Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green today led a dedication ceremony on Maui for the opening of Hawai‘i’s first federally-funded electric vehicle (EV) charging station. To date, Hawai‘i has received more than $10 million in federal funding to build EV charging stations through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program from the federal infrastructure law passed in 2021. “Every charging...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on reporting of the Chinese government’s involvement with community policing in the Republic of Kiribati. “Reports of China’s growing influence across Pacific Island nations, including Kiribati, underscore the need for the United States to continue strengthening our partnerships in the region. To build enduring trust with the people of the Pacific Islands, we...

Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) as well as Senators Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) sent a letter to President Biden expressing concern around any additional transfer of U.S. weapons, including bombs, to the Netanyahu government in light of the current humanitarian disaster in Gaza and the developing crisis in Rafah. The Senators go on to press the President for specific commitments from the Netanyahu government prior to any...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg today toured multiple infrastructure projects on O‘ahu which have received federal funding, including through the historic infrastructure law Congress passed in 2021. Schatz, chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, and Buttigieg visited the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Control Room and rode the Skyline with Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and other city...

LAHAINA  – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited Maui today and received an update from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Environmental Protection Agency on the ongoing recovery effort from the wildfires in Lahaina. Schatz and Buttigieg also received an update on the Honoapi‘ilani Highway realignment project and discussed how historic federal investments are helping make infrastructure on...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representatives Jill Tokuda (D-Hawai‘i) and Ed Case (D-Hawai‘i) introduced a resolution celebrating Mahina ?Olelo Hawai?i, also known as Hawaiian Language Month. “This February, we celebrate Mahina ‘Olelo Hawai‘i and the Native language schools and programs that work every day to preserve the Hawaiian language and culture,” said Senator Schatz, chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “Indigenous...

MUNICH – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, today released the following statement after leading tech companies unveiled a pledge at the Munich Security Conference to label deepfake content generated by AI related to elections. Schatz introduced the bipartisan AI Labeling Act last year, calling on companies to label all AI-generated content, regardless of subject matter. “With dozens of elections taking place this year...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, announced that the Federal Aviation Administration is awarding $30.6 million to two airports on Maui and O‘ahu. The funding comes from the historic Infrastructure Law passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden in 2021. “This new federal funding will support necessary upgrades at Honolulu and Kahului airports that will make it easier and faster for passengers to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate voted to pass the National Security Act. “Today, the Senate made good on the United States’ obligations as the leader of the free world to stand with our allies and partners and defend democracy. By passing the National Security Act, we’re sending a message to the world that we remain the indispensable nation. “This funding could not come...

WASHINGTON – In remarks on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for the swift passage of the national security supplemental. In his remarks, Schatz underscored the urgent need for military support for Ukraine and humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza. “There’s no good reason to delay the security and humanitarian assistance in this national security supplemental package any longer. Ukraine is running...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that the State of Hawai‘i has been selected to participate in the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator, a new initiative to improve coordination across Medicaid, housing, and health care systems to better serve people with disabilities and older adults who are experiencing...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced provisions from several of his bills were included in the bipartisan Senate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2023 that passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation this week. Originally part of the Air Tour and Skydiving Safety Improvement Act, the Hawai‘i Air Tour Management Act, the Improved Transportation Consumer Protection Act, and the Natural Hazard Resilience for Airports...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today introduced legislation to prevent youth suicide, the second leading cause of death for people aged 10-24. The Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act would fund suicide prevention initiatives, ensure health care providers receive training to prevent intentional harm, and create a centralized hub to provide safety information to at-risk youth and their support networks. “Youth suicide is a crisis in Hawai‘i and across America,...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) today introduced the Comprehensive Resources for Entrepreneurs in the Arts to Transform the Economy (CREATE) Act. The bipartisan legislation will support artists and small businesses in creative industries by increasing access to federal resources to help them grow. “Local artists, writers, performers, and the creative industry they support are vital to our economy and enrich our daily lives,” said Senator Schatz....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement regarding the Senate’s bipartisan national security supplemental bill. “The fate of the free world is on the line in the war in Ukraine – and whether or not the United States continues to step up to help Ukraine fight back against Putin’s unrelenting assault will define our leadership on the global stage for generations to come,” said Senator Schatz, a...

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced legislation this week to increase the amount that hospitals in Hawai‘i and Alaska can be reimbursed by Medicare to perform outpatient care, such as emergency department visits and imaging services, for enrolled seniors. Historically, rural states have faced significant cost disparities for Medicare reimbursement that drive up costs for both hospitals...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation Housing and Urban Development, today released the following statement after Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi signed the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit’s updated full funding grant agreement (FFGA). With the FFGA finalized, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is now set to release millions in remaining federal funding, which was withheld by FTA following delays and...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) introduced the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, a bill that would provide federal employees with a 7.4 percent pay increase in calendar year 2025. Schatz previously introduced similar legislation in the 115th, 116th, and 117th Congresses. The federal government has a history of chronic underinvestment in its most valuable asset: the federal workforce. Federal employees have had to...

WASHINGTON – Following calls led by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representatives Ed Case (D-Hawai‘i) and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawai‘i), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will increase the recently-authorized summer meal benefit for children in Hawai‘i to account for the higher cost of food in the state. This summer, children in Hawai‘i will receive $59 per month, compared to $40 per month in the continental U.S. “This adjustment...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement after President Joe Biden and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced that the Department of Energy will pause approvals of liquified natural gas (LNG) exports as it reviews its criteria for determining whether applications are in the public interest. “As the U.S. makes historic progress towards building a clean energy future on the heels of the Inflation Reduction Act, we can’t simultaneously expand...