Project Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.
In response to the increasing unwillingness of candidates to answer issue questions, Project Vote Smart has researched Presidential and Congressional candidates' public records to determine candidates' likely responses on certain key issues. These are provided below as a courtesy to voters.
| Pro-choice |
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Abortion Issues: Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? |
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Vote Smart's Research:
- Mazie Hirono. H Amdt 509 to HR 3962. 111th Congress. An amendment printed in Part C of House Report 111-330 to codify the Hyde Amendment in H.R. 3962. The amendment prohibits federal funds for abortion services in the public option. It also prohibits individuals who receive affordability credits from purchasing a plan that provides elective abortions. However, it allows individuals, both who receive affordability credits and who do not, to separately purchase with their own funds plans that cover elective abortions. It also clarifies that private plans may still offer elective abortions. Project Vote Smart Summary: Mazie Hirono voted NO on 7 November 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. Issue Position: Women's Issues. "A woman's right to choose is a constitutionally protected privacy right. Apparently, however, the current Supreme Court doesn't think so. In April the Court upheld significant restrictions on abortion, setting the stage for overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which ensures that women have the right to choose. Congresswoman Hirono is proud that Hawaii was the first state to legalize abortion and that last year the State Legislature took the additional step of passing our own Freedom of Choice Act. However, federal law trumps state law. This is why she is an original cosponsor of the federal Freedom of Choice Act, which would codify Roe v. Wade." (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. Women's Reproductive Rights. 9 December 2009. "Mr. Speaker, reproductive self-determination is one of the most fundamental civil and human rights a woman can have. And this right is under attack in the health care reform debate. Let's be clear that the real goal of the anti-choice opposition is not to maintain the status quo. Rather, they want to extend Federal prohibitions into private pocketbooks. They hope to make abortion coverage so unattractive that insurers eventually stop offering coverage for an otherwise legal medical procedure. Women do not plan to have unintended pregnancies or pregnancies with complications. Unfortunately, these do happen. It is deeply insulting to tell women that if you want to guard against these unplanned situations, go buy additional coverage." (votesmart.org)
- NARAL Pro-Choice America. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Mazie Hirono supported the interests of NARAL Pro-Choice America 100 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
- National Right to Life Committee. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Mazie Hirono supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 0 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Planned Parenthood. 2008. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Mazie Hirono supported the interests of Planned Parenthood 100 percent in 2008. (votesmart.org)
- Planned Parenthood. 2010. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Endorsements. 1 October 2010. Planned Parenthood endorsed Mazie Hirono in the 2010 General Election. (votesmart.org)
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| No |
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Budget, Spending, and Tax Issues: Do you support the elimination of the federal estate tax? |
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Vote Smart's Research:
- Mazie Hirono. Issue Position: What Principles of Tax Policy Do You Support? "Also, I oppose repealing the estate tax, which seems to come before Congress year after year. Permanently repealing this tax on the extremely wealthy - on estates that are worth more than $2 million - does not make sense to me. At a time when our deficit is more than eight trillion dollars, and growing larger each day, it is fiscally irresponsible to pursue a policy that will cost the country $1 trillion in the first ten years." (votesmart.org)
- National Taxpayers Union. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Mazie Hirono supported the interests of the National Taxpayers Union 1 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
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| Yes |
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Budget, Spending, and Tax Issues: Do you support using government funds in an effort to stimulate and improve the economy? |
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Vote Smart's Research:
- Club for Growth. 2008. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Mazie Hirono supported the interests of the Club for Growth 0 percent in 2008. (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. HR 1. 111th Congress. Making supplemental appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, and State and local fiscal stabilization, for fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. Project Vote Smart Summary: Mazie Hirono voted YES on 13 February 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. HR 1424. 111th Congress. To provide authority for the Federal Government to purchase and insure certain types of troubled assets for the purposes of providing stability to and preventing disruption in the economy and financial system and protecting taxpayers, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for energy production and conservation, to extend certain expiring provisions, to provide individual income tax relief, and for other purposes. Project Vote Smart Summary: Mazie Hirono voted YES on 10 March 2008. (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. Issue Position: Economy. "Hawaii's economy depends on its small businesses, which provide the bulk of employment in our state. This is why I sought and received an appointment to the Small Business Committee. I strongly support increased federal investment in infrastructure, including our roads, mass transit, sewer and wastewater facilities. This is one reason I sought membership on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over highways, transit, aviation, maritime commerce and clean water and wastewater infrastructure. Island families are struggling to make ends meet. Our country cannot afford another eight years of this broken Bush economy.
Strengthening the Economy: Congress passed an economic stimulus package in February to boost consumer spending and stimulate business investment. We also passed sweeping housing overhaul legislation to stabilize the housing market and help struggling families get into affordable homes, which will help to jumpstart our economy.
