Schatz Calls For Additional Disaster Relief Money For Maui, Other Impacted Communities As Government Funding Deadline Nears

WASHINGTON – With just nine days to go until the September 30 deadline to fund the federal government, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today spoke on the Senate Floor to call on lawmakers in Congress to pass additional disaster relief funding as part of an appropriations bill. Schatz’s remarks come as federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), are facing depleting funds for disaster relief even as they continue recovery work on Maui and other states impacted natural disasters across the country.

“Americans impacted by disasters are the ones most desperately in need,” said Senator Schatz. “That includes the people on Maui who are just beginning the recovery process from last month’s devastating wildfires, but also people in states across the country: in Vermont, in Florida, in California, in Texas, and many other states.”

Schatz continued, “Funding disaster relief is one of the core responsibilities of the federal legislature, not just as a matter of public policy but morally. What are we here for other than to help our fellow Americans when they are in desperate situations?”

The full video of Senator Schatz’s speech is available here.

###