Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Bipartisan congressional leaders today announced that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes key reforms to the Department of Defense’s 1033 program, which authorizes the federal transfer of military equipment to state and local law enforcement agencies. The adoption of the provision follows legislation and calls from U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) to stop police militarization and reform the 1033 program. Schatz first introduced bipartisan...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today called on Governor David Ige to maintain Hawai‘i’s expanded COVID-19 contact tracing program. With some federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act set to expire at the end of the year, Schatz urged Ige to utilize other sources of funding to ensure the contact tracing program remains fully operational. “I am alarmed that there does not seem to be a plan yet for how to...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representatives Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawai‘i) and Ed Case (D-Hawai‘i) today called on President Trump to approve Governor David Ige’s request to extend authorization and funding for Hawai‘i National Guard’s COVID-19 response operations. “These brave soldiers and airmen are performing essential missions, such as contact tracing, operating mobile swab teams,...

HONOLULU — U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i County will receive $2,246,668.50 in new federal funding to repair Old Mamalahoa Highway after severe flood damage from Hurricane Lane in 2018. “This new grant will help us build guard rails and other improvements on Old Mamalahoa Highway after damage from Hurricane Lane. That way, we can keep the road open even after heavy storms and help Big Island families travel safely,” said...

HONOLULU — Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the Kauai County Housing Agency will receive $352,924 in federal funding to support the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. These funds will help support rental assistance programs for current voucher holders who lost their job or saw a significant reduction in income due to the pandemic. “This federal grant will help those who have lost their job or had their hours cut make rent,” said Senator...

HONOLULU — Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the county of Honolulu will receive $1,766,053.50 to repair damage to the Wailupe Stream Boulder Basin resulting from severe flooding and landslides in April 2018.  “We need to do everything we can to protect our families and our homes from devastating floods. These new federal funds will help by restoring the Wailupe Stream Boulder Basin to full strength," said Senator Schatz, a member...

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Manoa will receive $958,613 from the National Institutes of Health to increase the reach, access and uptake of COVID-19 testing among Pacific Islander communities in Hawai‘i and Guam. This grant will fund the Puipuia le Ola project, which improves testing outreach to Pacific Islanders through culturally and linguistically...

HONOLULU – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on Veterans Day and the opening of the new National Native American Veterans Memorial on the National Mall. “This Veterans Day and every day we show our respect and gratitude to all our veterans. To the more than 120,000 veterans who call Hawai‘i home, we extend a special aloha, reaffirm our commitment to providing the health care and benefits you have earned, and hope each one of you...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Banking Committee and Chair of the Special Committee on the Climate Crisis, today released the following statement on the Federal Reserve's request to join the Network for Greening the Financial System, a coalition of central banks and bank supervisors from around the world working to manage climate risks. Earlier this week, the Fed also discussed climate risks for the first time in its financial stability...

  HONOLULU — Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i will receive $1,820,264 in federal funding to support the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. These funds will help support rental assistance programs for current voucher holders who lost their job or saw a significant reduction in income due to the pandemic.   “For those who have lost jobs or had hours cut, this federal money will help make...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a senior member on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, today announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a grant that would provide the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) ownership of broadband spectrum to deploy wireless internet services on Kauai, Lanai, Molokai, and Maui. “This news means that people can expect faster and more reliable internet service,” said Senator Schatz, the top...

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of four senators to call on Amazon to stop tracking their employees’ activities and undermining their federally protected right to unionize. Recent reporting indicates that Amazon is monitoring employees who attempt to organize and thwarting those efforts, thereby engaging in unethical, and potentially unlawful, action.   “The fact that Amazon has decided to heavily invest in systems...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) announced that they will introduce The Disaster Learning and Life Saving Act of 2020. The bipartisan legislation will create a new permanent and independent board to study the underlying causes of disaster related fatalities and property damage nationwide. The National Disaster Safety Board (NDSB) will make recommendations to all levels of government on how to improve the resiliency of...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of five senators in demanding that BlackRock match its public commitment to climate action with its voting record on shareholder resolutions. In a letter to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, the senators requested that he justify his firm’s consistent anti-climate proxy voting record this year — despite the firm's commitment in January to hold...

HONOLULU — Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami announced that the Department of Public Works will receive $1,638,727.50 to repair Wainiha Powerhouse Road on Kauai. In 2018, Kauai experienced severe storms and record rainfall, resulting in flooding and landslides that damaged the road.   “Communities on Kauai depend on safe roadways, and this new funding will help us rebuild from the severe storms two years...

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i will receive $797,942 in new funding for COVID-19 vaccine preparedness. These federal funds will go to the Department of Health to develop vaccine distribution plans, determine where the vaccine will be administered, and ensure an adequate number of vaccination providers. “Once a safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine is available, Hawai‘i must be prepared to successfully distribute it to...

WASHINGTON – Following news of confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the White House, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today called on White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to immediately contain the outbreak and conduct contact tracing and testing of all White House grounds and residence staff in accordance with public health guidelines. “It does not appear that the White House is following CDC guidelines and responding to its COVID-19 outbreak with the urgency and speed to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today criticized his Republican colleagues on the Senate Commerce Committee for pressuring tech companies so that they stop policing election-related misinformation on their platforms. It is critical to the integrity of the election that tech companies moderate content on their sites and take down misinformation. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act enables them to do that and does not require...

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the state of Hawai‘i will receive $6,132,815 in new federal funding to expand veterans cemeteries on Kauai and Maui. “Thousands of brave service members from Hawai‘i put their lives on the line to serve our country. These federal funds will help us expand our veterans cemeteries so we can continue to honor their legacies,” said Senator Schatz, the top Democrat on...

   WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) urged the Census Bureau to reverse its decision to end the self-response period and field data collection for the 2020 Census on October 5 and instead allow operations to continue until October 31. This bipartisan effort follows the Census Bureau’s decision to ignore a recent federal court ruling, which found that ending the counting operations early would result in a...