Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden signed the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act into law. The new law, authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), will expand research into marijuana-derived medications. The goal of the law is to facilitate research on marijuana and its potential health benefits. The Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act will accomplish this by...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i will receive $5.6 million in new federal funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce to expand high-speed internet access in unserved and underserved communities. “Everyone in Hawai‘i should have access to high-speed internet,” said Senator Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This funding will allow us to expand broadband infrastructure across the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, renewed efforts to urge President Joe Biden to commute the sentence of Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist convicted of murder in 1977 following a controversial investigation and trial, which many civil rights leaders and legal experts have called unjust, including the U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the case. The new letter follows Schatz’s call for clemency in January....

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Safe Connections Act. The bill, authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), will help survivors of domestic violence and other crimes cut ties with their abusers and separate from shared wireless service plans, which can be exploited to monitor, stalk, or control victims. “Giving domestic violence abusers control over their victims’ cell phones is a terrifying reality for many...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as president of Brazil. “Lula’s win is a victory for global climate action. The importance of the Amazon as a carbon sink cannot be overstated, and its preservation is critical to preventing the most destructive climate change scenarios. Lula significantly curbed deforestation during his...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today commended the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on newly issued guidance to consumer reporting companies about their obligation to screen for and eliminate errors from consumers’ credit reports. In November, Schatz urged the agency to help improve the accuracy of credit reports, streamline the dispute resolution process, and hold consumer reporting agencies accountable for addressing persistent...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, released the following statement after the Department of the Interior announced its first-ever consultation policy with the Native Hawaiian community.   “This is a very big deal and a vital first step. One of the most important principles in policymaking, especially as it relates to Native communities, is: ‘nothing about me, without me.’ This policy update...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced more than $27 million in funding to Hawai‘i from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support programs and research that expand access to health care and domestic violence programs, reduce racial and ethnic health disparities, and support the health care workforce. This funding includes over $4.3 million in congressionally-directed spending secured by Schatz, and millions of dollars more as...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have introduced the Identifying Propaganda on Our Airwaves (IPA) Act, bipartisan legislation to help disclose foreign propaganda on American broadcast television and radio. The bill authorizes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to require that broadcasters check foreign media databases to better identify groups sponsoring programming. Companion legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that seven Native Hawaiian organizations working to preserve and share Native Hawaiian culture and traditions with visitors will receive $1 million in funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior to continue doing so. The funding is made possible by the NATIVE Act, 2016 legislation authored by Senator Schatz to help empower Native communities through cultural tourism. “Everyone who visits Hawaiʻi should...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after the Hawai‘i Department of Health approved the Navy’s plan to drain pipelines at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.   “This is a positive step toward defueling and shutting down Red Hill. DoD must continue to work with state officials and community leaders as quickly as possible. There’s no turning back, and there’s no time to waste.” ###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i will receive $1,417,688 in new federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support school meal programs. This money will help schools provide students with nutritious meals, supporting families that face food insecurity and addressing food shortages amid supply chain challenges. “Kids throughout Hawai‘i rely on school meals so that they can stay healthy and succeed...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, released the following statement after the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced it has approved the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit’s updated Recovery Plan. “We still have a long way to go, but this is an important step that recognizes the work HART and the city have done to provide more...

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) today introduced bipartisan legislation to fund free confidential support services to incarcerated survivors of sexual abuse and harassment. Many correctional facilities are reluctant to fund support programs or collaborate with outside partners willing to offer these services. This new program would ensure that survivors in prisons across the country have access to important emotional support...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i K-12 schools will receive $58,193,270 in new federal funding for the 2022-2023 school year to support programs aimed at helping educate students in low-income communities. These funds will go toward new technology, teacher professional development, additional educators, and other academic programs. Title I schools, where a disproportionate number of students live in poverty, will be the direct...

WASHINGTON – Last night, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) designating September 18-24 as “Telehealth Awareness Week.” The resolution recognized that telehealth has helped millions of people access quality health care, and has become a critical component of health care delivery. “Telehealth helps people get quality health care safely and when they need it, and our...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today released the following statement after the Department of Defense announced it had named Rear Admiral John Wade to serve as commander of Joint Task Force Red Hill. “Shutting down Red Hill cannot be delayed. With a commander now in place, the Joint Task Force can become fully operational and begin to work on-site with state, local, and community leaders to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement on the Department of Defense’s (DoD) updated plan to defuel and shut down the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. “Shutting down Red Hill cannot be delayed. While the updated plan to close the facility sooner is a step in the right direction, DoD must make it a priority to move fast and permanently shut down Red Hill as quickly as possible. We also need the Joint Task Force to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that the Hawai‘i Department of Health will receive more than $1 million in new federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for preventive and community health measures. “By supporting preventive health programs, this new federal funding will help keep more people healthy and stop medical problems before they become major health issues,” said Senator Schatz, a member of...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced Hawai‘i will receive more than $55 million in new federal funding for new electric public transit buses across the state. The new money, allocated by U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) from the recent infrastructure law, will provide Hawai‘i residents and visitors with more travel options while cutting air pollution. “This new federal funding will make it easier for people to get to where they...