Press Releases

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement after U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Democratic Whip, announced he would not seek re-election. “For more than four decades, Senator Dick Durbin has been a pillar of leadership, integrity, and unwavering dedication to the people of his home state of Illinois and the nation. A titan of the Senate, he has helped improve the lives of Americans everywhere—expanding health research, protecting children from...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-Ill.) introduced the Climate Change Financial Risk Act, legislation that directs the Federal Reserve to conduct stress tests on large financial institutions to measure their resilience to climate-related financial risks. “Risk is risk—we should not be treating some risks different from others just because they’re hard to quantify. Federal regulators are legally obligated to ensure a stable and efficient...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the planned reorganization of the U.S. State Department. “Following the illegal and damaging dismantling of USAID, Secretary Marco Rubio’s proposed changes to the State Department would have drastic and wide-ranging implications for key U.S. national interests. On its...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to open up the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to commercial fishing. “At a time when the climate crisis is threatening our fragile ocean ecosystem and costing us lives and livelihoods every year, President Trump’s response is to gut protections for some of our nation’s most important natural resources, including the Pacific Islands Heritage...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after President Donald Trump and top administration officials refused to comply with a Supreme Court order to help return Kilmar Abrego Garcia who the Justice Department has admitted to mistakenly deporting to El Salvador. “President Donald Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio need to start following the law – now. They are knowingly violating the law by denying people due process and disappearing them to foreign...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, released the following statement on reports that Pete Marocco, who oversaw the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has left the U.S. Department of State. “Pete Marocco’s tenure brought chaos to USAID, reckless and unlawful policy to the State Department, and dismantled long-standing U.S. foreign policy. His actions...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) today introduced the TAME Extreme Weather and Wildfires Act, bipartisan legislation to improve and leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to better predict and respond to extreme weather and protect people and communities from the increasing toll of wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and other disasters. “Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, more severe, and more deadly, and AI can be a powerful tool in saving...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), along with U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), led a group of 29 senators urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to immediately reinstate Title X family planning funding in 23 states, including Hawai‘i, after the agency began withholding grants that support basic health care for approximately one million people. “We are alarmed at the Trump administration’s attacks...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) spoke out on the Senate floor today after President Donald Trump announced a new tariff plan that will levy the largest tax hike on middle-class families in a generation and force families to pay an average of $5,000 more each year. “Donald Trump is ruining the economy on purpose,” said Senator Schatz. “Starting tomorrow, we'll be paying more for everything – groceries, food, cars, homes, toys, electronics, everything that you buy. This is about...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after voting against the Republican Senate budget resolution. “Tonight, Senate Republicans voted to give even more money to billionaires while slashing programs that help regular people get by—things like Medicaid, food assistance, and education. Working families are struggling with rising costs, but instead of offering real solutions, Republicans are trying to take away the support people count on—just to fund...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) spoke out on the Senate floor against the Trump administration’s cuts to Social Security services which have left seniors and disabled people around the country worried about their ability to get their monthly checks. Schatz spoke during the Senate’s debate on the Republican tax bill which seeks to cut essential services for Americans in order to pay for the biggest tax cuts for billionaires in history. “Leave Social Security alone,” said...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on the passing of former Hawai‘i State Representative Gene Ward. “Gene Ward was a statesman and a genuinely effective member of the loyal opposition. He never wavered in his Republican values, but more important to him was his attachment to the country, the Constitution, and his district. “He was always kind and respectful, and every interaction I ever had with him was totally professional. The people of Hawai‘i...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on S.J.Res.33 and S.J.Res.26. “I have always supported Israel’s right to defend itself from serious and enduring threats in the region, and support American security assistance for that purpose, and will continue to do so. While I was encouraged by the ceasefire earlier this year, its breakdown and the Netanyahu government’s devastating actions in Gaza warrant...

Current Flexibilities Set To Expire September 30 Without Congressional Action WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) led a bipartisan group of 60 senators in reintroducing the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act. The CONNECT for Health Act will expand coverage of telehealth services through...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of 16 senators in introducing a resolution designating April 2025 as “Preserving and Protecting Local News Month.” The resolution underscores the vital role of local journalism in American democracy, especially as the First Amendment faces mounting threats from the Trump administration. “Americans rely on local news to stay informed about their communities and hold leaders accountable,” said Senator Schatz. “At a time when the free...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on the passing of educator and community leader Mary Matayoshi. “Hawai?i has lost a remarkable leader in Mary Matayoshi, a woman whose legacy is defined by her deep belief in the moral responsibility of service, education, and leadership. There is nobody that made a bigger impact over a longer period of time on behalf of Hawai‘i’s social safety net than her. “Nobody ever wanted to disappoint Mary because she...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of 20 senators in introducing a resolution to celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility and recognize the achievements and courage of the transgender community around the world. “International Transgender Day of Visibility is about celebrating the transgender community around the world – their achievements, their courage, and their right to live freely and openly,” said Senator Schatz. “It’s also about raising awareness...

WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, alongside Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement on the...

Lawmakers: These Actions Are Not Just Illegal And Wasteful, They Run Counter To Our Interests of Promoting Free Expression, Combating Censorship WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, and U.S. Representative Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security and Department of State, led a bicameral letter urging United States Agency for Global...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced the Cultural Trade Promotion Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation to strengthen America’s creative industries and expand cultural exports. By bolstering the creative economy, this legislation will help U.S. businesses—including Native-owned, small, and rural enterprises—reach new global markets, create jobs, and strengthen America’s influence abroad amidst increasing competition from...