Appropriations Requests

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Schatz is able to advocate for certain funding priorities. Organizations, nonprofits, firms, and agencies that are local recipients, administrators, or stakeholders for federal funding can help determine these priorities by submitting federal appropriations requests. This webpage explains the different types of appropriations requests and the process for submitting requests.

Fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills have been passed by Congress and signed into law.  You can view the projects that Senator Schatz funded as earmarks in FY 2024 here and here.

Constituents wishing to express their thoughts on federal appropriations can do so here.

In fiscal year (FY) 2025, the Senate will accept requests for earmarks, formally referred to as congressionally directed spending. Earmarks allow Members of Congress to request that federal funds be set aside for specific projects in their states. This is an opportunity for state, local, and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations to apply to obtain funding for projects that would benefit from a one-time allocation of funds. Senator Schatz’s deadline for accepting appropriations requests for FY 2025 has passed. You can view the projects that Senator Schatz funded as earmarks in FY 2024 here and here. For more information on requesting earmarks, please click here.

The vast majority of federal discretionary spending, including most of the federal money granted to entities in Hawai‘i (e.g. state and local government, non-profit organizations, and for-profit businesses), qualifies as programmatic funding. Programmatic funds can come in the form of discretionary grants, which are made by federal agencies on a competitive basis, i.e., requiring an application; loans; or via a formula determined by statute.

State and local governments, organizations, or other communities that benefit, or stand to benefit, from existing federal programs can advocate for an increase in resources to those programs by submitting programmatic funding requests. For more information on programmatic requests and the submission process, please click here.

For instructions on how to submit a request for a new account, or for advice if you have already submitted a request to a removed account, please contact your usual point of contact in the office or contact Schatz_Appropriations@schatz.senate.gov to be connected with the appropriate legislative staffer. A contact list for our office can be found here. Please include as much information as you can in your initial email, including: the federal programs that you are interested in, the outcomes that you are trying to achieve, and why you seek a change from the federal program’s status quo.