Hawai’i on the Hill Week in full swing. 10th anniversary of a spectacularly successful collaboration between Senator Hirono and the Hawai’i Chamber of Commerce. Bringing the best of Hawai’i to Capitol Hill, educating this different world on our home, discussing major policy issues with national leaders, and offering great opportunities for our Hawai’i Congressional delegation to stay closely aligned with our fellow leaders and communities back home.
Here’s my most recent Congressman Ed Case Reports districtwide e-newsletter: “Midyear Report; My Priorities; This Is What I’m Doing About ….” Sections are: Packed June; Mid-Year, Veterans, Kupuna Reports; June 1st Tele-Talk Story; Appropriations Successes; Cost of Living #1; Trump Administration; What I’m Doing About … (with links to 16 important issue areas); and Large Communication Blackout Period/Sign Up To Keep Receiving E-Newsletters. I welcome your questions and guidance at [email protected].
Full May Home: Flores de Mayo & Filipino Fiesta; Small Business Awardees Diamond Bakery and Inspired Closets ; Congressional Art Competition https://t.co/erIGZSnE7K
Amidst major votes and continued Appropriations work, my DC meetings this week covered a lot of issues: Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii’s Military Affairs Council; Jeri Moniz/Hawai’i Cattlemen’s Council; Papua New Guinea Ambassador to the US Sir Arnold Amet; Sol Kaho’ohalahala and Greenpeace USA; and Guatemala Ambassador to the US Hugo Beteta.
Two big votes this week: Yes on H.R. 2913, rejecting the President’s obstruction of further aid to Ukraine and increased sanctions on Russia (passed on a bipartisan vote of 226-195) https://t.co/Z9lBtTA71A; and Yes on H.Con. Res. 86, directing the withdrawal of U.S. troops from hostilities against Iran, except to defend against an imminent attack, unless and until authorized by Congress (passed on a bipartisan vote of 215-208) https://t.co/9t8n07SLo4.
Assuring affordable, available, quality health care for all Americans is one of my top Congressional priorities. Here is a summary of some of my legislative efforts toward this critical goal, from legislation and votes to appropriations, statements and more. I welcome your questions and suggestions at [email protected].
Highlight: Constituent Services. We really appreciate being able to help our constituents with your own individual concerns. Here are two more successes cutting thru red tape to get real answers on Social Security benefits and student loans. For more on our constituent services: https://t.co/0jkFr2acwO. We are here to help you!
Here’s a replay of my live districtwide Tele-Talk Story last nite. Really grateful to the thousands who joined. We covered a lot, including the unacceptably high cost of living, the Trump administration, my Appropriations Committee work funding billions of assistance to our Hawai’i annually, and my individual constituent services. Please check it out and join in letting me know your questions and guidance at [email protected]. There’s a ton more on my website at https://t.co/vWw1FUqiRE. https://t.co/UW7IQBLGtu
June 1st brings in Pride Month, when we especially celebrate the contributions of our LGBTQ+ communities, remember those many whose dedication brought us this far, and recommit ourselves to the never-ending fight for equality for all. I’ve been a member of our Congressional Equality Caucus (https://t.co/dYTgcF4dhX) throughout my service in Congress. Our current Chair, my colleague and friend @RepMarkTakano, said it well: “Pride Month is more than rainbows and parades, it is a protest - a demand for fairness, dignity and equality under the law.” #PrideMonth
Fully enforcing our illegal fireworks laws and keeping our communities safe takes increased penalties on the largescale manufacturers and distributors. I joined @RepJillTokuda in introducing our legislation to make transporting illegal fireworks across state lines a federal money laundering felony. More: https://t.co/3EziyZ9Trn
To keep reporting back to you on my work in Congress, answer your questions and get your guidance, I’m hosting my seventh district wide talk story community meeting (this one a Tele-Talk Story) this coming Monday, June 1st, 6-7:30 pm Hawai’i time. All the details are here: https://t.co/IGYOtxw6O4. Hope you join!
Sharing my 2026 Mid-Year Congressional Report, including Capitol Hill and District Highlights, Appropriations Highlights and Constituent Services, providing details on my Monday, June 1st, 6pm Hawai’i time Tele-Talk Story, and asking for continued guidance. For more info on my Tele-Talk Story: https://t.co/IGYOtxw6O4.
Sharing my report to partners back home on the advancement of women and related initiatives throughout our country, including a 14-page summary of my efforts in Congress on women's issues from 2019 to present. https://t.co/iNh2dYtygx
Despite including a bunch of my requests for Hawai’i such as clean energy, energy savings and coastal erosion control programs, I had to vote in Appropriations against the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Energy and Water funding measure because it guts national energy efforts that keep prices down along with critical scientific research, risks natural disaster mitigation and recovery efforts, and generally takes our energy future in the wrong direction. More: https://t.co/hbMZQiNxib
The weeds count. Since 1921 the Government Accountability Office (GAO; https://t.co/A4cyE7q8Oy), Congress’ own watchdog agency, has provided our legislative branch with the capacity and expertise we need to properly oversee our federal government including the administration. In our Appropriations Committee’s deliberations on funding for Congress for the upcoming fiscal year, I spoke in strong opposition to my majority colleagues’ proposed 25% reduction of GAO funding, crippling Congress’ ability to fulfill our constitutional obligations as a separate and independent branch of government. We need to reverse this. https://t.co/95mFXjQ1Gp
I am very proud of my great staff in DC and Honolulu who are key to fulfilling my mission of helping lead our country, helping our Hawai’i and helping our constituents. I bring them all together once a year for a weekend retreat to review what we’re doing right and how we can improve. We had a great retreat this year in the Library of Congress in DC and in Baltimore, including a special appearance by Senator Schatz to share his insights on national issues and working together to help Hawai’i, and a special visit to Fort McHenry, over which “that Star Spangled Banner yet wave[d]” during the War of 1812, inspiring our National Anthem.
Here’s my 2026 Veterans Report to Hawaii’s some 109,000 vets and ‘ohana on my efforts in Congress including funding veterans programs, supporting veterans health care, addressing the high cost of living, advancing another national cemetery, and providing individual assistance. https://t.co/CsfB25xSk0
As Hawaii’s top economic driver past, present and future, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout our state, Hawai’i and travel and tourism is one of my top priorities in Congress, from legislative policies to Appropriations funding to joint efforts with like-minded colleagues through our Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus and more. I also stay in very close contacts with national organizations like the American Hotel and Lodging Assn and Hawai’i affiliates like the Hawai’i Hotel Alliance, so its always very productive when they visit me on Capitol Hill.