Creating and Protecting Jobs
Creating and Protecting Jobs Congresswoman Hirono understands the struggles our families are facing. Because she’s lived those struggles. When she was a small child in Japan, her mother endured a difficult home life at the hands of an abusive husband. Her mother plotted and planned in secret to get her children away. Congresswoman Hirono was nearly eight years old when her mother packed her and her brother onto a boat, and they literally escaped to America. When they docked in Hawaii, they did so with little more than the clothes on their backs. It was a difficult life and Congresswoman Hirono’s mother worked hard to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. That’s why helping our families by getting our economy back on track and creating jobs are some of her top priorities. Working For Hawaii
Investing in Hawaii’s Airports: For eleven years after passage of the Wendell Ford Aviation Investment & Reform Act for the 21st Century, Hawaii’s airports have not been able to receive their fair share of the federal Airport Improvement Funds due to an unfair government formula. Working with state airport officials, Congresswoman Hirono successfully fought for an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration bill to correct this and ensure Hawaii’s busiest airports receive millions of dollars over the next four years. The legislation to fix this situation was signed into law by President Obama on February 14, 2012. This will help Hawaii improve our airports without increasing costs for inter-island passengers. Tireless Advocate for Innovation and Entrepreneurship: In December 2011, Congress passed legislation extending the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs—vital programs that provide opportunities for small businesses and innovative entrepreneurs to apply their ideas for the common good, while launching those ideas into successful job creating ventures. Congresswoman Hirono introduced similar legislation earlier in 2011 that would extend and expand opportunities to more entrepreneurs in Hawaii and across the nation. In 2010, she also cosponsored the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act, which invests in research and education, particularly the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Equal Pay for Equal Work: Congresswoman Hirono believes in equal pay for equal work. That’s why she cosponsored the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which makes it easier to challenge pay discrimination in court. It applies to workers who file claims of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, religion, age, or disability, and restores fairness to any employee who has been paid less than their coworkers. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was the first bill signed into law by President Obama. Supporting Our Unemployed: Congresswoman Hirono understands that in these difficult times, as we’ve faced record unemployment, it’s been hard for many of our families and neighbors to find work. That’s why she cosponsored the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 and the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, which were signed into law to provide additional emergency unemployment compensation. Research has shown that unemployment dollars, which commonly are used for necessities like food or rent, tend to be recirculated quickly, which helps give a boost to our small businesses and economy. Helping Hawaii Be the Seat of Diplomacy Between East and West: With almost 4,000 participants a year, the East-West Center (EWC) has been a key institution in our nation’s diplomacy efforts. EWC played a leading role in the 2011 APEC summit: chairing the first official meeting of the U.S. APEC Year, leading the committee that developed Hawaii’s proposal to be named host, and providing essential research support. The federal commitments that EWC has received from 2007-2010 with the delegation’s help funds its integral work supporting our nation’s positions in Asia and the Pacific. |