Schatz Meets With Maui County Council, Hawai‘i Governor To Discuss Lāhainā Recovery, Protecting Federal Funding

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) yesterday met with the Maui County Council and Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green to discuss federal funding for Lahaina recovery, disaster relief programs, and President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans’ recent attempts to slash vital services to pay for tax cuts for the ultrawealthy. During the meeting, Council Chair Alice L. Lee thanked Governor Green for his participation, which made the meeting a 'permitted interaction' under the state Sunshine Law.

“We’ve secured billions in federal funding to support Maui’s recovery, and now we’re making sure every dollar reaches the people who need it,” said Senator Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “That means working closely together at every level – county, state, and federal – to protect essential programs and keep the recovery on track.”

The leaders discussed solutions to rising costs, housing challenges, and disaster recovery efforts. Schatz addressed concerns about key funding sources, including the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, FEMA disaster relief, and Small Business Administration (SBA) funding, and he reaffirmed his commitment to working across all levels of government to secure funding and streamline assistance. He also urged state officials to direct impacted residents to his office or newly launched resource page for help accessing federal support.

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