Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to be ready to swiftly approve any request from the State of Hawai‘i for a disaster declaration for communities affected by flooding on Kauai and Oahu. In letters to FEMA Administrator Brock Long and SBA Administrator Linda McMahon, Senator Schatz thanked them for their...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, lead Democrat on the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, introduced the Robocall Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2018, legislation to help the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) prosecute violations of its automated telemarketing call rules, also known as robocalls, by increasing the statute of limitations from one year to three. “If there is one thing Americans can agree on, it’s that...

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that funding for the construction of a new 120-bed state extended care facility in Honolulu has been accelerated due to increased funding that U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), top Democrat on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, worked to include in the fiscal year 2018 omnibus spending bill.   “The sizeable increase we were able to secure...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement in response to severe flooding on Oahu and Kauai.  “Communities on Oahu and Kauai are starting to clean up the damage done by the flooding this weekend, but they need as much help as they can get,” Senator Schatz said. “I have reached out to the appropriate federal agencies—including FEMA, SBA, USDA, and DOT—and let them know where we stand. They are...

WASHINGTON – Today, the United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) to honor the life of U.S. Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka. “The U.S. Senate—and our country—would be better off if there were more leaders like Senator Daniel K. Akaka,” said Senator Schatz. “He fought for the vulnerable, promoted peace, and looked for common ground. Most of all, he embodied...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on the passing of U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka. “When Daniel K. Akaka went to Washington, he always took Hawai‘i with him. His unbending source of strength was the people and land he loved so much. “Senator Akaka served his country as a welder, public school principal, gubernatorial aide, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator. As a World War II Army veteran, his life was changed by the...

WASHINGTON – Last week, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced the 2020 Census Improving Data and Enhanced Accuracy (IDEA) Act, legislation that would protect the accuracy of the 2020 census and ensure any proposed changes to the count are properly studied, researched, and tested....

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 2018. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, successfully advanced state priorities that are now included in the final deal during committee consideration. “With this bipartisan deal, Hawai‘i will receive a sizeable increase in federal...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i) led 32 other members of Congress in introducing the Debt-Free College Act, legislation that will reverse the growing student debt crisis in the United States. The bill restores a path to affordable college by providing states incentives through matching grants to increase investments in public higher education and provide students with debt-free college. If signed into law, the Debt-Free College Act would establish...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced today the names of 44 students nominated to attend one of our nation’s service academies. The four service academies are: the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy.“To be nominated to attend a service academy, each student goes through a highly competitive and rigorous selection process, on top of making...

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted to approve the Authenticating Local Emergencies and Real Threats (ALERT) Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i). The bipartisan ALERT Act, which was included in the sweeping Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act, would improve the emergency alert system and give the federal government the primary responsibility of alerting the public of a missile threat....

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) issued the following statement after South Korean officials announced new developments with North Korea. “History has taught us that we should be cautious and skeptical of North Korea. But this is a positive development, because as Winston Churchill put it, to jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war. “Discussions should be met with action on both sides. North Korea must immediately freeze further development and...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced the Granting Release and Compassion Effectively (GRACE) Act, legislation that improves the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) approval process for compassionate release. Authorized under the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, which also eliminated parole for federal prisoners, compassionate release gives people incarcerated in federal prisons an opportunity to appeal for early...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) today were named to the Joint Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. The joint select committee was established as part of the bipartisan budget agreement reached on February 7, 2018. The Joint Select Committee on Budget Appropriations Process Reform will provide recommendations and legislative language to significantly improve the budget and appropriations process. “This...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement in response to the nomination of Kenji Price to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Hawai‘i.“Kenji Price is an excellent choice to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawai‘i, and I look forward to having him serve in that role. Kenji has previous experience as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and in private practice in Hawai‘i, and he has also served with...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, introduced the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2018 today. The bipartisan legislation would restore the U.S. government’s promise to Filipino World War II veterans and ensure those surviving are fully eligible for the benefits they earned. “Our broken promise to Filipino WWII veterans and...

Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) introduced the Restoring Education and Learning (REAL) Act, a bill that would restore Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated individuals in order to cut the cycle of recidivism, save taxpayer money, and improve safety. “When we give people in prison an opportunity to earn an education, our communities are safer, our taxpayers save money, and we can end the cycle of recidivism,” said Senator Schatz. “The REAL Act would restore...

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate voted to pass a two-year budget deal that includes the CHRONIC Care Act, legislation with key provisions authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) that will improve access and quality of care for Medicare patients and save taxpayer money.  “Almost every other part of our health system uses technology to improve health and save costs. It’s long past time for Medicare to catch up,” Senator...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after the Senate voted to pass a two-year budget deal.“This two-year budget deal moves us beyond the threats of government shutdowns, provides relief from sequester cuts, and lays a clear path to restore the appropriations process that Hawai‘i depends on. It invests in health care, including children’s health insurance, telehealth, and the 14 federally-funded community...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of 31 senators, including every Democrat on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, in demanding answers on reports that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has halted its investigation into how credit reporting agency Equifax failed to protect the personal data of over 145 million Americans. “We are deeply troubled by recent news reports that, under Director Mulvaney’s...