Card image cap

Mazie Hirono's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

Key

Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Mazie Hirono has failed to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2018 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2018.

  • "Earlier this year, when the Supreme Court was hearing Whole Woman's Health, I joined advocates on the Court steps who were holding signs that read "Don't mess with access,' and "Respect my fundamental human dignity.' The Court heard their plea and saw the Texas law for what it really was: an unconstitutional restriction on a woman's right to access reproductive health care. Significantly, the Court looked at the real effect of the Texas law-- which was to restrict access to critical health care services-- instead of limiting its review to the state's ostensible justification." (votesmart.org)
  • "We must stand vigilant against these attacks on women's health. Today on the 42nd anniversary of the monumental Roe v. Wade decision, I challenge Congress to reject the extremists and stand on the side of women and middle class families. Instead of endlessly fighting to repeal Roe v. Wade, blocking access to common forms of birth control, and opposing paid family leave, Congress should be focused on making it easier for women to succeed in our 21st century economy. We should make education more affordable, ensure men and women get paid the same wage for the same work, and make it easier for women to balance work and family." (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "The constitutional amendment before us does not repeal anything in the Constitution; rather, it undoes the damage that five members of the Supreme Court have done to free and fair elections. By the way, money buys speech, it is not speech. I urge my colleagues to support S.J. Res. 19." (votesmart.org)
  • "The need for action is not just a Democratic or Republican issue. Nearly 80 percent of Americans support overturning the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. Campaign spending is out of control, and the American people strongly support reform. Seventy-one percent believe that individual contributions should be limited, and 76 percent believe that spending by outside groups should also be limited." (votesmart.org)
  • "Ensuring safe and secure air travel is critical to sustaining Hawaii's economy and commerce," said Senator Hirono. "Federal funding for these runway improvement projects will help to strengthen runway safety at the Kahului and Hilo International airports." (votesmart.org)
  • "Instead of investing in programs that help middle and working-class families across our state, the President proposes trillions of dollars in cuts that would harm nearly everyone in Hawaii," Senator Hirono said. "I will continue to fight to protect Hawaii residents from this administration's misplaced priorities." (votesmart.org)
  • "Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced a grant of more than $2 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for upgrades at Hilo International Airport. " (www.hirono.senate.gov)
  • "Today's announcement is critical for the completion of the rail project, and I appreciate what has been a difficult decision for the State Legislature. As a member of the Hawaii Congressional delegation, I secured support for the rail project from the Federal Transit Administration, which included $1.55 billion in the FTA Full Funding Grant Agreement." (votesmart.org)
  • "The Republican tax bill is a scam. After months of empty promises to the middle class, the President has been caught in another big fat lie. This bill will not help the middle class. It is nothing more than a fulfillment of the Republican Party's mission to eventually gut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security to pay for trillions of dollars in tax cuts to the richest Americans and corporations. The American people will hold them accountable." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted Nay on HR 1 "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Our country deserves a tax code that is simple and fair," said Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii. "The average family in the U.S. pays over 18 percent in federal taxes. However, by using gimmicks and loopholes like inversions, major corporations pay an average of 13 percent. That's not fair to average working families. The Stop Corporate Inversions Act of 2014 will save billions of dollars that can in turn be used for investments in education, infrastructure, and research and development. These are investments that we all benefit from -- American families, small businesses, large corporations -- and they make our economy stronger and our country better." (votesmart.org)
  • "Hawaii's Preschool Development Grant makes it possible for hundreds of Hawaii students to attend preschool, which is foundational for success in school and in life," said Senator Hirono. "I will work to see that the federal government comes through on its full four-year commitment to this vital program." (votesmart.org)
  • "Our nation's public schools are foundational to the success of millions of students in Hawaii and across the country," Senator Hirono said. "At a time when Betsy DeVos and Donald Trump are working to dismantle our public school system and attack teachers, I will continue to fight on behalf of our keiki and our educators." (votesmart.org)
  • "'To maintain our country's historical leadership in STEM and take on the global challenges facing our environment, we need to inspire the next generation of scientists and researchers. Camps like this one give students a firsthand look into different marine science careers, and illustrate STEM opportunities here at home. That's why we must continue to advocate for initiatives that grow a diverse STEM pipeline, and support our future scientists throughout their careers.' Senator Hirono has introduced legislation to encourage collaboration to combat systemic barriers that women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups pursuing STEM careers face, and to increase resources to Title IX programs, which mandate gender equity in education." (votesmart.org)
  • "Today's award builds on Hawaii's record as a state on the forefront of renewable energy research," said Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "This competitive funding will allow Hawaiian Electric Company to invest in and test technology that will allow more Hawaii families to take advantage of rooftop solar systems and bring our state closer to reaching its goal of being powered by 100% renewable energy." (votesmart.org)
  • "There were other proposals that I would have liked to have seen included in the bill, such as the national Renewable Electricity Standard introduced by Senator Udall, which I cosponsored, and there were other proposals included in the bill that I would not have supported on their own. However, I was willing to support a compromise that provides positive direction for our country in the midst of an energy transformation." (votesmart.org)
  • "With oil accounting for 80 percent of the energy needs of our State, the people of Hawaii are acutely aware that there must be new alternatives to the volatile prices and vulnerable supply of the global oil trade. Hawaii, which for too long has been paying the highest electricity rates in the country, recognizes that we have renewable resources in our own State that should be developed so that we keep at home more of the $5 billion per year we currently spend to import oil. That is more money circulating in Hawaii's economy, creating jobs, raising wages, and helping families make ends meet." (votesmart.org)
