Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Following calls from U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced it would restore federal funding to maintain air service to and from Hana. The four-year federal subsidy, totaling more than $650,000, to Mokulele Airlines will help the carrier maintain regular air service to the Hana community. Mokulele will provide Hana with 14 nonstop round trips a week to Kahului. “I thank the Department of Transportation for hearing us...

WASHINGTON – Following the closing arguments in the impeachment trial of the president, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) spoke on the Senate floor and announced that he will vote to convict President Donald Trump on the two articles of impeachment brought by the House of Representatives. “The president is not above the law, no one is above the law. The president is guilty on both counts,” said Senator Schatz.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) called for an investigation into the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) following a new troubling report. The new report, from the Senate Commerce Committee, details how repeated warnings about the safety of helicopters in Hawai‘i were ignored by the federal regulator’s leadership. “For the past year, we have raised concerns that the FAA has ignored warnings about the...

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Hawai‘i received more than $8 million in federal funding to maintain harbors on Maui and Molokai. The new funding was included in the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act passed by Congress and signed into law last year. “As an island state, our harbors and ports keep our state connected and our local economy moving,” said U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on new unreasonable restrictions on media access during the Senate impeachment trial.  “As the Senate begins to consider the articles of impeachment, the American people deserve a full view of these proceedings. But the new restrictions imposed on the press will make it more difficult for reporters to keep the public informed about every step of this historic trial. These...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and 30 of his Senate colleagues called on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn to uphold the Trump Administration’s promise to remove all non-tobacco flavored vaping products from the market. The FDA this month announced a weak policy that includes huge exceptions on menthol-flavored products and any flavored e-liquids that are not in a cartridge. “We are deeply disappointed with the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) introduced the “Inspiring Nationally Vibrant Economies Sustaining Tribes (INVEST) Act. The Schatz-Murkowski legislation aims to make significant improvements to the existing New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program to more effectively reach Native communities, such as those in Hawai‘i. “By attracting new investment to communities...

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) signed onto a war powers resolution to force a debate and vote in Congress to prevent further escalation of hostilities with Iran. “Congress, not the president, has the constitutional authority to declare war, and I oppose a war with Iran,” said Senator Schatz. “No one mourns the death of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani, a ruthless terrorist responsible for the deaths of thousands, including hundreds of...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured $1.1 million for a first-ever Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Manoa. The funding was included in the bipartisan spending deal signed into law by the president this month. “This new ROTC program at UH will give more Hawai‘i students a chance at earning scholarships and gaining an education, while helping the Navy...

WASHINGTON – Legislation authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) to fight online child exploitation was signed into law on Friday. The new Schatz law will help the Pentagon stop the unacceptable use of the Defense Department’s (DoD) network to view, possess, trade, procure, and even produce child pornography. “This law will give our military leaders the tools they need to get rid of child pornography on DoD’s network, go after offenders, and protect...

WASHINGTON – Legislation authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) that secures paid parental leave for federal employees was signed into law by the president today. The new law will provide more than two million federal workers with 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a new child after birth, adoption, or the initiation of foster care. “This new law means that the federal government’s 2 million workers will no longer be forced to choose between getting a paycheck...

  WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the Senate voted unanimously to pass a bipartisan resolution introduced by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to ensure that the 2020 Census is fair and accurate. The resolution encourages individuals, families, and households across the United States to take part in the Census so that all communities can be counted. “The Census is essential to our democracy, ensuring that every person is counted and receives the...

  WASHINGTON – Legislation first authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) that will prohibit the sale of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to anyone under the age of 21 passed the Senate today and is expected to be signed into law by the president. “This is a big win for public health. Raising the minimum smoking and vaping age to 21 will protect our kids and save lives,” said Senator Schatz. Every day, approximately 1,300 people die from...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives approved articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. “It is a somber time for our country, but one our founders specifically contemplated when they gave Congress the authority to impeach a president. They worried that a corrupt leader would use the presidency for personal gain, and they worried that a foreign government would interfere...

WASHINGTON – Last night, congressional appropriators released a bipartisan spending deal that will increase federal funding for critical programs that benefit Hawai‘i for fiscal year 2020. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, successfully advanced state priorities which are now included in the final deal. “Hawai‘i’s share of federal dollars continues to grow every year,” said Senator Schatz. “This...

  WASHINGTON – A provision authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) that secures paid parental leave for all federal employees passed the Senate today and is expected to be signed into law. The new law, included in the annual defense authorization bill, will provide 2 million federal workers with 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a new child after birth, adoption, or the initiation of foster care. “This new law means that the federal government’s 2 million...

WASHINGTON – Legislation first authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) that will prohibit the sale of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to anyone under the age of 21 has been included in a bipartisan spending deal announced by congressional leaders today. “This is a big win for public health. Raising the minimum smoking and vaping age to 21 will protect our kids and save lives,” said Senator Schatz. Every day, approximately 1,300 people die from...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to treat methamphetamine misuse as a priority and devote more federal resources to addressing the growing epidemic in Hawai‘i and across the country.  “By specifically targeting the growing problems of meth misuse and addiction, we can effectively prevent them from becoming a more serious...

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced a bipartisan resolution to ensure the 2020 Census is fair and accurate. The resolution encourages individuals, families, and households across the United States to take part in the Census so that all communities can be counted. “The Census is mandated by the Constitution and plays a vital role in our democracy, ensuring that every person is counted and receives the...

WASHINGTON – The Requiring Every American Defense Installation to Nullify Environmental Stresses for Security (READINESS) Act, legislation authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) is set to become law. The Schatz provision, which was included in the must-pass annual defense authorization bill, will protect military bases from extreme weather events by requiring them to prepare for potential disasters and other risks posed by severe changes in environmental...