Mazie Keiko Hirono (; Japanese name: , ; born November 3, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the
junior United States senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and po ...
from
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
since 2013. A member of the
Democratic Party, Hirono previously served as a member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
for
Hawaii's 2nd congressional district
Hawaii's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is currently represented by Kai Kahele, who succeeded Tulsi Gabbard following the 2020 election. The district encompasses all rural and most suburba ...
from 2007 to 2013. Hirono also served as a member of the
Hawaii House of Representatives from 1981 to 1995 and as
Hawaii's ninth lieutenant governor from 1994 to 2002, under
Ben Cayetano
Benjamin Jerome Cayetano (born November 14, 1939) is an American politician and author who served as the fifth governor of the State of Hawaii from 1994 to 2002. He is the first Filipino American to serve as a state governor in the United State ...
. She was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for governor of Hawaii in
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
, defeated by Republican
Linda Lingle in the general election.
Hirono is the first elected female senator from Hawaii, the first
Asian-American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous peopl ...
woman elected to the Senate, the first U.S. senator born in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
, and the nation's first
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
senator. She considers herself a non-practicing Buddhist and is often cited with
Hank Johnson
Henry Calvin Johnson Jr. (born October 2, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is anchored in Atlanta's inner eastern suburbs, includ ...
as the first Buddhist to serve in the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
. She is also the third woman to be elected to Congress from Hawaii (after
Patsy Mink and
Pat Saiki
Patricia Hatsue Saiki (''née'' Fukuda; born May 28, 1930) is an American politician and former educator from Hilo, Hawaii. She served as a Republican in Congress from 1987 to 1991 and then as Administrator of the Small Business Administration u ...
).
In
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
, Hirono was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of
Daniel Akaka
Daniel Kahikina Akaka (; September 11, 1924 – April 6, 2018) was an American educator and politician who served as a United States Senate, United States Senator from Hawaii from 1990 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), De ...
. Hirono won the election, defeating Lingle in a landslide, 63% to 37%. She was sworn in on January 3, 2013, by Vice President
Joe Biden. Hirono was the only person of Asian ancestry serving in the U.S. Senate from 2013 until 2017, when senators
Tammy Duckworth
Ladda Tammy Duckworth (born March 12, 1968) is an American politician and retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel serving as the junior United States senator from Illinois since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented ...
and
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
were sworn in, representing Illinois and California, respectively. Although
Brian Schatz
Brian Emanuel Schatz (; born October 20, 1972) is an American educator and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Hawaii, a seat he has held since 2012. A member of the Democratic Party, Schatz served in the Hawaii House ...
joined the Senate a week before Hirono, following the death of
Daniel Inouye
Daniel Ken Inouye ( ; September 7, 1924 – December 17, 2012) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012. Beginning in 1959, he was the first U.S. representative ...
, making him Hawaii's senior senator, Hirono's three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives make her the
dean, or longest-serving member overall, of
Hawaii's congressional delegation.
Early life and education
Mazie Hirono was born on November 3, 1947, in
Fukushima Prefecture
Fukushima Prefecture (; ja, 福島県, Fukushima-ken, ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,810,286 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miyagi ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
to Laura Chie Satō, a
Japanese American
are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...
, and Hirono Matabe, a Japanese veteran of World War II. Mazie's maternal grandfather, Hiroshi Satō, immigrated to Hawaii to work on a
sugar plantation at the age of 16; her grandmother, Tari Shinoki, immigrated to Hawaii as a
picture bride
The term picture bride refers to the practice in the early 20th century of immigrant workers (chiefly Japanese, Okinawan, and Korean) in Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States and Canada, as well as Brazil selecting brides from their nativ ...
.
After finding plantation work difficult, the couple opened a bathhouse on River Street in
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the isla ...
in 1928. The couple had a daughter, Laura Chie, in 1924, and a son, Akira.
In 1939, Tari returned to
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
with the teenaged Laura and Akira; Hiroshi remained in Hawaii to run the bathhouse for two more years before joining his family in 1941. Laura felt out of place in Japan as one of the many
Nisei
is a Japanese-language term used in countries in North America and South America to specify the ethnically Japanese children born in the new country to Japanese-born immigrants (who are called ). The are considered the second generation, ...
