WASHINGTON, April 19 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, filed two amendments to the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISAA) to protect the civil liberties of American citizens. "While there are legitimate national security needs for the FISA 702 program, it's critical those needs are balanced against the constitutional rights of the American people," said Senator Hiron  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), members of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, introduced the Honoring Veterans' Legacies and Burial Benefits Enhancements Act to improve memorialization and burial benefits for veterans and their families. "At the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, alone, there are more than 50,000 veterans laid to rest," said Senator Hirono  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) today announced updates to his bill to protect kids from the harmful impacts of social media. In a speech on the Senate floor, Schatz discussed his Healthy Kids Act which would set a minimum age of 13 to use social media platforms and prevent social media companies from algorithmically targeting content to users under the age of 17. The updated legislation follows extensive c  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after the committee voted to advance 21 well-qualified nominees for key diplomatic posts to the Senate floor for confirmation. "These nominees represent the very best of U.S. diplomacy, and am confident they will continue to help strengthen relationships with our allies and partners a  more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) today introduced legislation to combat the rampant and unnecessary overuse of solitary confinement in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-operated and ICE contract facilities. Today's bill introduction comes before the Senate Judiciary Committee's full committee hearing tomorrow entitled "Legacy of Harm: Eliminatin  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai?i), chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) this week led a roundtable discussion on the national housing crisis and how "Yes In My Backyard" policies and reforms can address our nation's housing shortage. "The housing shortage didn't happen overnight. It's a product of decades of bro  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following opening statement at a hearing on March 14, 2024, entitled "A Nation on Fire: Responding to the Increasing Wildfire Threat": * * * The Committee will come to order. Wildfires are an increasing threat to our country. They have gotten bigger, burned more land, and put more communities in danger. Last year alone, wildfires affected Americans from  more