This is a great start, but we need to do more. For one, we should consider introducing another stimulus package that targets increased infrastructure spending to generate jobs and have an immediate effect on our economy. It is also vitally important that we pass legislation that invests in our small businesses and act quickly to extend the renewable energy tax incentives that expire at the end of the year." (votesmart.org)
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| No |
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Business and Employment Issues: Do you support privatizing elements of Social Security? |
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Vote Smart's Research:
- Mazie Hirono. Congresswoman Hirono Helps Launch Task Force To Address Seniors' Priorities. 6 May 2010. "Seniors make up close to 20% of Hawaii's population, a number that is projected to grow to 25% over the next decade. This latest effort builds upon the steps already taken by Congress to protect seniors' retirement savings and to put a halt to financial and credit card scams that overwhelmingly target seniors. It also protects and upholds the promises made to all of America's seniors to improve established programs such as Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid, and to ensure their long-term solvency." (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. Issue Position: Social Security. "Social Security Solvency - Today over 200,000 Hawaii seniors depend on monthly social security benefits as their primary income source. Republicans opposed the creation of Social Security, and today they are once again working to undermine this program that so many seniors rely on. Republicans want to take that retirement security and leave it to the whims of Wall Street. I believe that we can protect Social Security's solvency for future generations and we can do it without slashing benefits, privatizing the program, or making people work into their golden years." (votesmart.org)
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| Unknown Position |
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Crime Issues: Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? |
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Vote Smart's Research:
- Despite exhaustive research, Project Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
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| Unknown Position |
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Education Issues: Do you support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students? |
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Vote Smart's Research:
- Mazie Hirono. Issue Position: Education. "Education is the great equalizer. We should be investing more into our children's future. Every family should have access to high quality early education, great public schools, and affordable college. I have used my seat on the Committee on Education and Labor to advocate for major reform to the flawed No Child Left Behind law, and to increase Pell Grants and loan forgiveness for college students and graduates. I introduced the PRE-K Act to provide increased federal funds for high quality preschool, and am working with Congressional leaders to get it signed into law. No Child Left Behind: While I am in support of increased accountability, we need to address many of the harmful flaws in the current NCLB law. We also need to fully fund any federal education policy, so that our school reform is properly supported. We also need to move away from our reliance on high-stakes testing. I am in favor of using growth models to track the performance of students from year to year, allowing teachers and parents to work together to support student learning." (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. On The Importance Of Education Reform. 27 October 2009. "One of the most notable improvements I've seen since the beginning of this administration is the importance the President has placed on education. I know I'm not alone in recognizing how President Obama and Education Secretary Duncan have changed the tone in the education community. Last Friday, David Brooks used his column in the New York Times to praise the President and the Secretary for their efforts in raising the bar on education reform: partnering with Congress, they have set high standards, and are providing $5 billion in competitive grants to those states that can best demonstrate their commitment to reform. As a result, there's real excitement among the states to put their best education reform foot forward as they gear up for the competition for these grants. At a time when the U.S. is falling behind other countries in educational attainment, at a time when state budgets are stretched thin, we need to focus more, not less, on strengthening education in our country to enable us to compete in the global economy." (votesmart.org)
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| Yes |
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Environment and Energy Issues: Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? |
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Vote Smart's Research:
- Environment America. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Mazie Hirono supported the interests of Environment America 93 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. HR 2454. 111th Congress. To create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming pollution and transition to a clean energy economy. Project Vote Smart Summary: Mazie Hirono voted YES on 26 June 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. Issue Position: Environment. "I support protecting and strengthening the environmental laws that have sheltered our wilderness, endangered species and ecosystems and the quality of our air and water. I oppose drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as well as in other environmentally sensitive areas. I support increased funding for our National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges as well as funding to help states like Hawaii protect natural areas for the benefit of future generations. We must take strong measures to slow the accumulation of greenhouse gases as well as plan for the inevitable effect of some level of warming on our communities, water supplies, agriculture, and plant and animal species.
Global Warming: I am a cosponsor of the two major bills in Congress addressing climate change: the Safe Climate Act and the Climate Stewardship Act. It is essential that the U.S. at long last provide international leadership in addressing this very real crisis by establishing mandatory limits on greenhouse gases. I also support Vice President Gore's call to set a national goal of producing all of our nation's electricity from renewable sources. In addition, we must recognize that global climate change is already occurring and plan accordingly by protecting vital habitat for species, conserving water resources, among other things." (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono signed the SEEC Letter to House Leadership on 25 March 2010. "?SEEC feels that it is of the highest priority that any comprehensive energy legislation includes reductions in greenhouse gas emissions necessary to spur private investment in American clean energy technologies, and is consistent with reduction targets in House-passed legislation."
