Press Releases

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, led a group of 17 senators in writing to Secretary of State Marco Rubio raising concerns about the recent killing of journalists by Israel in Gaza. The senators urged the State Department to press the Israeli government to protect journalists in Gaza and allow international media to access the territory. “The recent targeted Israeli strike on a group of...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) led a group of 17 senators in introducing the Reproductive Rights Are Human Rights Act, legislation that requires the U.S. State Department to include reproductive rights in its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. The State Department omitted reproductive rights from its most recent human rights report released earlier this month, renewing a practice started under the first Trump...

Senators: The Wellbeing Of Children Should Not Be Sacrificed In The Race For AI Development HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a bipartisan group of 10 senators in writing to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg raising concerns about the lack of safeguards around children’s use of AI chatbots, particularly in light of recent reporting that the company’s policies allowed chatbots to have romantic and sensual conversations with children. The senators requested details about how Meta’s...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today joined members of the Hawai‘i congressional delegation, AARP Hawai‘i staff and volunteers, and local seniors to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Social Security. At an event organized by AARP Hawai‘i at the Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center, Schatz underscored his longstanding support for Social Security and emphasized its importance in supporting seniors and families across Hawai‘i. “For 90 years, Social Security has proven to be the...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today met with labor union members at a town hall hosted by the AFL-CIO. Schatz discussed recent federal actions concerning union workers’ rights and took questions about the local impacts of federal policies, including tariffs and funding freezes. “I’m always proud to stand with labor unions who are fighting for working people every day,” said Senator Schatz. “Hawai‘i has a rich history of unions making workplaces fairer and people’s lives...

HILO – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today met with business leaders from the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Hawai‘i Island Chamber of Commerce, and Hui ‘Oihana Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce to provide updates about federal funding for health care, education, infrastructure, and other priorities on Hawai‘i Island. Schatz later addressed nearly 250 residents at the Waimea Community Association meeting and took questions from local community members. “On Hawai‘i Island, I got to hear...

WAI‘ANAE – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today visited the Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC), where he met with providers and administrators to discuss protecting the center’s federal funding, and the looming cuts to Hawai‘i’s Medicaid program, known as Med-QUEST, from the new Republican tax law. They also discussed the growing use of telehealth services and the unique needs of the Wai‘anae community. “Health centers like the one here in Wai‘anae are doing incredible...

LAHAINA – On the second anniversary of the devastating fires on Maui, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) joined Lahaina community members and state and local leaders to pay tribute to the victims and honor survivors. Earlier today, Schatz addressed community members at a memorial gathering in Wailuku. “The path to healing and recovery since that awful day is uneven. Some people got right back on their feet. Many people are still not on their feet. There is no right way to grieve. But what's...

LIHUE – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today visited the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge and the Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge and Lighthouse on Kaua‘i, where he toured habitat restoration projects and discussed cooperative management of kalo farms and the protection of waterbird species with refuge staff. Since the joining the Senate, Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has helped secure millions of dollars for the National Wildlife Refuge System, which...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement in response to reports that the Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to terminate $7 billion in grants for the Solar for All program which helps lower- and middle-income families install solar panels on their homes. “President Trump is needlessly raising people’s electricity bills, from canceling billions of dollars for solar projects that communities are relying on, to raising energy taxes and blocking...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today spoke on the Senate floor about the crisis of starvation in Gaza, which has resulted in almost a third of Palestinians going for several days without eating and at least 63 people dying from malnutrition this month alone. Schatz criticized the Netanyahu government’s decision to cut off aid into Gaza and later set up an entity that failed to distribute aid safely and effectively. “The fact that this catastrophe was preventable is precisely...

WASHINGTON – The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs yesterday unanimously voted to advance a bipartisan housing package which included the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act. The provision, authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), would help communities recover from major disasters. “Right now, each time a disaster happens, communities in crisis are forced to wait for Congress to pass a disaster funding bill before HUD can help. Our...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement after Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a proposal to repeal the landmark 2009 Endangerment Finding, which established that greenhouse gases pose a threat to the public and provides the authority to regulate emissions from sources like power plants and vehicles. Administrator Zeldin is also rolling back limits on pollution from vehicles. “If President Trump and...

Residents Can Learn More About How The New Law Will Affect Med-QUEST, SNAP, Education, Taxes New Guide Available At Schatz.Senate.Gov/TaxLawHelp WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today launched a new guide to help Hawai‘i residents who may be impacted by the Republican tax law. The new webpage will include information and resources to help people navigate major changes to health care, food assistance, education programs, and tax policies. “The new Republican Tax Law cuts...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) joined U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and 19 of their Senate colleagues in pressing the Trump Administration for answers on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). In their letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Senators called on the Administration to immediately cease funding for GHF and restore support for existing United Nations aid distribution mechanisms. The Senators seek answers from the Administration...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) today introduced the Empowering App-Based Workers Act, new legislation to improve transparency on how app companies operate and help boost wages for rideshare drivers and delivery app workers. “Every day rideshare drivers and delivery app workers work long hours and travel many miles to make a living, often without knowing how much money they’ll make. Our bill would shed some light on how apps determine work...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) spoke on the Senate floor today about the national housing shortage in the United States and the urgent need to cut onerous regulations that stand in the way of building more housing. Schatz introduced three bipartisan housing bills this week, including the Build More Housing Near Transit Act and the YIMBY Act. The Build More Housing Near Transit Act incentivizes local governments to build housing near federally-funded transit projects. The...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced the Identifying Regulatory Barriers to Housing Supply Act, legislation that would encourage local communities to cut burdensome regulations, encourage more housing options, and bring a new level of transparency to the community development process. Currently, many communities across the U.S. are building paper walls of regulations that negatively affect and, at times, discriminate against low- and...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) today introduced the Build More Housing Near Transit Act. The bipartisan legislation continues Senator Schatz’s efforts to address America’s housing shortage by offering federal benefits and encouraging local governments to build more housing near transit-oriented urban and suburban spaces, where options are especially lacking.   “The clearest way out of our national housing shortage is by building more housing,” said...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the release of 10 Americans and U.S. permanent residents wrongfully detained in Venezuela. Schatz led efforts urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to work with the Venezuelan government to secure their release. “We are relieved by this good news. This is the result of the relentless work by career diplomats, families, community leaders, and advocates who...