Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on President Joe Biden’s approval of a presidential disaster declaration that will bring significant relief to communities in Honolulu and Maui County impacted by December’s severe weather and flooding. Last month, Schatz and the Hawai‘i congressional delegation urged the president to quickly approve Governor David Ige’s disaster declaration request. “FEMA has been a...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D- Hawai‘i) today announced that six farms and community organizations on Hawai‘i Island and Maui will receive $1,149,316 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help them create new products and better advertise their goods and services. This support will allow these organizations to grow their businesses and become more successful in accessing new markets. “Small farms and agricultural businesses help feed...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i will receive $10,737,672 in funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support sustainable fishing and hunting and improve restoration, conservation, and management of fish and wildlife populations. “Fishing, hunting, and enjoying the outdoors are part of Hawai‘i’s history and our way of life. This new investment will help us make sure that residents and visitors alike can...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today introduced legislation to permanently shut down the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. The Senate bill introduction follows companion legislation introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Kaiali‘i Kahele (D-Hawai‘i). “Together we will work to secure federal funding to defuel, conduct congressional oversight, and push for legislation. Our bicameral bill will help us in our fight to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i will receive $2,616,956 in new funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand its network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, part of nearly $18 million in estimated formula funding coming to Hawai‘i over the next five years for EV charging. “People want to purchase EVs, but they worry about where and when they’ll be able to charge their car. By building EV...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) today called on President Joe Biden to step up efforts to demilitarize the police. “We urge you to prioritize the demilitarization of law enforcement by limiting the transfer or purchase of certain military equipment...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) cosponsored the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act, legislation that will prevent members of Congress and their families from buying and selling stocks while holding office. “Members of Congress have one job and that’s to help people, not enrich ourselves through stock trades,” said Senator Schatz. “No federal elected official should be picking stocks while making policy. It’s that simple.” The...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured $100 million in new federal funding to cover the cost of defueling the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and direct the Department of Defense to comply with the State of Hawai‘i’s emergency public health order. Schatz worked closely with bipartisan leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee to include the funding provision in a critical three-week spending...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today reintroduced the Promoting Local Arts and Creative Economy Workforce (PLACE) Act, legislation that will support workers and small businesses in creative industries by increasing federal resources and expanding federal benefits for those using creativity and skill in their employment. “Creative workers support local arts and innovation, help different cultures tell their stories, and bring people together as a society....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after the Department of Defense (DoD) announced it would contest the State of Hawai‘i’s emergency public health order. “The DoD made a grave and unforced error that undermines public trust. Fortunately, we have civilian oversight of the military, and this inexplicable and maddening resistance to the defuel order will not succeed. They will lose in court, and they will lose in...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, urged President Joe Biden to commute the sentence of Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist convicted of murder in 1977 following a controversial investigation and trial, which many civil rights leaders and legal experts have called unjust, including the U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the case. In his letter to the president, Schatz cites Peltier’s advanced age, illness,...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) led a bipartisan and bicameral group of 45 lawmakers in calling for the extension of expanded coverage of telehealth services to be included in must-pass legislation in February. Provisions from the Schatz-authored CONNECT for Health Act were included in previous COVID-19 relief legislation to allow Medicare beneficiaries in all areas of the country, and in their homes, to utilize telehealth services and...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that 34 health care providers in Hawai‘i will receive $30,254,448 in federal funding to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and continue providing health care for families across the state. The payments focus on supporting smaller health care providers that have experienced revenue losses related to the pandemic and providers serving Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program, and Medicare...

HONOLULU – At the request of U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.) received a briefing and toured the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility today with Schatz and Navy officials. “I’m grateful for the invitation from Senator Schatz to tour the Red Hill facility and see it with him firsthand,” said Chairman Tester. “In my home state of Montana, we know that clean water is everything, and...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i will receive $8,218,000 in funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve harbors on Molokai, Maui, and Oahu and ensure their continued successful operation. “These much-needed repairs and improvements will make shipping safer, support commercial fishing, and make sure goods are able to move throughout the state, benefitting Hawai‘i families and small businesses for years to...

WASHINGTON – Today, 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 Kaiali‘i Kahele (D-Hawai‘i) urged President Joe Biden to act swiftly on Governor David Ige’s request for a presidential disaster declaration for areas across the state impacted by last month’s severe weather and flooding. The declaration will help ensure that the affected communities can access important...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will provide Hawai‘i with a $47.9 million grant to support local hospitals fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, hire nearly 1,000 new nurses and medical staff, and keep Hawai‘i families healthy. “As we continue fighting the pandemic, it’s critical that our hospitals have the resources and staffing they need to provide high-quality care to families...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i will receive $339 million in new federal funding over five years to repair and improve the state’s bridges. Hawai‘i will receive its first round of funding of $67.8 million this year. The federal funding comes from the Department of Transportation’s newly launched Bridge Replacement, Rehabilitation, Preservation, Protection, and Construction Program, which was created by the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement on the nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin to serve as Vice Chair for Supervision of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. “Sarah Bloom Raskin is an excellent choice to oversee the prudential supervision of our largest and most complex financial institutions. She has dedicated her career to ensuring the stability of our financial system and the strength of our...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement: “Earlier this week, I tested positive with a breakthrough case of COVID-19. Thankfully, I am fully vaccinated, boosted, and asymptomatic. I have been following CDC guidelines and isolating at home. I am in consultation with the Office of the Attending Physician, and expect to be back soon.” ###