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| Unknown Position |
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Gun Issues: Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? |
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Vote Smart's Research:
- Gun Owners of America. 2010. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. In 2010 Gun Owners of America gave Mazie Hirono a grade of F-. (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. HR 6842. 111th Congress. To restore Second Amendment rights in the District of Columbia. Project Vote Smart Summary: Mazie Hirono voted NO on 17 September 2008. (votesmart.org)
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| Yes |
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Health Issues: Do you support a publicly-administered health insurance option? |
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Vote Smart's Research:
- American Public Health Association. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Mazie Hirono supported the interests of the American Public Health Association 100 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. Health Care Crisis. 16 June 2009. "Mr. Speaker, it is time to stop playing politics and solve the health care crisis. Americans deserve a choice in quality health care that is affordable. Health care reform will make sure that we have the option to keep the health care insurance we have, if we like it, or to choose a quality public health care option. Health care reform will stop the insurance companies from denying coverage to those with preexisting conditions. You will also no longer be denied care because of your age. Health care reform will make sure that you will have coverage that can never be denied or taken away. Our families need this peace of mind. We spend almost 50 percent more per person on health care than does the next most costly nation, but we are no healthier for it. We cannot wait any longer to make health care reform a reality. Quality, affordable health care for all is long overdue." (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. HR 3962. 111th Congress. To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes. Project Vote Smart Summary: Mazie Hirono voted YES on 7 November 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. Issue Position: Heath. "Coverage: Health care is a right - not a privilege. It is appalling that 44 million people in America - the richest country in the world - do not have health insurance. Every family deserves access to high quality health care. We should focus first and foremost on covering children by expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). We are working in Congress to expand health insurance to an additional 10 million children, but thus far President Bush has vetoed each of our bills.
Access: We also have a major shortage of healthcare providers, especially in the Neighbor Islands. Last year, I voted to address this problem by increasing payments to doctors seeing Medicare patients, to help these doctors stay in business throughout Hawaii.
Cost: Seniors are spending too much money on their prescription drugs. In 2007 we passed a bill to require Medicare to negotiate for bulk prices on these drugs. The President vetoed the bill. Further, I am a cosponsor of a bill which would allow the safe re-importation of drugs being sold in places like Canada for substantially lower prices.
Research: We should be investing more money into health research to find cures and treatment options to cancer, diabetes, and all the major diseases Hawaii's families struggle with every day." (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. The Progressive Message. 4 June 2009. "And this is why the Progressive Caucus is very much focused as we focus on reducing costs and maintaining access and choice for doctors and health care plans and really focusing on affordable quality health care, that we want to have a public option, a public option to give the people of our country a choice as to whether or not, if they have their current private carrier insurance and they're happy with it, they can stay with that. But for those who want to have another option, who want to see competition in the health insurance market through a public option, that's what the Progressive Caucus wants to see." (votesmart.org)
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| Unknown Position |
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Immigration Issues: Do you support a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants? |
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Vote Smart's Research:
- Federation for American Immigration Reform. 2007-2008. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Mazie Hirono supported the interests of the Federation for American Immigration Reform 8 percent in 2007-2008. (votesmart.org)
- National Latino Congreso. 2007-2010. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Mazie Hirono supported the interests of the National Latino Congreso 100 percent in 2007-2010. (votesmart.org)
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| No |
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International Policy Issues: Do you support United States military action in Afghanistan? |
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Vote Smart's Research:
- Mazie Hirono. HawaiiNewsNow: Hawaii Delegation Reacts To President Obama's Strategy On Afghanistan. 1 December 2009. "I do have concerns about what we can realistically achieve with 30,000 additional troops. When we met with President Karzai, I stressed that the American people need reassurance through his actions that he would be a reliable partner. The American people and the Congress will now have an opportunity to fully examine this strategy and its costs." (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. HR 4899. 111th Congress. Supplemental Appropriations Act. Project Vote Smart Summary: Mazie Hirono voted YES on Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes on 1 July 2010. (votesmart.org)
- Mazie Hirono. HR 4899. 111th Congress. Supplemental Appropriations Act. Project Vote Smart Summary: Mazie Hirono voted YES on Requiring Timetable for Withdrawal from Afghanistan on 1 July 2010. (votesmart.org)
- Peace Action West. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Mazie Hirono supported the interests of Peace Action West 67 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
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| Unknown Position |
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Social Issues: Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? |
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Vote Smart's Research:
- Mazie Hirono. Issue Position: What Congressional Initiatives Are Necessary to Ensure Full Civil Rights for Women and Minorities? "The Constitution should expand our rights and protections, not contract them. Bans on same sex marriage have no place in the Constitution. I was the highest ranking elected official to publicly oppose Hawaii's Constitutional amendment which resulted in the banning of same-sex marriage." (votesmart.org)
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