Press Releases

Below please find Senator Schatz's full floor speech on achieving fairness for Native Hawaiians: June 11th marks a public holiday in the State of Hawaii – King Kamehameha Day – celebrated since 1872.  We hold a statewide festival and mark the day with lei draping ceremonies, parades, hula competitions and other festivities.  It is a day to honor Kamehameha the Great, who unified the Kingdom of Hawaii, and to celebrate the rich culture and traditions of the Hawaiian...

WASHINGTON –Senator Brian Schatz co-chaired today’s Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee meeting with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders for a discussion on immigration reform, ensuring fairness for Native Hawaiians, and economic opportunity for the community. “Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders greatly impacted the history and culture of America, by shaping our military, political, and industrial history,” said Senator Brian Schatz....

WASHINGTON –Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel proposed holding the first-ever U.S.-hosted meeting of ASEAN Defense Ministers in Hawaii. Senator Brian Schatz released the following statement on the announcement: “The Secretary of Defense’s invitation to hold the next ASEAN Defense Ministers’ meeting in Hawaii is great news for us. This Defense Ministers’ meeting addresses issues of vital importance to countries in the Asia Pacific, from maritime security cooperation...

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mark Begich (D-AK), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) today continued the long legacy of two states working together and working for their native populations. The Senators were joined by roughly 100 Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian business, policy, and community leaders to discuss a range of topics including ways to improve education in Native communities, and how to stimulate Native owned businesses. The roundtable was hosted by...

WASHINGTON, DC--Today, Senator Brian Schatz released the following statement regarding the layoffs at the Tesoro refinery: “My office has been in constant communication with the Tesoro companies and is working with the relevant state agencies to ensure that unemployment assistance, job placement and other help be provided to the workers that may be laid off. In addition, we are coordinating our efforts with the refinery task force to ensure that there is no disruption in fuel supply in the...

Washington, DC—Today, Senator Brian Schatz released the following statement upon hearing the news of Senator Lautenberg’s passing: “Today, we lost a friend and colleague in the United States Senate, Frank Lautenberg. Senator Lautenberg was a WWII hero and progressive voice in the United States Senate who not only fought for the people of New Jersey, but for Americans everywhere.  Whether it was working to ensure universal access to affordable health care, or continuing his...

“A couple of weeks ago with hurricane season facing the people of Hawai`i, I met with high ranking officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and urged them to rescind any furloughs for their Hawai`i staff and to consider the same action for the rest of the country.  I followed up on May 24th with an official letter to the Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank that underscored the point that weather forecasts matter and save lives.   ...

WASHINGTON- Senator Brian Schatz joins Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in supporting legislation that would allow students to pay the same interest rate on their student loans as big banks.  Student loan interest rates are set to double on July 1, 2013, which would cause students to pay 9 times more in interest rates than big banks on Wall Street that caused the economic crisis. “Student loan interest rates are set to double, and Congress must act so that we reduce student loan...

Washington, DC—Today, Senator Brian Schatz introduced a bill that would facilitate the construction of  a Native American Veterans’ Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The Schatz bill, S.1046, will provide the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) with the much needed flexibility to raise funds and move forward on  construction of a memorial  to honor the brave men and women of Native American heritage who have served our nation....

WASHINGTON- Senator Brian Schatz joined his Senate colleagues in voting against a harmful amendment for domestic sugar producers.  The repeal of the sugar program would have created significant hardships for Hawaii’s sole remaining sugar producer, Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company (HC&S). Sugar producers and processors contribute $20 billion in economic activity, and are responsible for 142,000 American jobs. “Today, the United States Senate saved the Hawaiian...

Washington, DC—Today, Senator Brian Schatz joined local and national advocates, as well as Senators Schumer, McCaskill, and Boxer, calling for passage of the The Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2013 (S. 921).   Named after two sisters who were killed driving a rental car that had been recalled, this is a commonsense bill that bans rental car companies from renting or selling vehicles that are under manufacture recall. This legislation has gained support from all...

WASHINGTON –The Hawai‘i delegation announced today the Department of Health and Human Services will make available to community health centers in Hawai‘i $1,150,468 million for assistance in providing uninsured individuals with affordable health care coverage under President Obama’s Affordable Care Act.  These funds are designed to help 14 community health centers across Hawai‘i that treated 144,427 patients in 2012.  “The Affordable Care Act has...

Washington, DC—Senator Brian Schatz invited Malia Brennan to be his guest at the Joint Meeting of Congress in honor of President Park Geun-hye of South Korea. “I was so glad to have Malia Brennan as my guest for the Joint Meeting of Congress today,” said Senator Schatz. “She is a bright young leader that has served our community through mentoring and teaching underprivileged children, and it was my honor to have her join me for the address of the first female President of...

Washington, DC— Senator Brian Schatz joined Senators Robert Casey (PA), Dean Heller (NV) and a group of bipartisan Senators in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to take direct action in ending the current Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability claims backlog. The number of pending claims at the VA has increased 2000% in the last year despite a 40% increase in the VA’s budget. More than 600,000 veterans are stuck in the VA’s disability claims...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Brian Schatz joined Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and a number of other Senate Democrats in opposing the use of Chained Consumer Price Index to calculate cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security or benefits to disabled veterans or their families.  “We owe it to our seniors and veterans to give them the full benefits that they have earned and deserve,” said Senator Brian...

WASHINGTON – Senator Brian Schatz released the following statement on the Senate’s failure to pass legislation that would require background checks, preventing criminals from purchasing guns: “It’s extremely disappointing that the Senate failed to pass measures to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the severely mentally ill,” said Senator Brian Schatz.  “My heart goes out to the victims of gun violence and their families who have worked...

WASHINGTON – The Hawaii Congressional delegation announced today legislation to address the issue of physician shortages in rural communities and on neighbor islands.  Senator Brian Schatz and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard introduced Senate and House versions of the Rural Preventive Health Care Training Act (S. 726), and Senator Mazie Hirono and Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa are original co-sponsors of the legislation. This legislation would fund preventative health care training for...

WASHINGTON, D.C – Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Al Franken (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)today introduced legislation to significantly...

Washington, DC—Today, the Senate voted to confirm President Obama’s nominee Sally Jewell as Secretary of the Interior.  In February, Senator Schatz met with Jewell to discuss Hawai‘i’s priorities, including the Department of Interior’s commitment to Native Hawaiians and the National Parks Service, as well as addressing the financial burden on the state of Hawai‘i as a result of the federal government’s Compact of Freely Associated States. Jewell has...

WASHINGTON, DC- Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) today introduced legislation to right an unjust wrong in our nation’s past. The Filipino Veterans Fairness Act (S. 690) would provide Filipino soldiers who defended the United States during WWII by with the full veterans’ benefits that they deserve.  Senator Mazie Hirono is an original co-sponsor of the bill. “Filipino veterans who fought in World War II are American...