Rep. Mazie Hirono missed a high-profile vote on extending student loan interest rates, as DC808 pointed out last week. Asked about the absence, the Hirono campaign said the “last-minute scheduling of the vote conflicted with a previous commitment,” and that “unfortunately, it’s a fact of running for office that conflicts will sometimes arise.”

The measure — which Hirono’s campaign called a “shibai bill” in a statement — advanced along party lines in the House by a vote of 215-195. (In other words, Hirono’s vote alone could not have changed the outcome.)

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa voted against it, and the Hirono camp indicated she would have, too. The Obama administration has threatened to veto the bill. Here’s an excerpt from the campaign’s response to DC808: “Unfortunately, the House Majority would rather play politics with this issue than get something done. Their shibai bill cuts preventive health care to pay for student loans. What kind of choice is that?”

We asked a spokeswoman repeatedly for details on where Hirono was at the time of the vote, but she wouldn’t divulge any specifics other than the congresswoman’s mode of transport (train). More from the Hirono campaign: 

“To ensure our families can continue to afford the cost of college, it’s critical that Mazie runs the strongest possible Senate campaign. We need to win this Senate seat so our next Senator shares Hawaii’s values.”

Last time we counted — back in August — Hirono had opted out of 3 percent of votes.