WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12239) on the economic development and recovery in Maui on Sept. 11, 2023, by economic development policy analyst Adam G. Levin. Here are excerpts: * * * Economic Development and Recovery in Maui In addition to the loss of human life (which, as of late August, officially stood at 115), the wildfires that struck the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Hawaii in August of 2023 are likely to have  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 -- Rep. Mike Flood, R-Nebraska, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Mike Flood and a Congressional Member Delegation (CODEL) recently returned from Hawaii, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand after meeting with high level government officials and a series of wide-ranging conversations on strategic foreign policy and military priorities.  Congressman Flood was joined by Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Brad Finstad (R-MN), David Valadao (R-CA), Jake LaTurner, Jim Hines (D  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned a panel of experts about the rise in book banning in schools and libraries across the country. The hearing comes after the American Library Association recently reported that requests to ban books at U.S. public schools and libraries hit a 21-year high. During her question line, Senator Hi  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined more than 70 of her colleagues in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives in sending a letter to President Biden, urging him to take further executive action to combat gun violence and limit the sale of assault weapons. "We commend the important steps your Administration has recently taken on this issue, including steps to expand  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: 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 pause loan payments and interest accruals for SBA disaster loans that pre-date the Maui wildfires. In addition to Sena  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 -- Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 14, 2023: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today announced a hearing on the recent tragic fires in Maui, Hawaii. The hearing will take place on September 28, 2023, and the following individuals are expected to testify: *  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 -- Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, issued the following news release: House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas), and several Oversight Committee Republicans are launching an investigation into the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) ongoing response to the deadly wildfires that devastated  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 -- Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) today introduced new legislation to fight climate change by helping remove heat-trapping carbon dioxide pollution from the Earth's atmosphere. The new bill directs agencies across the federal government to boost research, development, and demonstration efforts into carbon removal solutions and calls for a plan on increased international coordination. The Schatz legislati  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 -- Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) released the following statement after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced it is providing nearly $95 million to Hawai'i to cover the cost of temporary housing at hotels, meals, and services for those impacted by the Maui fires. "This is a down payment on what is necessary, but it is essential help. We will keep working as hard as we can to help to   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 -- Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) released the following statement today after the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) approved food benefits through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) for households that were impacted by the fires last month. "A month after the fires, people still need help with basic needs and this new federal assistance will   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: Sen. Hirono: "It is a powerful tool that can be used for good, but it can also be used to spread a lot of disinformation and misinformation, and that happened during the disaster on Maui." WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned a panel of experts about how artificial intelligence (AI) has been used to spread disinformation and sow mi  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Colette Peters, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), about the status of reopening a residential reentry facility in Hawaii. Hawaii's only residential reentry center--Mahoney Hale--closed in 2019. "Having grown accustomed to the stringent protocols in a prison, reentry can  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: 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, questioned Acting Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, President Biden's nominee to serve as the U.S. Navy's next top officer. During her question line, Senator Hirono highlighted the Navy's role and responsibility i  more