Senate Appropriations Committee Approves $16.7 Million For East-West Center

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved $16.7 million in federal funding for the East-West Center.  Senator Schatz worked with Appropriations Committee leaders to ensure continued federal funding levels for the East-West Center, which supports U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region by providing critical research and analysis, and to increase funding $5.9 million above the President's budget.

“This is great news for Hawai‘i,” said Senator Schatz.  “Our pivot to the Asia-Pacific means the East-West Center plays an even greater role in U.S.-Asia relations.  The East-West Center is important not only to Hawai‘i, but to our country's national and economic security.  That is why we need to move this bill quickly through Congress and give the East-West Center the resources it needs to continue its important work.”

The President requested just $10.8 million for the East-West Center in his budget for FY 2015.  Senator Schatz worked with Appropriations Committee leadership, including Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), and Appropriations Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to keep funding levels at $16.7 million.

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