Press Releases

WASHINGTON – At a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing this morning, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) questioned Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on defueling Red Hill, COFA negotiations coordination, and on the defense of Hawai‘i. “Can you reassure the people of Hawai‘i that Red Hill will never be used for fuel storage or fuel operations once it is emptied?” Senator Schatz asked Secretary Austin. Secretary Austin responded, “Yes....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) today reintroduced legislation that would provide for fair Medicare payments for nursing facilities in Hawai‘i and Alaska. The bipartisan Equitable Payments for Nursing Facilities Act will authorize a cost-of-living adjustment at skilled nursing facilities in those states to take into account the higher costs of delivering...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) introduced new legislation to help protect children from the harmful impacts of social media. The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act would set a minimum age of 13 to use social media apps and would require parental consent for 13 through 17 year-olds.  The bill would also prevent social media companies from feeding content using algorithms to users under...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today reintroduced legislation to allow doctors at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prescribe medical marijuana to veterans in the states and territories that have established medical marijuana programs. “In 41 states and territories and Washington, D.C., doctors and their patients can use medical marijuana to manage pain or treat a wide-range of diseases and disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) reintroduced legislation to avoid default by repealing the national debt ceiling, an arbitrary limit set by Congress on the amount of funding that the United States Treasury may borrow. “Defaulting on our debt would be an economic catastrophe for everyone – families, veterans, seniors. Congress has the chance to debate federal spending, and it’s well before the bill comes due,” said Senator Schatz....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of 14 senators in introducing a resolution designating April 2023 as “Preserving and Protecting Local News Month.” The resolution recognizes local news as a public good that serves an essential function in the democracy of the United States. “People across the country rely on local news to stay informed, fight disinformation, and strengthen their communities,” said Senator Schatz. “As the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representatives Ed Case (D-Hawai‘i) and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawai‘i) introduced two bills that will improve air tour safety and reduce noise for local residents. The Air Tour and Skydiving Safety Improvement Act, first introduced by Senators Schatz and Hirono in 2020, will create new safety standards that protect passengers on air tours and improve the safety of skydiving flights...

WASHINGTON – Following calls for relief led by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) today announced it will exempt unfair tax burdens incurred on reimbursements made to some residents impacted by the Red Hill fuel leak crisis. “These taxes were unfair and unexpected, and I’m glad we were able to fix this,” said Senator Schatz. “I thank the IRS and DoD for working with us to quickly resolve this. It’s now up to the IRS...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of 23 senators in introducing a resolution to recognize the achievements and courage of the transgender community around the world, and to celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility. “International Transgender Day of Visibility is about celebrating the transgender community around the world – their achievements, their courage, and their right to live authentically and openly. But it is also about...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today introduced a resolution calling out the attacks on LGBTQ+ students in schools and urging communities across the country to demand equal educational opportunities, basic civil rights, and freedom from erasure for all students in K-12 schools. “Every child should feel safe at school,” said Senator Schatz. “As attacks against LGBTQ+ students increase across the country, we need to take action to protect these...

WASHINGTON – Today, at a Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) pressed Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro on staying on track with the Red Hill defueling timeline and secured his commitment to working with state and local partners to help impacted residents get the health care they need. “Are we on track for defueling Red Hill?” Schatz asked Secretary Del Toro in today’s hearing. Del Toro responded, “We are very...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D- Hawai‘i) today released the following statement after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it is seeking public comment on updated rules for contracts with automatically recurring fees, including a proposed “click-to-cancel” provision and annual notification reminders that would help customers more easily get out of unwanted subscriptions. “Free trials should be free, but instead some companies have used that model...

WASHINGTON – As Congress begins working on the sweeping agricultural and food policy legislation known as the Farm Bill, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, today led a roundtable discussion with Native leaders from Hawai‘i and across the country to hear about the issues critical to their communities and discuss how the federal government can help. Mahina Paishon-Duarte, co-founder of ?Aina Aloha Economic Futures, joined the discussion with...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today reintroduced the Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment (E-BIKE) Act, legislation to promote the use of electric bicycles, or e-bikes, through a refundable consumer tax credit. E-Bikes are increasingly being used as a cheaper, more environmentally-friendly transportation option for short trips and daily commutes that can help break the cycle of fossil fuel use. “Transitioning to a clean energy economy...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today introduced new legislation to help states support law enforcement, keep communities safe, and reduce gun violence. The State Firearms Dealer Licensing Enhancement Act would establish a new grant program for states to develop or improve firearm dealer licensing programs. Companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.). “One of the best things we can do...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) announced the formation of a Federal Judicial Selection Commission to make recommendations on candidates to fill potential vacancies on the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawai‘i. The Commission consists of three members with one member appointed by each senator and a chair jointly agreed on. Senator Schatz appointed Emily Kawashima and Senator Hirono appointed Lynne...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today led a group of 19 senators in reintroducing legislation to protect people’s personal data online. The Data Care Act would require websites, apps, and other online providers to take responsible steps to safeguard personal information and stop the misuse of users’ data. “Websites and apps that collect data from their users need to be protecting this data, not using it to harm them,” said Senator Schatz, a...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today convened a meeting with senior officials from the Department of Defense, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Treasury Department to call for an exemption to unfair tax burdens incurred on reimbursements made to some residents impacted by the Red Hill fuel leak crisis. “My message to the IRS and DoD was clear: these taxes are unfair, and we need to fix this,” said Senator Schatz. “While we still have more...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) reintroduced legislation to protect federal workers and their families from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during a government shutdown. The Federal Employee Civil Relief Act would enable government employees and contractors to postpone payment obligations during a shutdown or debt default and for 30 days afterward. “Federal workers are dedicated public servants...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today introduced new legislation to help stop illegal child labor. Schatz’s Child Labor Prevention Act would increase maximum fines for violations and establish new criminal penalties to deter child labor and hold employers accountable. “Right now, our laws are allowing some of the worst employers get away with exploiting kids for labor with nothing more than weak fines,” said Senator Schatz. “Our bill will...