Japanese Americans who emigrated with their returning
Issei
is a Japanese-language term used by ethnic Japanese in countries in North America and South America to specify the Japanese people who were the first generation to immigrate there. are born in Japan; their children born in the new country are ...
parents (barred from US citizenship or land ownership) before World War II and during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. But although her brother returned to Hawaii after the war, she remained in Japan and married a veterinarian, Hirono Matabe, in 1946. Laura moved with her husband to southern
Fukushima, and had three children, Roy, Mazie, and Wayne. Mazie, the middle child, was the only surviving daughter.
Mazie's father, Matabe, was a
compulsive gambler
Problem gambling or ludomania is repetitive gambling behavior despite harm and negative consequences. Problem gambling may be diagnosed as a mental disorder according to ''DSM-5'' if certain diagnostic criteria are met. Pathological gambling is ...
and alcoholic who
pawned even his wife's possessions for gambling money.
Treated "like a slave" by her in-laws,
Mazie's mother finally left the abusive marriage in 1951. Laura later recounted her point of decision: "My brother sent money to buy a school uniform for my son. My husband took the money, went to town and never came back home. It was getting closer to the start of school, so I went to look for him. I found out he had ordered an overcoat for himself with the money. He didn't need an overcoat in the spring. That's when I made up my mind to leave."
After telling her in-laws she was going to take her children to school in her hometown, Laura left the house, never to return. Selling her clothes to pay the rail fare, she and the children moved back to her parents' home. Laura said, "My husband never came around once; my parents were supportive and took all of us in. My mother gave us money. I guess it all boils down to love."
The Satō-Hirono family decided to return to Hawaii, but under the U.S. quota system Tari and Hiroshi, as Japanese nationals without American citizenship or professional status, could not go with Laura, an American citizen. Thus the family was separated, with three-year-old Wayne staying behind with his grandparents and Laura returning to Honolulu on her own with Mazie and Roy in March 1955. After two years of hard work, she brought her parents and youngest son to Hawaii in 1957.
"She determined that she had to get away
rom her husband..she wanted to put thousands of miles between them", Hirono said of her mother. "That took a lot of courage. I always tell my mom there is nothing I can do—hard as it is to be in politics...harder than what she did."
After first living with Mazie's uncle Akira, the family moved into a
rooming house
A rooming house, also called a "multi-tenant house", is a "dwelling with multiple rooms rented out individually", in which the tenants share kitchen and often bathroom facilities. Rooming houses are often used as housing for low-income people, as ...
on Kewalo Street in Honolulu with one room, one table, three chairs and one bed. Laura recalled, "Mazie and Roy slept on the bed. I slept on the floor with a
futon
A is a traditional Japanese style of bedding.
A complete futon set consists of a and a . Both elements of a futon bedding set are pliable enough to be folded and stored away in a large during the day. This allows a room to serve as a bedr ...
. The landlady was so nice. The rent was $35, but she charged us less because I didn't have a job."
Laura began working for the
Hawaii Hochi
The ''Hawaii Hochi'' ( Japanese: ''ハワイ報知'') is a six-day-a-week Japanese-language newspaper published and sold in Hawaii. The newspaper was founded in 1912 to serve the Japanese immigrant community in Hawaii. Founder Frederick Kinzabu ...
as a
typesetter
Typesetting is the composition of text by means of arranging physical ''type'' (or ''sort'') in mechanical systems or '' glyphs'' in digital systems representing '' characters'' (letters and other symbols).Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random ...
and also three nights a week for a catering company. Mazie worked in the school cafeteria and had a
paper route. Though money was tight and the family was forced to move often, Laura kept them together. Mazie recalled that she and her brother used to get a dime once or twice a week from their mother. "We both had baseball
piggy bank
Piggy bank (sometimes penny bank or money box) is the traditional name of a coin container normally used by children. The piggy bank is known to collectors as a "still bank" as opposed to the " mechanical banks" popular in the early 20th centur ...
s. My older brother spent all his dimes but I saved mine. But one day I came home and the dimes were gone. My mother had to use it to buy food."
Hirono never saw her father again, and he has since died. Laura became a newspaper
proofreader
Proofreading is the reading of a galley proof or an electronic copy of a publication to find and correct reproduction errors of text or art. Proofreading is the final step in the editorial cycle before publication.
Professional
Traditiona ...
in 1961 and retired from the Hawaii Newspaper Agency in 1986; Roy became a
Hawaiian Electric supervisor. Wayne drowned in 1978, aged 26. Mazie's grandfather Hiroshi died in 1989, and her grandmother Tari died in 2000 at age 99.
Raised in Honolulu, Hirono became a
naturalized
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...
