues to recognize the need to repair Hawaii’s harbors,” said Senator Inouye.

“Federal assistance is critical to a small community like Kona as it recovers from a natural disaster,” said Senator Akaka, a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “FEMA, a key partner in disaster management, is providing over a million dollars to repair tsunami damage at the boat harbor. I thank FEMA for helping Hawaii rebuild, as we continue to support and pray for our extended ohana in Japan.”

“It’s been inspiring to see firsthand the way the people and small businesses of Hawaii Island have come together and picked themselves up since the tsunami last March. The assistance we’re announcing today will continue the ongoing repairs and improvements to help make the area safer and more accessible,” said Congresswoman Hirono, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

“As we continue to help our friends in Japan rebuild after the devastating March earthquake and tsunami, I am pleased that Hawaii is receiving federal support to repair the damage our harbors and communities suffered from the disaster,” said Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa. “The Kailua-Kona Wharf Small Boat Harbor is an important component of our state’s boating community and we must ensure these structural repairs are made for the safety of our residents and visitors.”

For more information please visit: http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dbor/hawaiiharbors/kailuakona.htm

Honolulu Receives Approval To Begin Advanced Construction Of Rail Route

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The City and County of Honolulu may spend $184.7 million to begin building the foundation and pillars along the first segment of the Honolulu rail transit route, Senator Daniel K. Inouye, Senator Daniel K. Akaka, U.S. Representative Mazie K. Hirono and U.S. Representative Colleen Hanabusa announced today.

The Federal Transit Administration granted the city permission to proceed with advanced construction in a Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) that was delivered today.

The LONP allows for construction associated with the West Oahu/Farrington Highway segment, the Kamehameha Highway segment, the maintenance and storage facility, and the Farrington Highway stations group.

“We have debated and discussed a rail transit plan for Oahu for decades and I am very pleased that the administration is allowing the city to proceed with construction. Too many hard working families on the West side of the island spend too much of their time stuck in traffic. This project offers an alternative to driving and helps lessen our dependence on imported fossil fuels. The construction of the rail line will create jobs and help a construction industry that is always in need of good work. I will continue to do everything I can to support this project and direct federal funds to ensure its timely completion,” said Senator Inouye.

“This is great news for the rail project and for the community, and I would like to thank Senator Inouye and our congressional delegation for their strong support. I also appreciate the FTA’s willingness in working collaboratively with us to keep this project moving forward,” said Toru Hamayasu, Interim Executive Director and CEO for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART). “This means we will begin advanced construction of the foundation and pillars for the guideway along the first half of the rail alignment, and move forward on work on our maintenance and storage facility.”

“This brings us closer to achieving a modern rail system that will allow Oahu residents to avoid traffic and lead to the development of communities that are more environmentally sustainable,” said Senator Akaka, a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. “Rail increases our options by adding a convenient, affordable choice in getting around the island.”

“It is critical that we build public transportation systems that meet Hawaii’s growing needs,” said Congresswoman Hirono, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “This letter is another step forward for this important traffic relieving, job-creating project as it lays the groundwork for construction to begin.”

"This is an important step. While there is still work to do, proceeding with construction now not only means progress in serving Oahu's transportation needs, but in the near future it represents jobs that strengthen our economy and help Hawaii's families," said Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa.

For more information please visit: http://www.honolulutransit.org/

Statement by Congresswoman Mazie Hirono on Passage of the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Today the House passed by a vote of 248-169 a four year renewal of the Federal Aviation Administration. The final bill contained a key amendment introduced by Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which will provide an estimated $6 million more a year to help fix and modernize Hawaii’s busiest airports and create jobs. Congresswoman Hirono released the following statement on her vote in support of the bill:

“Today we moved forward on investments to make our skies safer, create jobs while improving our airports and help our communities, like Kalaupapa, stay connected to the world through essential air service. I’m also thankful to see included an amendment I authored that will bring an estimated $6 million more a year to help fix and modernize our busiest airports in Hawaii without penalizing our residents with heavy fees. The bill also gives consumers a voice by creating a new federal hotline to report and investigate air travel complaints, and airlines will now be required to have an emergency contingency plan so people are treated fairly when unexpected delays occur.

“But it’s with deep disappointment that I say politics also made its way into this bill. There are disturbing provisions included that are designed to make it harder for workers to vote to join a union. I don’t support these provisions and will work to see them changed.”

Over 21,000 People in Hawaii with Medicare Saved Nearly $7 Million In 2011 on Prescription Drugs

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

More than 21,000 people in Hawaii with Medicare saved close to $7 million on prescription drugs in 2011 due to the Affordable Care Act, the health care reform law, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“In Hawaii, we believe in the importance of family and working together to help our kupuna. They shouldn’t have to choose between buying groceries and buying the medications they need,” said Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (HI-02). “Under the Affordable Care Act, most seniors will save an estimated $4,200 by 2021 as a result of the law.”

The estimated $4,200 in long-term savings for people with Medicare is the result of provisions in the law like preventative services and reduced premiums, as well as efforts to close the prescription drug donut hole.

The donut hole coverage gap is created when Medicare recipients reach their coverage limit and are forced to pay the full cost of their prescription drugs. Last year, under reforms in the Affordable Care Act, people with Medicare who fell into the donut hole received a 50% discount on the cost of brand-name drugs and a 7% discount on generics.

These discounts will grow each year until the donut hole is completely closed by 2020.

In addition to the donut hole savings, the Affordable Care Act has helped to lower average premiums for Medicare Advantage enrollees by 16%.

