Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after the Senate voted to pass a two-year budget deal.“This two-year budget deal moves us beyond the threats of government shutdowns, provides relief from sequester cuts, and lays a clear path to restore the appropriations process that Hawai‘i depends on. It invests in health care, including children’s health insurance, telehealth, and the 14 federally-funded community...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of 31 senators, including every Democrat on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, in demanding answers on reports that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has halted its investigation into how credit reporting agency Equifax failed to protect the personal data of over 145 million Americans. “We are deeply troubled by recent news reports that, under Director Mulvaney’s...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) introduced the Explore America Act, legislation that supports the expansion of cultural heritage tourism by strengthening the Preserve America Grant Program. Changes to the program will help attract more visitors to American landscapes and cultural heritage sites in the National Parks System, enhance existing programs, and increase collaboration between communities and the federal...

WASHINGTON – Following the false emergency alert that went out across Hawai‘i on January 13 and caused widespread panic, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced the Authenticating Local Emergencies and Real Threats (ALERT) Act, legislation that would improve the emergency alert system and give the federal government the sole responsibility of alerting the public of a missile threat, prohibiting state and local...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), lead Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, released the following statement in response to reports released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the State of Hawai‘i on the false emergency alert. “The reports from the FCC and the State of Hawai‘i demonstrate systems and judgement failures on multiple levels, and they reinforce my belief...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s State of the Union address. “I listened carefully to the president’s speech for opportunities for bipartisanship, and I was disappointed to find so few. Although there may be a chance for compromise on infrastructure and a solution for the Dreamers worked out in the Senate, much of the speech was disappointingly divisive. Nevertheless, I will continue...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) have renewed calls for higher education accreditation reform following a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found the process was in need of improvement.According to education experts surveyed by GAO, the current accreditation system does not provide effective oversight of academic quality, which is the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), lead Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, will convene a Senate field hearing in Honolulu on the state’s emergency alert system. The hearing will bring together local, state, and federal officials to look into the false emergency missile alert that went out across the state on January 13 and caused widespread panic.“For the state to fix this system, we need to...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) called on Republicans to join Democrats in passing the Pay Our Military Act, legislation to continue paying military servicemembers during the federal government shutdown. Senate Democrats requested unanimous consent to quickly pass the bill early Saturday morning, but it was blocked by Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Senator Schatz and Democrats have continued to fight for its passage throughout the weekend....

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on the shutdown of the federal government.“Nobody wins in a shutdown. It’s time for us to do the hard work of negotiating and compromise to keep critical government services going. I will continue to work for as long as it takes to solve this terrible problem.” ###

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), and senior staff members for U.S. Representatives Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawai‘i) and Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawai‘i) were briefed by federal and state agencies on the false emergency alert that went out across the state on January 13. The delegation was able to question state and federal officials about last weekend’s incident and discuss how to prevent another false alarm from...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), lead Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, released the following statement on the false emergency alert in Hawai‘i. “There is no excuse for yesterday’s false alarm and the failure to quickly correct it. It terrified residents and visitors, and it undermined our ability to notify the public in a real emergency. “This incident exposed serious weaknesses...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and David McKinley (R-W.V.) introduced the Opioids and STOP Pain Initiative Act, legislation that establishes a new large-scale initiative at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand research on opioid misuse, the understanding of pain, and the discovery of non-addictive, non-opioid alternatives to treat and prevent pain. “Our country is in the midst of an opioid crisis, and...

WASHINGTON – In response to a letter led by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and co-signed by U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) that called for answers regarding reports of banned words used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the upcoming budget process, CDC acknowledged that it provides guidance on words to avoid using and suggests alternative terms. For...

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Senators Brian Schatz and Mazie K. Hirono announced the nomination of well-respected, career prosecutor Jill Otake to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. Ms. Otake was among those recommended by Senators Hirono and Schatz, and a merit-based Federal Judicial Selection Commission in 2015.“Jill Otake is an experienced trial attorney whose legal knowledge and sound judgment make her an excellent choice to serve as U.S. District Court...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) voted against the Republican tax bill which passed the Senate by a partisan vote of 51-48. Before the vote, Senator Schatz spoke out against the bill on the Senate floor. “The tax code is an expression of what Americans care about and what Americans value,” said Senator Schatz. “This bill foundationally changes our tax system so that it rewards wealth over work, at the expense of the middle class and our...

WASHINGTON – Following reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and potentially other agencies were directed to avoid using certain words or phrases in official budget documents, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) are demanding answers from the CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). ...

WASHINGTON – Following reports that some consumers with credit freezes are experiencing issues enrolling into a health care plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of senators in calling on credit reporting agency Experian to work quickly to resolve the issue in their system so that consumers can verify their identity online and to waive any fees for consumers who choose to unfreeze their credit reports. “We are troubled that,...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, released the following statement after the Republican-controlled Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed net neutrality protections. “Today, Trump’s FCC dealt a major blow to the free and open internet by repealing net neutrality rules. Because of Chairman Pai and the other Republican commissioners, there are...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) are calling on Congress to pass a year-end budget deal that honors veterans.After Congress passed a short-term funding bill, set to run out December 22, the senators are calling for responsible, long-term funding that provides more stability and certainty to veterans who rely on VA health care and benefits.The senators are joined by leading Veterans Service Organizations to demand responsible investments in...