U.S. citizen in 1959, the year Hawaii became a state. She attended Kaahumanu Elementary and
Koko Head
Koko Head is the headland that defines the eastern side of Maunalua Bay along the southeastern side of the Island of Oahu in Hawaii. On its western slope is the community of Portlock, a part of Hawaii Kai. Koko Head (at 642 ft or 196 m) is an ...
Elementary Schools. She graduated from
Kaimuki High School
Kaimuki High School is a WASC-accredited four-year public high school located in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Kaimuki High School falls under the jurisdiction of the Hawaii Department of Education. It is bordered by the Manoa-Palolo Drainage ...
, which at the time of her attendance had a predominantly Japanese American student body. Hirono then enrolled at the
University of Hawaii at Mānoa, graduating
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...
with a B.A. in
psychology
Psychology is the science, scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immens ...
in 1970. She left Hawaii to attend
Georgetown University Law Center
The Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law) is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment and ...
, where she obtained her
J.D. degree in 1978. Hirono then returned to Honolulu, where she practiced law.
Hawaii House of Representatives (1981–1994)
Elections
In 1980, Hirono was elected to Hawaii's 12th House district in a
multi-member district
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polit ...
with Democratic State Representative David Hagino. Hawaii eliminated multi-member districts, and after redistricting she ran for Hawaii's 20th House district and won. After redistricting again in 1984, she ran for the newly redrawn Hawaii's 32nd House district and won. In 1992, after redistricting, she ran in the newly redrawn Hawaii's 22nd House district. She won the three-candidate Democratic primary with 91% of the vote. She won the general election and served only one term in the 22nd district before retiring in 1994 to run for statewide office.
Tenure
From 1980 to 1994, Hirono served in the
Hawaii House of Representatives, passing more than 120 laws. She was honored by a coalition of leaseholders as Legislator of the Year in 1984.
Committee assignments
From 1987 to 1992, she was Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee.
Lieutenant governor (1994–2002)
Elections
1994
Hirono ran for
lieutenant governor of Hawaii
The lieutenant governor of Hawaii ( haw, Hope kiaʻāina o Hawaiʻi) is the assistant chief executive of the U.S. state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Article V, Sections 2 though 6 of the Constitution of ...
and won the Democratic primary, defeating fellow State Representative Jackie Young 65%–26%. In the general election she defeated three other candidates: Danny Kaniela Kaleikini (Best Party), State Representative
Fred Hemmings (
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
* Republican Party (Liberia)
*Republican Party ...
), and Jack Morse (
Green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combin ...
Party), 37%–31%–29%–4%.
1998
Hirono ran for reelection in 1998. She was challenged in the primary by Nancy L. Cook and defeated her, 89%–11%. In the general election Hirono defeated Republican State Senator Stan Koki 50%–49%, a difference of 5,254 votes.
Tenure
In 1994 Hirono joined the ticket of incumbent Lieutenant Governor
Benjamin J. Cayetano
Benjamin Jerome Cayetano (born November 14, 1939) is an American politician and author who served as the fifth governor of the State of Hawaii from 1994 to 2002. He is the first Filipino American to serve as a state governor in the United State ...
and was elected to a historic administration led by the first
Filipino American
Filipino Americans ( fil, Mga Pilipinong Amerikano) are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipinos and other Asian ethnicities in North America were first documented in the 16th century as slaves and prisoners on ships sailing to and from New ...
governor and first Japanese immigrant lieutenant governor. During her tenure as lieutenant governor, she was president of the National Commission on Teaching, America's Future, and the Hawaii Policy Group. She also spearheaded the first-in-the-nation comprehensive Pre-Plus program, a precursor to universal preschool education in the United States.
2002 gubernatorial election
Hirono originally wanted to run for
mayor of Honolulu
The mayor of Honolulu is the chief executive officer of the City and County of Honolulu. An office established in 1900 and modified in 1907, the mayor of Honolulu is elected by universal suffrage of residents of Honolulu to no more than two four ...
in a potential 2002 special election created by the vacancy of incumbent Mayor
Jeremy Harris, who was planning to resign in order to run for
governor of Hawaii
, insignia = Logo of the Office of the Governor of Hawaii.png
, insigniasize = 110px
, insigniacaption = Gubernatorial logo
, flag = Flag of the Governor of Hawaii.svg
, flagborder = yes
, flagcaption = Standard of the Governor
, image ...
. But due to internal controversies, Harris dropped out of the gubernatorial election and remained mayor for another two years. Hirono switched races.
