Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on the discovery of damage at the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole which forced a shut down operations. “I’ve been in contact with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and he is working with the FAA to help to solve this problem as quickly as possible,” said Senator Schatz, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. ###

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Hawai‘i with a $6.9 million grant to improve charging infrastructure across the state. “This new federal funding will make EV charging more reliable and accessible for Hawai‘i families, and help the State of Hawai‘i achieve its ambitious goals for building a clean economy,” said Senator Schatz, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced the names of 37 students he nominated to attend the nation’s military service academies. “These students represent the very best of Hawai‘i, and it’s an honor to nominate them to our nation’s military service academies,” said Senator Schatz. “I commend them for their commitment to serving our country, and wish them the very best.” The United States Air Force Academy, United States Merchant Marine Academy, the United States...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today spoke on the Senate floor responding to statements made in court this week by former President Donald Trump’s legal team claiming absolute impunity for crimes committed by presidents, even if they were to include the ordering of SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival. “What's being contemplated here – the ordering of a murder – is a crime,” said Senator Schatz. “It's a violation of the criminal code and every other person in the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the bipartisan government funding agreement announced today by congressional leaders. “Funding the government is one of our most fundamental responsibilities. With a divided Congress, it was clear agreeing on funding priorities would be challenging. While this is not perfect, this agreement prevents deep cuts in domestic discretionary spending that would hurt...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement in response to a deadly earthquake in western Japan that killed dozens and resulted in widespread destruction. “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this awful tragedy in Japan,” said Senator Schatz. “We mourn every life lost and pray for the safe and speedy rescue of all of the remaining survivors. The people of Japan and Hawai‘i have long shared a special bond. As the search and rescue process...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after the Federal Trade Commission unveiled a proposal aimed at expanding protections for children’s privacy online. Specifically, the proposal would limit the ability of social media platforms to send push notifications to young users and further limit data retention for youth, among other things. “Tech platforms have knowingly harvested and profited off of children’s data for years, using targeted advertising...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i will receive $3.9 million in new federal funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support the ongoing recovery effort on Maui following the fires in August. The funding, which comes from the Disaster Relief Fund which Congress replenished in September following calls from Schatz and others, will support staff who have been working on the emergency response effort. “The federal government continues to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) today called on President Joe Biden to urge the governments of Israel and Egypt to protect press freedom and allow journalists into Gaza to cover the war. In their letter to the president, the senators underscored the importance of safe access into Gaza for journalists and the need for accurate and independent reporting from inside the warzone. “We ask...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included several provisions authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i). The bill included bipartisan legislation led by Schatz and U.S. Representative Ed Case (D-Hawai‘i) to collect data, study, report on, and better understand the health impacts for those exposed to water contamination from the Red Hill fuel leak. The Schatz-Case provision is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Maui County, Hawai‘i County, and the City and County of Honolulu will receive more than $18 million in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for projects to improve safety on roads and sidewalks. The funding comes from DOT’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program which Schatz helped create as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that passed in 2021, and builds on previous...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement after nearly 200 countries struck a landmark agreement to transition away from fossil fuels at the annual UN climate conference, COP28, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. “Today’s agreement makes historic progress in the fight to save the future of the planet,” said Senator Schatz. “Transitioning away from oil and gas; aggressively reducing emissions; tripling renewables and accelerating the adoption of clean...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, led a hearing today to underscore the need for immediate relief funding for local communities impacted by natural disasters. Schatz is the author of the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act (S.1686), bipartisan legislation that would strengthen the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) disaster recovery program and help provide more...

DUBAI – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, concluded a mission to the annual United Nations climate conference, COP28, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Schatz touted the progress made since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last year, including the creation of hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs and lower energy prices for Hawai‘i families. Schatz was part of a Senate delegation which was led by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin...

DUBAI – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and a Senate delegation will attend the annual UN climate conference, COP28, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Schatz plans to highlight the progress made possible so far by the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law a year ago. The law – the biggest climate action in history – invests in clean energy, helps lower energy costs for Hawai‘i families, and aims to cut U.S. carbon pollution by...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) secured the inclusion of several provisions to the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including measures to protect Hawai‘i’s shipyard workforce as a part of the crucial Australia – United Kingdom – United States (AUKUS) submarine partnership, authorize $1.6 billion in infrastructure projects, and create a new presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed diplomatic post to the Pacific Islands Forum. “These provisions will help...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Ed Case (D-Hawai‘i) today secured the inclusion of several provisions to the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including bipartisan legislation to collect data, study, and help better understand the health impacts of those exposed to water contamination from the Red Hill fuel leak. The Schatz-Case provision is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) in the Senate...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) introduced the Fostering Overseas Rule of Law and Environmentally Sound Trade (FOREST) Act, bipartisan legislation that creates a framework for the federal government to deter commodity-driven illegal deforestation around the world. The FOREST Act restricts access to U.S. markets for commodities originating from illegally deforested land,...

WASHINGTON – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced that Hawai‘i will receive $7.6 million in new grant funding to support natural infrastructure projects across the state. The six grants to Hawai‘i, provided by the Infrastructure Law, will support design and implementation of projects to enhance the resilience of coastal communities and improve habitat for fish and wildlife. “These projects across Hawai‘i will help restore or...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after voting to confirm Shanlyn A.S. Park to serve as a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. Park was among those recommended to President Biden by Senators Hirono and Schatz, and a merit-based Federal Judicial Selection Commission, and was confirmed by a bipartisan vote of 53-45. “With decades of experience practicing law in Hawai‘i, Judge...