Press Releases

Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation will receive more than $1.4 million in grants from the Federal Transit Administration.  These grants will provide funding for programs to reduce safety problems from impaired driving, encourage driver and passenger safety for motorists and motorcyclists, and improve traffic information and data systems. “Improving Hawai‘i’s infrastructure is critical...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), have introduced legislation (S. 2189, the Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives Act) that will boost energy efficiency in government, in industry, and in commercial and residential buildings which account for more than 40 percent of energy consumption in the United States.  A recent McKinsey study concluded that maximizing energy efficiency for homes and commercial buildings could...

Washington, D.C. —U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) congratulated Judge Coral Wong Pietsch, U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, on being among 10 women leaders honored today by the White House as part of their “Women Veteran Leader Champions of Change” Program. “This White House honor recognizes the significant contributions General Pietsch has made to our nation,” said Senator Schatz.  “As the first...

Honolulu, HI–U.S. Senator Brian Schatz’s website provides resources for people seeking tax preparation assistance and information. Senior citizens, low income and moderate income individuals may receive free help in filing tax forms, responding to the Internal Revenue Service, and resolving tax disputes. Taxpayer clinics and counseling are available, as well as new information on the Earned Income Tax Credit for full-and part-time workers. “Tax season can at times seem...

Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced a bipartisan agreement to renew unemployment insurance for five months that will give immediate relief to millions of Americans who lost unemployment insurance since December 28, 2013. Schatz has been a vocal advocate of the need to restore unemployment insurance, voting earlier this year to advance legislation to extend benefits for three months. The bipartisan agreement is paid for and the lead sponsor of the...

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) voted to pass the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, legislation that will help provide funds for education and child care to low-income families. “In far too many communities across this nation, a lack of quality early childhood resources places children at risk of falling behind other students from their first days in school,” said Senator Schatz. “I am glad our bipartisan...

Washington, DC – Immediately following votes on the evening of Monday, March 10 until approximately 9 am ET Tuesday, March 11, Senators from the Senate Climate Action Task Force will be holding the Senate floor to urge action on climate change.  A significant number of Senators are expected to participate throughout the night.  “Climate change is real, it is caused by humans, and it is solvable,” said Senator Schatz.  “Congress must act.  On Monday...

Washington, DC – Today U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) voted to advance legislation to end sexual assault in the military.  The bipartisan Military Justice Improvement Act, which Schatz cosponsored, would move the decision of whether or not to pursue sexual assault cases away from the military chain-of-command, and instead give that authority to independent military prosecutors.  The Military Justice Improvement Act failed to get the 60 votes needed to end debate with...

Honolulu, HI – Hawai‘i is a national leader in clean energy initiatives and has become a global model for sustainability. To strengthen this foundation, the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program (UH Sea Grant), Chancellor Tom Apple, and U.S. Senator Brian Schatz have partnered to bring world-renowned experts from across the state and nation to the University of Hawai‘i for a day-long conference. These experts will address key underlying issues of sustainability,...

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark Pryor (AR), Sherrod Brown (OH), Jeanne Shaheen (NH) Jeff Merkley (OR), Al Franken (MN), Brian Schatz (HI), Tom Udall (NM), and Elizabeth Warren (MA) today introduced the Medicare Protection Act, legislation expressing strong opposition to changes in Medicare that would reduce or eliminate guaranteed benefits or raise the eligibility age for hard-working seniors. Today, more than 46 million Americans rely on Medicare. “Since the program’s...

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement today after President Barack Obama submitted his proposed Fiscal Year 2015 budget to Congress: “President Obama’s budget proposal takes major steps forward to make sure we have an economy that provides opportunities for everyone.  It builds on the progress we made in Congress’s two-year Budget Agreement to protect Hawai‘i priorities, Social Security, Medicare and...

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced today that U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) will become the Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Tourism, Competitiveness, and Innovation. Schatz worked with Chairman Rockefeller to create the new Commerce Subcommittee which will include a focus on tourism issues. As the Chairman of the new Subcommittee, Schatz outlined a plan to...

Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate advanced the most sweeping veterans legislation in decades, the Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014 (S. 1982), a bill to authorize wide ranging services and programs that support our veterans and their families.  U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D- Hawai‘i) hailed the bill as it moves one step closer to final passage. “The VA has an enormous job in Hawai‘i, caring for...

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power, announced the SECURE Water Amendments Act of 2014 (S.2019) today, legislation to conserve water resources and promote sustainability.  The SECURE Water Amendments Act of 2014 will expand grants and increase funding for water conservation and drought projects, provide resources for better data collection and analysis of water supply and use, and...

Honolulu, HI – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) is teaming up with web giant Google to host a workshop on Maui March 19th to help Hawai‘i small businesses take advantage of online opportunities and grow their businesses.  At the Hawai‘i Get Your Business Online event, Google experts will help small business owners create their own websites courtesy of Homestead and teach business owners how to reach more customers online. “Small businesses are the backbone...

Washington, DC—The Senate took a first step today to advance the Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act, co-sponsored by U.S Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), which will safeguard military retirees from changes in cost of living adjustments (COLA) that are set to take effect in 2015. Schatz helped to introduce similar legislation that would protect military retiree pay in December, and fought to include this provision as part of the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act last...

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mark Begich (D-Alaska) introduced the Safe Streets Act of 2014, legislation that will improve the safety of our nation’s roads and expand access for all users. With many roads today designed only for cars and busy traffic, communities across the country have pushed for safer, more livable, Complete Streets.  The Safe Streets Act will change the approach to the way federally funded roads are planned,...

Washington, DC—Today, the Senate passed the 2014 farm bill, which provides $881 million for clean energy projects, supports local jobs across Hawai‘i, extends the sugar program, and combats the destructive impact of the coffee berry borer. In November 2013, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) wrote a letter to Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) asking that the farm bill include funds for renewable energy...

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today called a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report detailing the U.S. Government’s $66 billion profit on federal student loans originated between 2007-2012 troubling and said it shows that the federal government needs to do more to reduce student loan debt and make college more affordable. “Federal policy should be geared towards making college more affordable, not reaping billions of dollars in...

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power, issued the following statement regarding the State Department’s final supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Keystone XL pipeline permit application: “I am certain that encouraging the production of Canadian tar sands – some of the dirtiest oil in the world – is not in America’s national interest.  As...