END

Editors’ Note: Below is a breakdown of the prescription drug savings by county:

County People with Medicare Savings

Kauai 1,084 $343,229

Hawaii 2,860 $878,891

Honolulu 15,522 $5,003,064

Maui 1,805 $664,093

STATE TOTAL 21,271 $6,889,277

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Congresswoman Hirono Calls for Action on Ending Insider Trading by Members for Congress

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (HI-02) today pressed for an up or down vote on reform legislation that would ban insider trading by Members of Congress, congressional staff, and Executive Branch employees.

Congresswoman Hirono is a cosponsor of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge or STOCK Act, H.R. 1148. Today, she signed a discharge petition aimed at moving the measure out of its various House committees and directly to the House floor for consideration. Once 218 members of Congress sign the discharge petition, the House is required to take up the bill.

There is overwhelming bipartisan support for the STOCK Act, with 179 Democrats and 92 Republicans cosponsoring the bill.

“It is not acceptable for Members of Congress to have the ability to profit from insider knowledge. With strong support on both sides of the aisle, there is no reason to delay action,” said Congresswoman Hirono. “President Obama says he’s ready to sign it into law. We should bring this bill to the House floor and pass it.”

The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, or STOCK Act, would prohibit Members of Congress and federal employees from profiting from nonpublic information they obtain at work.

Congresswoman Hirono Supports Early End to U.S. Combat Action in Afghanistan

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (HI-02) today released the following statement on U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta’s announcement that the United States and NATO will end combat operations next year and transition to training and advisory roles that will conclude by the end of 2013. The original timeline for complete withdrawal was set for the end of 2014, as agreed to by NATO in November 2010.

“Today’s announcement by Secretary Panetta that U.S. and NATO forces will end their combat mission in Afghanistan as early as the middle of next year is a critical step as our nation draws the decade long conflict to an end. By focusing on enabling Afghanistan to take responsibility for its own security, our troops can come home sooner to their families. We in Hawaii are proud of the men and women in our military who have served and are currently serving in Afghanistan. Above all, we must also never forget those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.”

CAPAC Members and Congressional Leaders Observe Fred Korematsu Day

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Today, Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and Congressional Leaders released the following statements in honor of California’s second annual Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution:

Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-32), CAPAC Chair: “Fred Korematsu’s story of courage and determination is one that touches every American. At a time when unconscionable policies were depriving our citizens of their freedom and upending their lives, Mr. Korematsu stood for what he knew to be right. His life story is a lesson for us all about how fragile justice can be, and it serves as a constant reminder that the rights of every citizen must be protected.”

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (CA-08), Democratic Leader: “On this celebration of Fred Korematsu Day, we honor extraordinary courage and bravery in the face of adversity. A civil rights icon in the Asian American community and our nation as a whole, Mr. Korematsu was unrelenting in his advocacy of the freedom and justice all American citizens are accorded – regardless of race or ethnicity. Today, we can ensure his legacy lives on by constantly guarding against prejudice and keeping our commitment to equal rights and equal protections for all Americans.”

Congressman Mike Honda (CA-15), CAPAC Chair Emeritus: “Words cannot express the appreciation, respect, and debt of gratitude that I have for Fred Korematsu’s bravery and heroism in refusing the government’s order to intern Japanese-Americans nearly 70 years ago. Having been placed in internment camps myself when I was less than one year old, I am eternally grateful for his bravery in the face of the prejudice, failed political leadership and war hysteria of the time.

“Fred Korematsu will be forever honored for standing up to racial prejudice and committing his lifetime to activism as a leader of civil rights. Today, Fred Korematsu Day – the first day in the history of the United States named after an Asian American – serves as a constant reminder that any one individual can spark a collective movement to fight injustice, and that together, we can form a more perfect union with justice and liberty for all.”

Congresswoman Mazie Hirono (HI-02), CAPAC Education Taskforce Chair: “Fred Korematsu’s legacy represents courage in the face of discrimination. It was a privilege to know Fred and his family personally. Although it took close to four decades for Fred to receive justice, his story reminds us that we must continue to commit ourselves to the ideals of equality and diversity. His story also reminds us that individuals can make a difference”

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34): “I join my fellow Californians in celebrating the second annual Fred Korematsu day. Fred Korematsu was a Japanese American who stood up for civil rights during the U.S. imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II. His inspirational story is a reminder that the fight for civil rights for all Americans is never ending, and we must continue to stand up for what is right.”

Congresswoman Laura Richardson (CA-37): “I stand with my fellow Californians and CAPAC in commemorating Fred Korematsu Day. Fred Korematsu stood up for the rights of Japanese Americans by refusing to relocate to a concentration camp during World War II. Fred Korematsu Day serves as a reminder of this dark period in our nation’s history, and reminds us of the rights afforded to individuals by the U.S. Constitution.”

During World War II, Fred Korematsu refused to relocate to an internment camp under President Franklin Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066, mandating the mass roundup and incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans on the West Coast. After living in hiding for several months, he was arrested and interned in May of 1942. Korematsu worked with the American Civil Liberties Union to challenge his case, ultimately taking it to the Supreme Court. Although unsuccessful at the time, he cleared his name in 1983 – more than four decades after first being detained.

On September 23, 2010, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1775 to officially recognize January 30th, Fred Korematsu’s birthday, as the “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution.”

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Currently Chaired by Congresswoman Judy Chu, CAPAC has been addressing the needs of the AAPI community in all areas of American life since it was founded in 1994.