Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, announced that the Federal Aviation Administration is awarding $30.6 million to two airports on Maui and O‘ahu. The funding comes from the historic Infrastructure Law passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden in 2021. “This new federal funding will support necessary upgrades at Honolulu and Kahului airports that will make it easier and faster for passengers to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate voted to pass the National Security Act. “Today, the Senate made good on the United States’ obligations as the leader of the free world to stand with our allies and partners and defend democracy. By passing the National Security Act, we’re sending a message to the world that we remain the indispensable nation. “This funding could not come...

WASHINGTON – In remarks on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for the swift passage of the national security supplemental. In his remarks, Schatz underscored the urgent need for military support for Ukraine and humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza. “There’s no good reason to delay the security and humanitarian assistance in this national security supplemental package any longer. Ukraine is running...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that the State of Hawai‘i has been selected to participate in the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator, a new initiative to improve coordination across Medicaid, housing, and health care systems to better serve people with disabilities and older adults who are experiencing...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced provisions from several of his bills were included in the bipartisan Senate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2023 that passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation this week. Originally part of the Air Tour and Skydiving Safety Improvement Act, the Hawai‘i Air Tour Management Act, the Improved Transportation Consumer Protection Act, and the Natural Hazard Resilience for Airports...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today introduced legislation to prevent youth suicide, the second leading cause of death for people aged 10-24. The Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act would fund suicide prevention initiatives, ensure health care providers receive training to prevent intentional harm, and create a centralized hub to provide safety information to at-risk youth and their support networks. “Youth suicide is a crisis in Hawai‘i and across America,...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) today introduced the Comprehensive Resources for Entrepreneurs in the Arts to Transform the Economy (CREATE) Act. The bipartisan legislation will support artists and small businesses in creative industries by increasing access to federal resources to help them grow. “Local artists, writers, performers, and the creative industry they support are vital to our economy and enrich our daily lives,” said Senator Schatz....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement regarding the Senate’s bipartisan national security supplemental bill. “The fate of the free world is on the line in the war in Ukraine – and whether or not the United States continues to step up to help Ukraine fight back against Putin’s unrelenting assault will define our leadership on the global stage for generations to come,” said Senator Schatz, a...

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced legislation this week to increase the amount that hospitals in Hawai‘i and Alaska can be reimbursed by Medicare to perform outpatient care, such as emergency department visits and imaging services, for enrolled seniors. Historically, rural states have faced significant cost disparities for Medicare reimbursement that drive up costs for both hospitals...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation Housing and Urban Development, today released the following statement after Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi signed the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit’s updated full funding grant agreement (FFGA). With the FFGA finalized, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is now set to release millions in remaining federal funding, which was withheld by FTA following delays and...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) introduced the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, a bill that would provide federal employees with a 7.4 percent pay increase in calendar year 2025. Schatz previously introduced similar legislation in the 115th, 116th, and 117th Congresses. The federal government has a history of chronic underinvestment in its most valuable asset: the federal workforce. Federal employees have had to...

WASHINGTON – Following calls led by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representatives Ed Case (D-Hawai‘i) and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawai‘i), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will increase the recently-authorized summer meal benefit for children in Hawai‘i to account for the higher cost of food in the state. This summer, children in Hawai‘i will receive $59 per month, compared to $40 per month in the continental U.S. “This adjustment...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement after President Joe Biden and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced that the Department of Energy will pause approvals of liquified natural gas (LNG) exports as it reviews its criteria for determining whether applications are in the public interest. “As the U.S. makes historic progress towards building a clean energy future on the heels of the Inflation Reduction Act, we can’t simultaneously expand...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today spoke on the Senate floor to mark the 51st  anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision and called for restoring reproductive rights across the country. “Because of the current right-wing Supreme Court's decision almost two years ago to dismantle reproductive freedom, women in many parts of the United States today have less control over their bodies than they did 50 years ago after Roe. The Dobbs decision was the crowning achievement of the...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i will receive $24.4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to cover the costs of repairs to roadways and structures on Maui and Kaua‘i that were damaged by landslides and severe rain in recent years. “This new federal funding will help repair storm-damaged roads and structures and make them more resilient to flooding, enabling commuters across the state to get around more quickly and safely,” said Senator...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i will receive $74.6 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for the rehabilitation of the Nanue and Hakalau bridges on Hawai‘i Island. Schatz urged USDOT to allocate funding for these projects which will help maintain traffic capacity and safety. The funding, which comes from the infrastructure law that Congress passed in 2021, will also enable the completion of environmental remediation of lead...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a majority of the Senate Democratic Caucus in announcing plans to file an amendment to the forthcoming national security supplemental package that reiterates longstanding U.S. policy in support of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Schatz was joined by 48 senators, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ben...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Co-Chair of the Senate Telehealth Working Group and author of the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act, led a group of bipartisan lawmakers to urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to work with Congress to ensure Medicare beneficiaries maintain access to telehealth. In a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, the lawmakers underscored the urgent need to act on...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin the process to update its approach for calculating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Hawai‘i to ensure they accurately reflect the cost of food across the state. Beginning today through March 4, 2024, the USDA will seek information from stakeholders throughout Hawai‘i on the cost of food and how the program can better serve local...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) introduced the Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching (BEST) Act, legislation that would provide federal grants to states to create Seal of Biliteracy programs that encourage and recognize high school students who achieve proficiency in at least two languages. The Senate bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-N.M.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.),...