Hirono maneuvered to gain the support of potential Harris voters in her challenge against former State House Majority Leader
Ed Case. Throughout the primary campaign, Hirono and Case polled almost equally. Hirono defeated Case in the September 21 Democratic primary, 41%–40%, a difference of 2,613 votes.
A few weeks later, Republican nominee and
Mayor of Maui
The Mayor of Maui County is the chief executive officer of the County of Maui in the state of Hawaii. The Mayor has municipal jurisdiction over the islands of Kahoolawe, Lanai, Maui and Molokai. The Mayor of Maui County is the successor of the ...
Linda Lingle defeated Hirono 52–47%, becoming Hawaii's first female governor.
U.S. House of Representatives (2007–2013)
Elections
2006
On September 23, Hirono ran for being vacated by incumbent
Ed Case. The Democratic primary was very competitive. There were ten candidates, seven of whom served in the
Hawaii Legislature. Hirono's advantage was that she was the only candidate who had held statewide office and as a result had the most name recognition. She also raised the most money, mostly because of the endorsement of
EMILY's List
EMILY's List is an American political action committee (PAC) that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favor of abortion rights to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985. The group's name is an acronym for "Early Money ...
, and lent her own campaign $100,000. She won with a plurality of 22% of the vote. State Senator
Colleen Hanabusa finished second with 21%, 845 votes short of Hirono.
In the general election Hirono defeated
Republican State Senator
Bob Hogue
Robert Charles Hogue (born September 7, 1953) is an American athletic conference commissioner, author and columnist, sportscaster, and a former Republican member of the Hawaii State Senate representing the 24th district (Kailua-Kaneohe) for s ...
, 61%–39%.
2008
Hirono won reelection to a second term with 76% of the vote.
2010
Hirono won reelection to a third term with 72% of the vote.
Tenure
In 2008, Hirono was named the national preschool advocacy organization Pre-K Now's "Pre-K Champion" for her efforts on behalf of pre-kindergarten legislation.
Hirono co-sponsored and signed the Prevention First Act of 2007. The act aimed to increase public access to
contraception
Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...
and government funding to support the use of contraception.
It places an emphasis on informing and protecting women from unintended pregnancy.
On May 4, 2011, Hirono voted against the
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act () is a bill that was introduced to the 112th Congress of the United States in the House of Representatives by Rep. Chris Smith ( R-New Jersey) and Dan Lipinski ( D-Illinois). The bill's stated purpose is " ...
, which would have prohibited federal health care programs from covering abortion costs, with exceptions for life-threatening cases.
In July 2011, Hirono voted for the Access to Birth Control Act, which mandates that pharmacies provide birth control to customers without undue delay.
The ABP Act also ensures that customers seeking birth control can obtain it without being submitted to unwanted harassment or breaches in patient confidentiality.
EMILY's List
EMILY's List is an American political action committee (PAC) that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favor of abortion rights to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985. The group's name is an acronym for "Early Money ...
, a Democratic pro-choice action committee, pledged support to Hirono for her history of supporting contraceptive and abortion policies during her term.
Its endorsement helped Hirono in her 2012 senatorial race, contributing $129,714 to her campaign.
Committee assignments
*
Committee on Armed Services
**
Subcommittee on Personnel
**
Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
**
Subcommittee on Seapower (Chair)
*
Committee on the Judiciary
**
Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security
**
Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts
**
Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law
*
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
*
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Caucus memberships
*
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is a caucus consisting of members of the United States Congress who are Asian American and Pacific Islander ( AAPI), and who have a strong interest in advocating and promoting issues and c ...
*
Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus The Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus (CWRC) is a large bi-partisan Congressional Member Organization in the U.S. House of Representatives formed to support the National Wildlife Refuge System through legislation, funding, and education.
Histor ...
*
International Conservation Caucus
U.S. Senate (2013–present)
Elections
2012
On May 19, 2011, Hirono announced her candidacy for the
U.S. Senate seat left open by
Daniel Akaka
Daniel Kahikina Akaka (; September 11, 1924 – April 6, 2018) was an American educator and politician who served as a United States Senate, United States Senator from Hawaii from 1990 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), De ...
, who was retiring at the end of his term in 2012. She won the Democratic primary election on August 11, 2012.
Hirono was endorsed as one of
Democracy for America
Democracy for America (DFA) is a progressive political action committee, headquartered in Burlington, Vermont. Founded by former Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean in 2004, DFA leads public awareness campaigns on a variety of pub ...
's
Dean Dozen
The "Dean Dozen" in American politics, was the collective term for six groups of 12 candidates endorsed by Democracy for America, the political action committee led by former Vermont governor and presidential candidate Howard Dean, in the 2004 el ...
