Hirono Introduces Amendments to Combat Republican Budget Resolution and Protect Working Families, Veterans, Seniors, and Students

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) introduced amendments to Senate Republicans' budget resolution, which would pay for trillions in tax cuts for billionaires by gutting federal programs that many Americans rely on, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and more. Senator Hirono's 30 amendments would protect these crucial programs, bolster our national security, lower costs for families, and confront the Trump Administration's lawlessness and rampant corruption.

"Senate Republicans' budget resolution makes clear where their loyalties lie-not with the American people, but with Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies," said Senator Hirono. "Rather than supporting programs that lower costs for families, help people access healthcare, and keep students fed, Republicans are pulling a reverse Robin Hood-stealing from working people and giving to the rich.

"Donald Trump and his ilk are paying for trillions in tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations on the backs of working families, veterans, seniors, and students. That is entirely unacceptable and why I introduced these amendments-to protect our communities and combat Republicans' efforts to gut crucial federal programs that we all rely on."

Senator Hirono's 30 amendments are listed below:

Protecting Social Security

• To create a point of order against legislation that would result in disruption of Social Security benefits or interruption of services within the Social Security program.
• To create a point of order against legislation that would reduce services provided to Social Security beneficiaries.

Combating Attacks on Medicaid, Medicare, and the American Healthcare System

• To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to protecting access to immunizations, which may include no-cost coverage of adult vaccines, including measles, recommended by Federal advisory committees, such as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices under Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program.
• To create a point of order against legislation that would give Federal law enforcement officers the authority to access, collect, retain, share, or use protected health information of pregnant women related to the pregnancy without their valid explicit, informed authorization or a warrant obtained pursuant to rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.

Advocating for Veterans

• To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to rescinding the Trump Administration's actions ending certain care for transgender veterans and preserving health care for LGBTQIA+ veterans.
• To create a point of order against legislation that would derive savings from putting Federal Government workers who are veterans in any employment status where they have fewer whistleblower protections to report waste, fraud, or abuse affecting veterans.

Bolstering National Security

• To create a point of order against legislation that would prevent the firing, dismissals, or demotion in rank of military service Judge Advocate Generals (JAGs).
• To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to protect public shipyard workers.
• To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to strengthening the protection of classified information or preventing the sharing of classified information on unclassified channels to our protect the lives of servicemembers and government personnel.
• To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to enhancing Department of Defense energy resilience.

Confronting Trump's Lawlessness & Rampant Corruption

• To create a point of order against legislation that would derive any savings from a reduction in force in agencies that have a regulatory or oversight role in companies owned or managed by employees or associates of the U.S. DOGE Temporary Service or the Executive Office of the President or individuals who have given more than $1,000,000 in political donations in the preceding 2 years.
• To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to providing better oversight and ethics guidance to executive branch officials to prevent the selling of influence to entities with business before the executive branch, the promise of favorable regulatory actions in exchange for personal or political gain, or the use of an official position to extract outsized returns for the sale of goods and rights to entities with business before the executive branch.
• To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to prohibiting the use of taxpayer dollars to defend certain special Government employees in the Executive Office of the President against lawsuits.
• To create a point of order against legislation that would derive savings from a reduction in force that could facilitate conflicts of interest or self-dealing for individuals with official or unofficial roles in the executive branch.
• To create a point of order against reconciliation legislation if the President has changed the employment status of Federal employees by Executive order.
• To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to supporting Federal employees who have been involuntarily removed without cause from the civil service.
• To create a point of order against reconciliation legislation if more than 10,000 Federal jobs have been eliminated in the year preceding consideration of the legislation.

Keeping Americans Safe

• To create a point of order against legislation that would decrease funding relating to the issue contemplated under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.
• To create a point of order against legislation that would derive savings from a reduction in force that could inhibit enforcement actions against companies or individuals who engage in unfair or deceptive actions, target seniors for fraudulent schemes, or abuse the "Do Not Call" registry.
• To create a point of order against legislation that would derive any savings from a reduction in force that reduces the Department of Labor's ability to inspect worksites for dangerous conditions or child labor law violations.

Lowering Costs for Americans

• To create a point of order against legislation that would derive savings from measures that will negatively impact the ability of the United States Postal Service to serve rural residents or seniors, such as by eliminating the universal serve obligation of the Postal Service or privatizing the Postal Service.
• To create a point of order against legislation that would derive short term savings from a reduction in force that will cost the Federal Government, and therefore taxpayers, more in the long run, including firing employees that earn less than private sector employees in similar roles and firing employees whose role will need to be replaced by a contractor.
• To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to restoring funding for clean energy projects.
• To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to lowering energy costs and producing more clean energy.

Fighting for Students and Public Education

• To create a point of order against legislation that reduces federal funding under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 for school meal programs (school meal programs).
• To create a point of order against legislation that reduces federal funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for programs that serve students with disabilities.
• To create a point of order against legislation that reduces federal funding for schools eligible to receive funding under part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (low-income schools).
• To create a point of order against legislation that reduces federal funding under Title IV Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act for afterschool and summer programs (Afterschool and summer programs).
• To create a point of order against legislation that further restricts eligibility for or reduce federal funding for student aid programs, including Pell Grants and student loans (Pell Grants).
• To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to bolstering the Pell Grant program, which may include changes to increase the Pell Grant maximum award, index the Pell Grant maximum award for inflation, or expand Pell Grant program eligibility.

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