{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hirono.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-hirono-stands-up-for-middle-class-families", "SENATOR HIRONO STANDS UP FOR MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES", "2014-12-13", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Mazie Hirono", "H001042", "www.hirono.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SENATOR HIRONO STANDS UP FOR MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tVotes against Wall Street bailouts and lifting of political contribution limits\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSaturday, December 13, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 \u00a0Tonight the Senate voted on a 1,600 page bill that funds nearly every policy area and government program through September 30, 2015. Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined a number of her colleagues in voting against this proposal, which passed on a vote of 56 to 40.\r\nSenator Hirono joined 39 of her colleagues including Senators Carl Levin (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jon Tester (D-MT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Al Franken (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in voting against the bill.\r\n\u201cThe price of funding government programs for only one year should not be permanent changes to laws that will have lasting impacts on working families for years to come and that is why I could not in good conscience support this bill,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cI respect the right of every Senator to vote his or her conscience on every difficult vote. And this was a difficult vote.\u00a0Despite the differences reflected in this vote, my hope is that we will go forward to do our work so that the outcomes will reflect clearly that we are on the side of working, everyday American people.\u201d\r\n\u201cImportant government programs that support our families and communities should not be held hostage to get permanent changes to laws that undermine the middle class. This bill revises pension laws in a way that breaks a longstanding commitment to retirees and working people,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cIn Hawaii this change could impact thousands of union members and their families. This bill waters down hard-fought limits on Wall Street recklessness and lifts the ceiling for political contributions to parties at a time when the flood of big money in our democracy is a matter of national outrage.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.hirono.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-hirono-stands-up-for-middle-class-families"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7887310348451138, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}