Sen. Schatz pushes for more federal funding for Maui

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Sen. Brian Schatz is keeping attention on Maui from Washington.

He gave a speech on the floor emphasizing the need to keep federal money and resources flowing to the island.

“The people of Maui are mourning unimaginable losses, but they’re also confronting an uncertain future. How long will it take to find a permanent home? When will they find a stable job again? Where were the kids go to school this fall. But if there is any reason for hope and all of this devastation, it’s that people aren’t carrying this burden alone,” said Sen. Schatz. “So it’s our responsibility here in Congress to provide relief in any way that we can, for as long as people need it.”

Schatz detailed billions of dollars needed for people and recovery projects, with cleanup alone estimated to cost up to one billion dollars and take a year to complete.