Schatz Statement on Bipartisan Two-Year Budget Deal

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after the Senate voted to pass a two-year budget deal.

“This two-year budget deal moves us beyond the threats of government shutdowns, provides relief from sequester cuts, and lays a clear path to restore the appropriations process that Hawai‘i depends on. It invests in health care, including children’s health insurance, telehealth, and the 14 federally-funded community health centers across Hawai‘i.

"This deal puts us in a place to be able to fund infrastructure projects, Native Hawaiian programs, clean energy, university research, and invasive species programs. And it fulfills our promise to veterans by putting money toward rebuilding crumbling VA hospitals and clinics. With this bipartisan deal, we can begin to bring down the backlog of construction projects in the VA’s capital investment plan, so that we can finally make progress toward a long-overdue community-based outpatient clinic in Hilo and replacement clinic in Kona. 

"I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to make these investments a reality for communities in Hawai‘i and across the country.”

###