After undergoing two surgeries for kidney cancer and helping to save the Affordable Care Act, Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawai`i is “happy, healthy and feeling great, ready to take on the Trump Administration and re-election,” as recently reported by a Honolulu TV news station:
When Island News caught up with Hirono in Washington D.C. in June to talk about her recent health issues, she was pretty hard to keep up with. She easily reaches her 10,000 steps a day.
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Over breakfast of Acai bowls and vegan avocado toast at one of her favorite Hawaii stops, we talked about her diet VB6. She has been on for about four years.
That's vegan before 6. Basically, she follows a vegan diet until 6 p.m .
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Island News asked the senator if she thinks keeping healthy and active has helped her battle with cancer.
"Yes, there's no question. I didn't have other illnesses such as diabetes or anything else. My doctor said that my recovery was really helped by that," she said.
She’s posted a video today on Facebook and Twitter in recognition of National Stand Up to Cancer Day.
Hirono is also one of 46 “women who are changing the world” featured in TIME Magazine’s “FIRSTS” series. The project is available online, as a book, and will also be featured in the Sept. 18 issue of TIME, available on newsstands today.
From Hirono’s feature:
“Women are problem solvers. The women of the Senate get together on a regular basis. None of us is namby-pamby. We have different approaches, but I believe that women are very effective in what we do and in our ability to keep the lines of communication open.”
Hirono has been busy on several policy fronts.
She took to the Senate Floor this week to urge Congress to take action to protect those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program after the Trump Administration announced it would end the program, as reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser:
Along with other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Hirono questioned President Trump’s nominee to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Eric Dreiband, on his history of opposing civil rights actions.
CNN reported:
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, who was skeptical Dreiband had the right experience to lead the civil rights department, pressed him. ‘Do you believe you would have a special responsibility to speak up against people promoting hate on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation?’ Hirono asked.
Hirono then released a statement after the hearing saying Dreiband had ‘a disturbing record of opposing civil rights actions, and we did not have adequate opportunity to press him on his views under oath.’
“‘With the limited time we had, I found Mr. Dreiband's answers on how the Justice Department should enforce our nation's civil rights laws to be lacking, and will submit substantive written follow-up to address my continued concerns,’ she continued.
Meanwhile, she recently launched her 2018 re-election campaign with a fundraiser that featured music from part-time Hawai`i residents Mick Fleetwood and Willie Nelson, along with a surprise singing performance by comedian Jim Carrey, who announced the gathering was not just a great party but “for a great cause.”
So, there’s a lot of good news in Hawai`i. But those of us who live here in a hurricane-prone area can’t help but be worried about and hurting for those in Florida and the Caribbean right now. So Hurricane Irma relief is, collectively, our greatest cause at the moment. The Miami Herald has some great ways to help:
Aloha and mahalo.