Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has been leading efforts in Congress to deliver additional federal funding to help Maui recover from last year’s tragic fires. This week, Schatz worked with the White House to release an updated disaster funding request, pressed the Department of Housing and Urban Development on rebuilding housing in Lahaina at a Senate hearing, and spoke out on the Senate floor again to call attention to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) once again urged colleagues in Congress to pass disaster relief for survivors on Maui and across the country before the end of the year. Schatz has continually stressed the need for passing long-term assistance to help survivors rebuild in Lahaina. In the coming weeks, Congress is expected to debate an aid package for nearly 40 states affected by disasters nationwide. “Everyone is doing the best that they can to recover,” said Senator Schatz....

WASHINGTON — At a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) pressed federal officials on the recovery efforts on Maui and called for additional federal funding. Schatz questioned top officials from key federal agencies—the Department of Transportation, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Department of Agriculture—about urgent long-term needs, including Community...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement on an updated disaster funding request submitted by the White House. The updated request follows remarks delivered by Schatz on the Senate floor calling for long-term disaster relief funding.  “Maui and communities across the country hit by disasters can’t rebuild alone. They need federal support. That means immediately passing supplemental disaster...

WASHINGTON – 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) today released the following joint statement on two reports issued by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General on the overall safety of the Defense Fuel Support Point Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam. The delegation called for the independent investigations in November 2021 and December 2021. “These independent reports make clear...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced Hawai‘i will receive two grants totaling more than $3.8 million in new federal funding to bolster pedestrian and bicycle safety on Oahu. The funding, which Schatz helped secure and comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program, will be used to implement a safety demonstration program at high-injury locations across Oahu.   “Everyone, including pedestrians and bikers, deserves safe...

WASHINGTON – As Congress reconvenes this week for the final few weeks of session for the year, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today called on colleagues to prioritize passing a disaster aid package that includes long-term relief for disaster survivors on Maui and elsewhere across the country. Schatz underscored the long road to recovery in Lahaina since last year’s tragic fires and the range of outstanding needs, including rebuilding homes, small businesses, schools, and other critical...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i will receive $33 million to rehabilitate the Wailuku River Bridge on Hawai‘i Island. “Upgrading aging infrastructure is critical to ensuring people can get around safely for years to come,” said Senator Schatz, chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation. “Making these necessary upgrades to the Wailuku River Bridge will result in less disruptions and safer commutes for people on Hawai‘i...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. “As the leader of Hamas and the mastermind of the October 7th attack in Israel, Yahya Sinwar is responsible for the murders of thousands of innocent civilians, including Americans. His death is welcome news, and we hope it will provide a measure of justice and comfort to the families of victims and hostages terrorized...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after the Department of Defense announced that more than 800 service members who were unfairly discharged from the military under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ will be upgraded to an honorable discharge. “It’s long past time that LGBTQ+ veterans who bravely served our country received the honorable service records they deserve and the benefits that go with it,” said Senator Schatz. “While these record corrections are...

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D- Hawai‘i) today released the following statement after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced its final “click-to-cancel” rule that would help customers more easily get out of unwanted subscriptions. “Free trials should be free, but instead some companies have used that model to lure and trap customers into subscriptions with costly monthly charges they never meant to make. That’s why I introduced a bill to stop those kinds of deceptive business...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) issued the following statement after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) extended financial assistance and direct temporary housing assistance for survivors of the Maui fires until February 2026. The assistance through FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program was originally set to expire in February 2025. “FEMA’s extension means survivors will continue to have homes for their families for the foreseeable future. But let’s be clear...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today called for additional disaster relief funding when Congress returns in November. Speaking on the Senate floor, Schatz stressed the need to provide disaster survivors on Maui and in other disaster-impacted communities with flexible, long-term assistance in the form of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding which will enable them to rebuild their homes and communities as quickly as possible. “Make no mistake,...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) introduced a resolution condemning an escalating censorship crisis that has removed and targeted thousands of books from the shelves of schools, libraries and universities across the country.  The bicameral resolution, coinciding with Banned Books Week, reinforces congressional recognition of students’ First Amendment rights and affirms that the freedom to read is essential to a strong...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led members of the bipartisan Senate Telehealth Working Group in calling on Senate leaders to take up legislation to permanently extend telehealth flexibilities for Medicare beneficiaries that are set to expire at the end of the year. Specifically, the senators urged for the passage of the bipartisan CONNECT for Health Act which Schatz leads with U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and was reintroduced last year with the support of 66 bipartisan...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan resolution authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) designating September 15-21 as “Telehealth Awareness Week.” The resolution recognizes that telehealth has helped millions of Americans across the country access quality health care, and has become a critical component of health care delivery. “Telehealth helps people access quality health care when and where they need it, and our resolution highlights the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today voted to protect and expand access to IVF nationwide. The Right to IVF Act failed to pass the Senate after all but two Republicans voted against it for the second time in just over three months. Ahead of the vote, Schatz highlighted a local family from Hawai‘i who conceived their child, Nalu, through IVF. At a press conference ahead of vote, Schatz holds up photo of Hawai‘i family that used IVF to start a family “Today, for the second...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of 10 bipartisan senators in calling on Senate leadership to move quickly to pass additional funding to help states recover from ongoing disasters. Schatz was joined by U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). “We write as members representing...

WASHINGTON – As Congress considers a short-term spending bill to keep the government open past the September 30 funding deadline, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today spoke on the Senate floor on the importance of including disaster aid to support survivors on Maui and across the country. In particular, Schatz stressed the need to provide disaster survivors with flexible, long-term assistance in the form of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding which will...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) reintroduced the Safeguarding American Families and Expanding Social Security (SAFE Social Security) Act, legislation to expand Social Security for seniors and families in Hawai‘i and across the country. The bill will increase benefits on average by more than $125 per month, ensure the cost of living adjustments adequately reflect the living expenses of retirees, extend the life of the trust fund, remove the wage cap to make sure all...