  • "At a time when the current EPA administrator is under siege for his lack of ethics, we don't need a deputy administrator who will prioritize the interests of the fossil fuel industry over the public's," Senator Hirono said. "Although we weren't successful in blocking Andrew Wheeler's nomination today, I will continue to hold Trump's EPA accountable for the damage it is doing to our environment and our country." (votesmart.org)
  • "In the absence of Federal action, States like Hawaii are stepping up and taking the lead. Hawaii was the first State in the country to enact legislation to implement the Paris climate agreement after President Trump announced that he would withdraw the United States from this agreement without much reason." (votesmart.org)
  • "On average, 96 people in the U.S. die from gun violence every day. 7 of them are kids. Today, we #WearOrange w/ @Everytown @MomsDemand in solidarity with those who have lost their lives to gun violence and to demand action on National Gun Violence Awareness Day." (twitter.com)
  • "Senator Hirono has also co-sponsored numerous pieces of legislation that would strengthen our criminal background check system, ban high capacity ammunition magazines, prevent domestic abusers from accessing firearms, repeal the Dickey Amendment, and make straw purchasing and firearms trafficking federal crimes." (votesmart.org)
  • "Senator Hirono is a strong and consistent supporter of common sense gun safety legislation in the Senate. Last year, she introduced a bill that would close a loophole in the Uniform Code of Military Justice that allows convicted abusers to purchase firearms. Closing this loophole could have helped to prevent the shooter in Sutherland Springs, Texas, from accessing the firearm that he used to kill 26 people while they attended church." (votesmart.org)
  • "Community health centers, like Kalihi-Palama Health Center, provide critical health care services to Hawaii residents and the communities they serve," said Senator Hirono. "I will continue fighting to protect the gains we have made under the ACA, and will work to support bipartisan reforms that would improve our nation's health care system -- while not diminishing what we have achieved under the Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "Today, I'm thinking of the thousands of Hawaii residents I've heard from who are living in fear of losing their insurance and other protections they've received thanks to the Affordable Care Act. Constituents like Kathryn, a teacher and single parent, who is afraid of losing her insurance because of a preexisting condition; and Anne, who gave birth to a healthy baby boy thanks to Medicaid coverage. The fight to save the Affordable Care Act in the Senate starts today. I will stand strong to ensure Trumpcare does not undermine Prepaid Health Care and Affordable Care Act protections for Hawaii families." (votesmart.org)
  • "Today's vote was disappointing, but our fight to save the Affordable Care Act is only beginning. Any proposal Senate Republicans come up with will kick millions off of their health care and hurt the sickest, oldest, and poorest in our communities. If this is what the Republican Party wants to stand for, the American people will hold them accountable." (votesmart.org)
  • "We also strongly urge the Committee to reject any funding for President Trump's border wall, estimated to cost up to $70 billion, not including projected maintenance." (votesmart.org)
  • "I commend the Department of Homeland Security for announcing the renewal of the DACA program for undocumented children. These millions of young people, including the estimated 4,000 in Hawaii who may be eligible, should be able to stay in the country they call home. The DACA program, however, is no substitute for comprehensive immigration reform. I urge House Republicans to take up the bipartisan Senate immigration bill passed more than a year ago." (votesmart.org)
  • "Over the past four years, DACA has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who were brought to our country as undocumented children through no fault of their own," said Senator Hirono. "The President's action has been truly transformative for many young people in Hawaii, who have been able to come out of the shadows to pursue their dreams of going to college and finding jobs. I am hopeful that the Supreme Court gives nearly five million more people this same opportunity by ruling in favor of protecting expanded DACA and DAPA later this month." (votesmart.org)
  • "Today marks one year since the Senate came together on a bipartisan basis to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. As our country waits for the House to act, countless families remain torn apart, millions of hardworking people remain in the shadows and thousands of unaccompanied children have risked their lives to cross the U.S. border. The urgent need to fix our broken immigration system is clearer than ever. The Senate bill offers positive solutions that will make our immigration system more humane, our communities more secure and our economy stronger. The bill also includes an unprecedented investment in border security. I urge House Republicans to take action on this critical bipartisan bill." (votesmart.org)
  • Signed letter stating "It is our hope that fiscal year 2018 appropriations will alleviate the turbulence the Atorney General's abrupt decision has caused and that the appropriations will help preserve the strong regulatory frameworks the states have created. Doing so will provide the opportunity to pursue federal legislation that both protects the legitimate federal interests at stake and respects the will of states—both those that have liberalized their marijuana laws and those that have not." (www.scribd.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Congress has a key role to play in the U.S. response to the horrific and fast-moving threat ISIL poses, and I would be troubled if the President did not seek authorization for the use of military force. As seen with the death of Kayla Mueller and barbaric murders of countless others, ISIL continues to inflict terror and escalate instability in the Middle East. The U.S. and our partners in the Middle East and around the world must be clear and decisive in our actions against this ruthless, well-funded, and organized group that is attracting recruits from all corners of the world. I expect a thoughtful and thorough debate on a limited and narrowly tailored military authorization. I will continue to hold the President to his promise of no boots on the ground. This will not be another Iraq War." (votesmart.org)
  • "While today's action was taken in concert with France and Great Britain, the President stated that "we are prepared for a sustained response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents.' I am deeply concerned by the President's incoherent strategy in this critically important area of the world where there are layers of complexity and no easy answers. If the President is going to shift our mission in Syria, he needs to come to Congress for authorization and explain exactly what his strategy is, and how it supports U.S. national security interests and ends the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe and refugee crisis." (votesmart.org)

Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.

arrow_upward