Mazie Hirono

From KeyWiki

Mazie Hirono is a Democratic member of the United States Senate.

She was previously a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 2nd district of Hawaii.

Congresswoman Hirono is married to Leighton Kim Oshima.^[1]

Background

Born in Fukushima, Japan on November 3,1947, Hirono became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1959, the year Hawai'i became a state. She is the first immigrant woman of Asian ancestry to be sworn into Congressional office.

Educated in Hawaii's public school system, Hirono graduated with honors from Kaimuki High School and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. She earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., where she focused on public interest law.

After graduation, she returned to Hawai'i where she served as a Deputy Attorney General before entering private practice. In 1980, she was elected to the Hawai'i State House of Representatives.

In 1994, Hirono was elected and served two four-year terms as Hawaii's 9th Lieutenant Governor.^[2]

Committees

Congresswoman Hirono serves on two key U.S. House committees: the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. In November of 2010, Democratic colleagues unanimously elected Hirono to serve on the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. Hirono is an executive board member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Congressional Progressive Caucus

On November 19 2008 the Congressional Progressive Caucus announced^[3]its elected leadership for the 111th Congress.

Co-Chairs are Congressman Raul Grijalva (AZ) and Lynn Woolsey (CA) Whip Diane Watson Vice-Chair Liaison to Black Caucus Sheila Jackson-Lee Vice-Chair Liaison to Women's Caucus Hilda Solis Vice-Chair Liaison to Asian Pacific American Caucus Mazie Hirono Vice-Chair Liaison to LGBT Equality Caucus, Dennis Kucinich

As of February 20 2009 Mazie Hirono was listed as a Vice Chair^[4]of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Populist Caucus

The Populist Caucus was founded on February 11, 2009 in the United States House of Representatives by Democrat Bruce Braley of Iowa. The caucus originally included 26 other Democrats in the House, including Mazie Hirono.

Socialist financial plan

Sept. 30, the day after the original bailout compromise went down in flames. The progressive Democrats placed a new plan—the “No BAILOUTS Act” (Bringing Accountability, Increased Liquidity, Oversight, and Upholding Taxpayer Security)—on the table that John Nichols of The Nation says “would impose a securities tax equivalent to one quarter of one percent of profits and empower the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to deal more effectively with bank failures.”

The bill—sponsored by US Reps. Peter DeFazio(D-Ore.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Robert Scott (D-Va.), Elijah Cummings and Donna Edwards (both D-Md.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Rush Holt, Jr.,(D NJ) —would change the way securities are valued, applying “an economic value standard to measure the capital of financial institutions,” as opposed to a market standard, an increase in the federal deposit insurance maximum and other accounting measures designed to create breathing room. It also would require the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to purchase certificates that would be repaid.

“What I’m proposing is to use both market discipline and regulatory functions at virtually no cost to taxpayers to unclog the arteries of commerce so banks can begin lending again,’’ DeFazio said, according to The Oregonian.

In a letter introducing the plan, he said that Congress needed to “take swift, uncomplicated steps to ensure the financial markets return to working order. After that, we can work to resolve the housing crisis and pass effective job stimulus.”

Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, said the plan would “restore confidence in the financial markets without writing a blank check to the same Wall Street banks and CEOs who got us into this mess.”

“This is an important, short-term solution that protects taxpayers and their savings accounts,” he added. “To revive the economy over the long-term, we must address rising unemployment, stagnant wages, the healthcare crisis, and a tax system that is tilted in favor of the wealthy.”

DeFazio and the SEIU acknowledge that this is just the first step toward fixing the economy. Once a progressive rescue plan is in place, the Democrats create a rescue plan for homeowners facing foreclosure, enact a public works and green energy stimulus to get people working, fix the nation’s infrastructure and refocus the nation’s economy on sustainable principles. ^[5]

2012 CLW Senate victories

2012 Council for a Livable World Senate Victories were;

Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Chris Murphy (D-CT) Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).^[6]

The Council said of Hirono when they endorsed her in 2012;

After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Hawaii in 1970 with a B.A. in psychology, she worked in a variety of government jobs, and then earned a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1978. She got involved in politics because of her opposition to the Vietnam War and her desire to help Senator George McGovern (D-SD) become President.

She first entered elective politics in 1980 when she won a seat in the Hawaii State House of Representatives. In 1994, Hirono was elected and served two four-year terms as Hawaii's Lieutenant Governor. Elected to Congress in 2006, she is now serving her third term. She has scored an average of 88% on the Council for a Livable World’s PeacePAC voting record. She supported legislation to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, opposed increased nuclear weapons funding, rejected efforts to cut United Nations funding, and was in the perceptive minority that opposed the U.S.-India nuclear deal.

Mazie Hirono will be a strong, progressive addition to the United States Senate who will work to stem the anti-arms control and anti-government forces that dominate the Republican Party.^[7]

Council for a Livable World, 50th Anniversary

On June 6, 2012, Council for a Livable World, along with its sister organizations Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation and Council for a Livable World’s PeacePAC, celebrated the 50th Anniversary of their founding by Leo Szilard in 1962.

An evening celebration was held at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Congressman Barney Frank acted as the Master of Ceremonies and, in the process, received a lifetime achievement award from former Rep. Tom Downey, a member of the Council’s Board of Directors. The Robert F. Drinan Peace and Human Award was presented to former Representative and PeacePAC Chairman David Bonior and the late Edith Wilkie, a longtime advocate and leader for peace and justice.

Over 225 people attended to celebrate the Council’s legacy of working to advocate for sensible national security policies and helping to elect congressional candidates who support those policies.

Other notables included Hawaii Senate candidate Mazie Hirono (D), Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), former Sen. Tim Wirth (D-CO) and former Rep. Jim Moody (D-WI).^[8]

Filibuster reform

The Communications Workers of America is to make filibuster reform a top cause and they're trying to bring the rest of the union movement along. The union reiterated that goal in post-election comments.

"The 2012 election makes the reform even more paramount," it said. "Seven Democratic senators-elect - Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Tim Kaine (Va.), Chris Murphy (Conn.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) - have all already pledged to Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., to support rules reform. And Maine's Independent candidate, former Gov. Angus King won on a platform included filibuster reform as a major campaign issue.

"The American people want their elected officials to debate and address the major issues of our time and to move past obstruction for obstruction's sake," added CWA Legislative Director Shane Larson.^[9]

EMILY's List

Hirono has been supported by EMILY's List during her campaigning.

Staff

The following have worked as staff members for Mazie Hirono:^[10]

External links

• Hirono's website with the House of Representatives

References