Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) introduced the Airplane Kids In Transition Safety (KITS) Act of 2016, legislation which would urge the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to update its regulations regarding the medications and equipment required to be carried in airplane medical kits in order to better serve children in-flight. “Every year, airplane medical kits help save lives, but today these kits aren’t...

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee began the process of developing legislation to fund the federal government for 2017.  At a Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing this morning, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) underscored the important role the Air Force plays in our national security and our strategic rebalance to the Asia Pacific. “This is the beginning of our process of securing federal funding for Hawai‘i,” said Senator...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) issued the following statement after today’s Supreme Court decision to temporarily block President Obama’s proposed regulations to curb carbon emissions from power plants. “This is a step in exactly the wrong direction. If we are going to protect our planet for future generations, we must significantly reduce our carbon emissions and that is exactly what the president’s plan would do. Not surprisingly, the...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, commended the administration’s proposal of $1.8 billion to fight the Zika virus. “I’m pleased that the administration is aggressively responding to the Zika outbreaks and is working to protect Americans from this devastating virus,” said Senator Schatz.  “We should quickly approve these funds, which will give our communities, states, and...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) joined 45 Senate Democrats today and released a new letter to President Obama urging a coordinated interagency response plan to address the spread of the Zika virus both at home and abroad. “As the dengue outbreak continues to impact communities on Hawai‘i Island, we need more aggressive action to contain it and to stop the threat of Zika, another mosquito-borne virus that is devastating dozens of countries around...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act, bipartisan legislation that would expand telehealth services through Medicare, improve care outcomes, make it easier for patients to connect with their health care providers, and help cut costs for...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) offered an amendment to the Energy Policy Modernization Act that would balance tax preferences for the clean energy and fossil fuel industries. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the Schatz amendment today. Senator Schatz said, “If we are phasing out tax credits for clean energy – something I oppose– then why are we still committing to permanently support the fossil fuel industries with tax preferences they...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today voted 55-37 to include an amendment to the Energy Policy Modernization Act that will authorize increased funding for energy science and technology research.  The amendment, offered by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), will boost funding for the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), an agency within the Department of Energy tasked with funding energy technology projects that help the United States compete, prosper, and...

WASHINGTON – In a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and 19 other senators are urging the agency to expand its regulation of methane emissions. As a part of the president’s Climate Action Plan, the EPA has begun to address industrial sources of methane, but not all sources of the gas are currently included in the final rule. The senators wrote, “Your agency has...

Honolulu, HI – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) issued the following statement after the death of Hawai‘i State Senator Gil Kahele. “Gil Kahele was one of the kindest, most decent, most caring public servants that I have ever known.  His heart for the people of his community made him an effective leader, community organizer and Senator.  He was so kind to me and to everyone whom he touched.  This is a sad day and he will be missed.”  

Honolulu, HI – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) issued the following statement after the death of 12 U.S. Marines involved in a training accident in Hawai‘i on January 14. “This is a tragic loss of 12 Marines from all over our great country and whose lives were filled with promise.  In service to their country, they called Hawai‘i home and so the loss we feel today is like the loss of family.  Their loss is also a reminder of the dangers faced by...

Standing with Advocates & College Students Saddled by Student Loan Debt, Senate Democrats Unveiled A New Legislative Package and Campaign to Address College Affordability in 2016, Dubbed #InTheRed, That Seeks to Put the Country on a Path Toward Debt-Free College  Senate Dems Vow to Continue Efforts and Momentum From Last Week, In Which Dozens Of Dems Brought Attention To The New #InTheRed Campaign On Capitol Hill By Bringing A Local Student As Their Guest To The State Of The Union,...

Honolulu, HI – Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” –Martin Luther King, Jr. “Today we honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. whose dedication to peace, equality and justice has helped shape our country and inspire generations. At a time when our country was suffering from intense racism, Dr....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement in response to the president’s annual State of the Union address: “Tonight, we heard the president reflect on the significant progress we have made in the last seven years. From the economic recovery to health care reform to historic global action on climate change, we have seen real results that have strengthened our economy and provided more opportunities for working families. But there...

Honolulu, HI – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement today following the announcement that the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Co. Plantation on Maui will close by the end of the year: “I am deeply saddened by today’s announcement that sugar operations at HC&S will close this year.  For over 130 years, sugar production on Maui was more than a business, spawning a way of life and generations of hard working women and men who made our...

Honolulu, HI – On Friday, President Obama signed into law legislation to extend a tax credit that helps families pay for residential clean energy equipment, such as solar photovoltaics and solar hot water heaters, for five years. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) first introduced legislation, S.1755, to extend the Residential Energy Efficient Property Tax Credit, also known as 25D.  Schatz then worked to include the five-year tax credit extension into the...

Washington, D.C. – Today, congressional appropriators released a bipartisan spending deal that will increase federal spending in Hawai‘i for fiscal year 2016.  U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, advanced Hawai‘i priorities during committee consideration this year, which are now reflected in the final deal.  Overall, defense spending in Hawai‘i will increase by more than $200 million, and transportation...

Washington, D.C. – Today, congressional appropriators released a bipartisan spending deal that guarantees the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will have the budget it needs to fulfill its mission and ensure that the American people have access to leading edge communications services.  U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee’s Communications, Technology, Innovation and the...

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today passed by unanimous consent S. 2044, the Consumer Review Freedom Act, introduced by Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet Subcommittee Ranking Member Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). The bipartisan bill is also co-sponsored by the full committee’s Ranking Member, Senator Bill...

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Climate Action Task Force, released the following statement on the Paris Climate Agreement: “This is an historic moment – when the international community finally takes responsibility for climate change in a meaningful way. This is a global problem that cannot be solved by nations acting alone. We must come together, and with this agreement, we did.”