. The Republican nominee was former Hawaii Governor
Linda Lingle. Hirono won the general election on November 6, 2012, with 63% of the vote. She is the first female senator from Hawaii, as well as the first Asian-born immigrant to be elected to the U.S. Senate. She was a part of the first completely non-Christian Congressional delegation from the state, which continued until the election of
Mark Takai
Kyle Mark Takai (July 1, 1967 – July 20, 2016) was an American politician from the state of Hawaii who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing , from 2015 to 2016. He served in the Hawaii House of Representatives ...
(an
Episcopalian
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...
) in 2014 as Representative of Hawaii's 1st congressional district.
In the 2012 campaign Hirono raised $5.2 million, with approximately 52% of that from large corporations. Lingle raised $5.5 million, with 74% from large corporations. Hirono spent $5 million and Lingle $4.8 million.
2018
On November 6, 2018, Hirono was reelected with 71.2% of the vote, defeating Republican Ron Curtis.
Tenure
On December 12, 2012, the Senate Democratic Steering Committee announced that Hirono would serve on the
Senate Judiciary Committee
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations ...
, giving her influence on matters ranging from approving nominations of federal judges to setting criminal-justice policy.
During the
Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination
On July 9, 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States to succeed retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. When nominated, Kavanaugh was a judge of the United States Court of ...
hearings in September 2018, Hirono became an outspoken defender of
Christine Blasey Ford
Christine Margaret Blasey Ford ( ; born November 1966) is an American professor of psychology at Palo Alto University and a research psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She specializes in designing statistical models f ...
after Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault, telling men to "shut up and step up. Do the right thing for a change."
In the wake of the
2021 storming of the United States Capitol
On January 6, 2021, following the defeat of then-United States President, U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2020 United States presidential election, 2020 presidential election, a mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol, U ...
, Hirono called for the resignation of fellow senators
Ted Cruz
Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas fro ...
and
Josh Hawley
Joshua David Hawley (born December 31, 1979) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the junior United States senator from Missouri since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Hawley served as the 42nd attorney general of Mi ...
for their opposition to
certifying the 2020 presidential election Electoral College count.
She also called for the
Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Twenty-fifth Amendment (Amendment XXV) to the United States Constitution deals with presidential succession and disability.
It clarifies that the vice president becomes president if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office, a ...
to be invoked to remove Donald Trump from office.
In April 2021, Hirono sponsored and the Senate passed a bill attempting to decrease hate crimes against Asian Americans due to xenophobia associated with COVID-19. The vote was 94–1, with Senator Hawley (R-MO) the only one who voted against the bill.
In July 2022, Hirono joined in introducing the Youth Voting Rights Act'','' comprehensive legislation to enforce the Twenty-Sixth Amendment and expand youth access to voting. This legislation, led by Senator
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Ann Warren ( née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as ...
, was also introduced in the House by Representative
Nikema Williams
Nikema Natassha Williams (born July 30, 1978) is an American politician and political executive serving as the representative for . The district includes almost three-fourths of Atlanta. She was a member of the Georgia State Senate for the 39th d ...
.
Committee assignments (117th Congress)
*
Committee on Armed Services
**
Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
**
Subcommittee on Seapower (Chair)
*
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
**
Subcommittee on National Parks
**
Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining
*
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
*
Committee on the Judiciary
**
Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration
**
Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts
**
Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law
*
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
*
Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform
Caucus memberships
*
Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
*
Expand Social Security Caucus
Political positions
According to
On the Issues, Hirono's voting history places her in the "left/liberal" camp.
The
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union (ACU) is an American political organization that advocates for conservative policies, ranks politicians based on their level of conservatism, and organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference. Founded o ...
gave her a 2% lifetime conservative rating in 2020.
Abortion
Hirono has a 100% rating from Naral Pro-Choice America.
She is also endorsed by EMILY's list for pro-choice women. At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Hirono told the panel: "If you don't support abortion, don't get one, but leave everyone else to the painful decisions they have to make along with their physicians".
Hirono called the June 2022
overturning of ''Roe v. Wade'' "a horrific day in America".
She also said, "This will go down as one of the worst decisions in the history of the Court."
Gun control
In 2016, she participated in the
Chris Murphy gun control filibuster
On June 15, 2016, in the wake of a mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, launched a filibuster in the United States Senate, promising to hold the floor "for as long as I can" or until Congress acts o ...
