Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i will receive $74.6 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for the rehabilitation of the Nanue and Hakalau bridges on Hawai‘i Island. Schatz urged USDOT to allocate funding for these projects which will help maintain traffic capacity and safety. The funding, which comes from the infrastructure law that Congress passed in 2021, will also enable the completion of environmental remediation of lead...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a majority of the Senate Democratic Caucus in announcing plans to file an amendment to the forthcoming national security supplemental package that reiterates longstanding U.S. policy in support of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Schatz was joined by 48 senators, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ben...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Co-Chair of the Senate Telehealth Working Group and author of the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act, led a group of bipartisan lawmakers to urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to work with Congress to ensure Medicare beneficiaries maintain access to telehealth. In a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, the lawmakers underscored the urgent need to act on...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin the process to update its approach for calculating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Hawai‘i to ensure they accurately reflect the cost of food across the state. Beginning today through March 4, 2024, the USDA will seek information from stakeholders throughout Hawai‘i on the cost of food and how the program can better serve local...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) introduced the Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching (BEST) Act, legislation that would provide federal grants to states to create Seal of Biliteracy programs that encourage and recognize high school students who achieve proficiency in at least two languages. The Senate bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-N.M.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.),...

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) introduced bipartisan legislation to develop guidelines for state and local governments to improve emergency evacuation preparedness. The Emergency Vehicle and Community (EVAC) Planning Act would direct the Department of Transportation (DOT), in consultation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to develop and publicly disseminate guidance and...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on today’s vote relative to a resolution under Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act, which would require the State Department to provide a report of potential human rights violations and use of U.S. military weapons in Gaza. Due to an unavoidable absence today, Schatz was unable to vote relative to the motions to move forward with S.Res.504 and the legislative vehicle for the continuing resolution – both...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on the discovery of damage at the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole which forced a shut down operations. “I’ve been in contact with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and he is working with the FAA to help to solve this problem as quickly as possible,” said Senator Schatz, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. ###

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Hawai‘i with a $6.9 million grant to improve charging infrastructure across the state. “This new federal funding will make EV charging more reliable and accessible for Hawai‘i families, and help the State of Hawai‘i achieve its ambitious goals for building a clean economy,” said Senator Schatz, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced the names of 37 students he nominated to attend the nation’s military service academies. “These students represent the very best of Hawai‘i, and it’s an honor to nominate them to our nation’s military service academies,” said Senator Schatz. “I commend them for their commitment to serving our country, and wish them the very best.” The United States Air Force Academy, United States Merchant Marine Academy, the United States...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today spoke on the Senate floor responding to statements made in court this week by former President Donald Trump’s legal team claiming absolute impunity for crimes committed by presidents, even if they were to include the ordering of SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival. “What's being contemplated here – the ordering of a murder – is a crime,” said Senator Schatz. “It's a violation of the criminal code and every other person in the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the bipartisan government funding agreement announced today by congressional leaders. “Funding the government is one of our most fundamental responsibilities. With a divided Congress, it was clear agreeing on funding priorities would be challenging. While this is not perfect, this agreement prevents deep cuts in domestic discretionary spending that would hurt...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement in response to a deadly earthquake in western Japan that killed dozens and resulted in widespread destruction. “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this awful tragedy in Japan,” said Senator Schatz. “We mourn every life lost and pray for the safe and speedy rescue of all of the remaining survivors. The people of Japan and Hawai‘i have long shared a special bond. As the search and rescue process...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after the Federal Trade Commission unveiled a proposal aimed at expanding protections for children’s privacy online. Specifically, the proposal would limit the ability of social media platforms to send push notifications to young users and further limit data retention for youth, among other things. “Tech platforms have knowingly harvested and profited off of children’s data for years, using targeted advertising...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i will receive $3.9 million in new federal funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support the ongoing recovery effort on Maui following the fires in August. The funding, which comes from the Disaster Relief Fund which Congress replenished in September following calls from Schatz and others, will support staff who have been working on the emergency response effort. “The federal government continues to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) today called on President Joe Biden to urge the governments of Israel and Egypt to protect press freedom and allow journalists into Gaza to cover the war. In their letter to the president, the senators underscored the importance of safe access into Gaza for journalists and the need for accurate and independent reporting from inside the warzone. “We ask...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included several provisions authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i). The bill included bipartisan legislation led by Schatz and U.S. Representative Ed Case (D-Hawai‘i) to collect data, study, report on, and better understand the health impacts for those exposed to water contamination from the Red Hill fuel leak. The Schatz-Case provision is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Maui County, Hawai‘i County, and the City and County of Honolulu will receive more than $18 million in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for projects to improve safety on roads and sidewalks. The funding comes from DOT’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program which Schatz helped create as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that passed in 2021, and builds on previous...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement after nearly 200 countries struck a landmark agreement to transition away from fossil fuels at the annual UN climate conference, COP28, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. “Today’s agreement makes historic progress in the fight to save the future of the planet,” said Senator Schatz. “Transitioning away from oil and gas; aggressively reducing emissions; tripling renewables and accelerating the adoption of clean...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, led a hearing today to underscore the need for immediate relief funding for local communities impacted by natural disasters. Schatz is the author of the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act (S.1686), bipartisan legislation that would strengthen the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) disaster recovery program and help provide more...