WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: * * * - The Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020 expands early in-person voting and absentee vote-by-mail to all states and pays states for additional election costs during the coronavirus pandemic * * * Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ranking Member on the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution, and her colleagues introduced the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ba  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following statement after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced that Tax Day would move from April 15 to July 15 for businesses and taxpayers: "As Americans continue to confront the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the last thing they need to worry about is the looming tax deadline ". "This delay provides much needed flexibility for taxpayers so that we can all focus on the essential task of confronting this public health e  more

HONOLULU, Hawaii, March 19 -- Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01) asked Hawaii small businesses for help in advancing their eligibility for federal economic injury assistance as authorized by recent emergency legislation passed by Congress. "Our nation's small businesses have been especially hard hit by our COVID-19 crisis, "said Case. "This is particularly true in our Hawaii because our small businesses are at much greater part of our   more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release on March 17: U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01) announced that he will host a live online talk story tomorrow night to address COVID-19. "As we continue to confront the COV(ID-19 health and economic crisis together, we must communicate with each other clearly, honestly and frequently," said Case in an e-newsletter to his constituents. "I want to relay what I know and what your federal government, your Congress an  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: This afternoon, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) hosted a telephone town hall for over 10,000 Hawai'i residents where she was joined by Hawaii Lt. Governor Josh Green, a practicing physician who has served as the state's lead official coordinating its COVID-19 coronavirus response. "It is critical to keep people informed about what is happening in our state and country in response to this global pandemic. I want  more

WASHINGTON, March 16 -- Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) voted to pass H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act which will provide emergency relief to families and workers across America who are impacted by the global coronavirus pandemic. "In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, this emergency funding package will begin to provide relief to working Americans and their families across the country so they can focus on t  more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: * * * - Extended deadline would provide flexibility during COVID-19 pandemic * * * Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) joined 19 of her Senate colleagues to urge the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to extend the April 15, 2020 filing deadline for federal individual income taxes so that taxpayers will have additional flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior membe  more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release after voting in favor of the Families First Coronavirus Act that passed the Senate 90-8: * * * - Legislation expands paid leave, provides free coronavirus testing, increases food assistance, and enhances unemployment benefits * * * "While this legislation provides free coronavirus testing, expands paid leave, enhances unemployment benefits, and increases food assistance, we will need to do much more to   more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release on March 18: Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and 16 of her Senate colleagues wrote to Vice President Pence and Assistant Secretary of Health Brett Giroir, the Trump Administration's new COVID-19 head of diagnostic efforts, demanding an explanation of the Administration's unmitigated failure to produce sufficient test kits, which has hampered the nation's ability to effectively detect COVID-19 and take n  more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and 26 of her colleagues called on President Trump to issue an executive order to direct all federal agencies to maximize telework capabilities. This call comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) promotes social distancing and suggests minimizing large gatherings. Last week, Senator Hirono and Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release on March 20: Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, announced that the Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved an economic disaster declaration for the state of Hawaii due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With this disaster declaration, Hawaii businesses affected by the outbreak can now apply for SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loans   more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release on March 18: U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) voted to pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and called for more federal support to help people. The bill bolsters the federal government's response to the coronavirus outbreak and provides limited relief for some American families hurt by the personal and economic impact of the outbreak. "This bill will help some people get relief right now, bu  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- Sen. Michael F. Bennet, D-Colorado, issued the following news release: * * * - Current Pandemic Likely to Exacerbate a Longstanding "Homework Gap" Without Immediate Action * * * Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet along with U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) led thirteen of their colleagues in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to temporarily allow schools to utilize E-Rate program funding to provide Wi-Fi hotspo  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release on March 16: * * * - Current pandemic likely to exacerbate a longstanding "homework gap" without immediate action * * * Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) led thirteen of their colleagues in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to temporarily allow schools to utilize E-R  more

WASHINGTON, March 18 -- Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: * * * - Bill Provides Free Credit Reports And Scores For One Year After The Outbreak And Extends Protections For Future Major Disasters * * * U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), both members of the Senate Banking Committee, introduced new legislation to protect people's credit scores during the coronavirus outbreak. As some families struggle with job losses or reduced income  more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai?i), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) led a bipartisan group of 26 senators in urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase subsidies to health care providers through the Rural Health Care Program. The additional funding would ensure that providers have the resources they need to deliver and expand telehealth services for rural communities  more