. Hirono expressed disappointment when the Democrat-proposed Feinstein Amendment (banning the sale of firearms to individuals on the
terrorist watchlist) and the Republican-backed background check expansion and alert system (regarding guns being sold to terrorist watchlist suspects) both failed to pass the Senate.
Health care
On July 28, 2017, two months after undergoing surgery for stage-four kidney cancer, Hirono spoke on the Senate floor and voted against the so-called "
skinny repeal" of the
Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...
(Obamacare).
MSNBC
MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
reporter Kyle Griffin filmed Hirono's speech and posted it on Twitter.
In January 2019, during the
2018–19 United States federal government shutdown, Hirono was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to
Commissioner of Food and Drugs Scott Gottlieb recognizing the efforts of the FDA to address the effect of the government shutdown on the public health and employees while expressing alarm "that the continued shutdown will result in increasingly harmful effects on the agency's employees and the safety and security of the nation's food and medical products." Gottlieb said additional staff might be called in as needed.
Hirono is a supporter of
Medicare for All
Single-payer healthcare is a type of universal healthcare in which the costs of essential healthcare for all residents are covered by a single public system (hence "single-payer").
Single-payer systems may contract for healthcare services from ...
.
Housing
In April 2019, Hirono was one of 41 senators to sign a bipartisan letter to the housing subcommittee praising the
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the Secretary of Housing and Ur ...
's Section 4 Capacity Building program as authorizing "HUD to partner with national nonprofit community development organizations to provide education, training, and financial support to local community development corporations (CDCs) across the country" and expressing disappointment that Trump's budget "has slated this program for elimination after decades of successful economic and community development." The senators wrote of their hope that the subcommittee would support continued funding for Section 4 in Fiscal Year 2020.
Telecommunications
In April 2019, Hirono was one of seven senators to sponsor the Digital Equity Act of 2019, legislation establishing a $120 million grant program that would fund the creation and implementation of "comprehensive digital equity plans" in every state and a $120 million grant program to support projects developed by individuals and groups. The bill also gave the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce that serves as the President's principal adviser on telecommunications policies pertaining to the United States' ec ...
(NTIA) the role of evaluating and providing guidance for digital equity projects.
Personal life
In May 2017, Hirono announced that she had been diagnosed with stage 4
kidney cancer, which had spread to her seventh rib.
The cancer was discovered in a chest X-ray in April before minor eye surgery. Hirono's right kidney was removed on May 17, 2017, with a
Cyberknife procedure to treat the rib lesion.
She returned to the Senate on May 22, 2017, and was reelected to a second term in 2018.
As of 2018, according to OpenSecrets.org, Hirono's net worth was more than $4.3 million.
In 2021, Viking Press published Hirono's autobiography, ''Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter's Story''. ''
Marie Claire
''Marie Claire'' is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937, followed by the United Kingdom in 1941. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on wo ...
'' listed the book among its "25 Great Memoirs to Pre-Order Now".
Also in 2021, it was announced that Hirono would receive Japan's
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star for her "significant contributions in strengthening bilateral relations and promoting legislative exchanges between Japan and the United States".
Electoral history
See also
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List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress
*
List of female lieutenant governors in the United States
As of January 18, 2023, there are 22 women currently serving (excluding acting capacity) as lieutenant governors in the United States. Overall, 118 women have served (including acting capacity).
Women have been elected lieutenant governor from 4 ...
*
List of United States senators born outside the United States
*
Women in the United States House of Representatives
*
Women in the United States Senate
This article covers the history of women in the United States Senate and various milestones achieved by female senators. It includes a list of all women who have served in the Senate, a list of current female senators, and a list of states repre ...
References
Further reading
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External links
Senator Mazie Hironoofficial U.S. Senate website
Hirono for Senatecampaign website
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Mazie Hirono Video produced by ''
Makers: Women Who Make America''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hirono, Mazie
1947 births
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
American Buddhists
American politicians of Japanese descent
American women lawyers
American women of Japanese descent in politics
Asian-American members of the United States House of Representatives
Asian-American United States senators
Democratic Party members of the Hawaii House of Representatives
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Hawaii
Democratic Party United States senators from Hawaii
Female members of the United States House of Representatives
Female United States senators
Georgetown University Law Center alumni
Hawaii politicians of Japanese descent
Japanese emigrants to the United States
Lieutenant Governors of Hawaii
Living people
Members of the United States Congress of Japanese descent
Naturalized citizens of the United States
Politicians from Fukushima Prefecture
Politicians from Honolulu
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumni
Women state legislators in Hawaii
Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class