Press Releases

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included several provisions authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i). Schatz’s provisions included measures to protect coral reefs, improve the nation’s volcanic warning system, and stop the cruel practice of killing sharks for their fins. The NDAA bill now heads to president’s desk to be signed into law. The NDAA bill includes the bipartisan Restoring...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today called on the Department of Defense to step up its efforts to assist people experiencing health issues as a result of water contamination from the Red Hill fuel leak. “Protecting the health and safety of service members and their families is the sacred obligation of the Department of Defense, and the water contamination of the community water system at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam was a breach of trust. DoD must use all...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today led a bipartisan group of senators in urging Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to work with American and global leaders to prevent deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and help fight climate change. Citing Lula’s public commitments to protect the Amazon, the senators expressed their interest in working with him and the National Congress of Brazil to restore protections against illegal...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representative Mark Takano (D-Calif.) introduced the Right to Private Conduct Act, a bill to protect the rights to privacy and liberty granted by the Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas. The legislation would prevent any person acting under color of law from inhibiting an individual’s right to engage in private, non-commercial, consensual sexual conduct between...

WASHINGTON – The Senate Democratic Caucus today voted to elevate U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) to Deputy Conference Secretary, a new position within the Senate Democratic leadership team. Schatz was nominated for the new role by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). In addition to the new leadership position, Schatz will retain his role as Chief Deputy Whip. “I’m honored to serve in this new leadership role,” said Senator Schatz. “We have more...

WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden signed the Safe Connections Act into law. The new law, authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), will help survivors of domestic violence and other crimes cut ties with their abusers and separate from shared wireless service plans, which can be exploited to monitor, stalk, or control victims. “Giving domestic violence abusers control over their victims’ cell phones is a terrifying reality for many...

WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden signed the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act into law. The new law, authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), will expand research into marijuana-derived medications. The goal of the law is to facilitate research on marijuana and its potential health benefits. The Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act will accomplish this by...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i will receive $5.6 million in new federal funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce to expand high-speed internet access in unserved and underserved communities. “Everyone in Hawai‘i should have access to high-speed internet,” said Senator Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This funding will allow us to expand broadband infrastructure across the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, renewed efforts to urge President Joe Biden to commute the sentence of Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist convicted of murder in 1977 following a controversial investigation and trial, which many civil rights leaders and legal experts have called unjust, including the U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the case. The new letter follows Schatz’s call for clemency in January....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today secured the inclusion of several provisions to the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including measures to protect coral reefs, improve the nation’s volcanic warning system, and stop the cruel practice of killing sharks for their fins. The final NDAA bill includes the bipartisan Restoring Resilient Reefs Act which was authored by Schatz and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). The landmark bill increases...

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Safe Connections Act. The bill, authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), will help survivors of domestic violence and other crimes cut ties with their abusers and separate from shared wireless service plans, which can be exploited to monitor, stalk, or control victims. “Giving domestic violence abusers control over their victims’ cell phones is a terrifying reality for many...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as president of Brazil. “Lula’s win is a victory for global climate action. The importance of the Amazon as a carbon sink cannot be overstated, and its preservation is critical to preventing the most destructive climate change scenarios. Lula significantly curbed deforestation during his...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today commended the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on newly issued guidance to consumer reporting companies about their obligation to screen for and eliminate errors from consumers’ credit reports. In November, Schatz urged the agency to help improve the accuracy of credit reports, streamline the dispute resolution process, and hold consumer reporting agencies accountable for addressing persistent...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, released the following statement after the Department of the Interior announced its first-ever consultation policy with the Native Hawaiian community.   “This is a very big deal and a vital first step. One of the most important principles in policymaking, especially as it relates to Native communities, is: ‘nothing about me, without me.’ This policy update...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced more than $27 million in funding to Hawai‘i from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support programs and research that expand access to health care and domestic violence programs, reduce racial and ethnic health disparities, and support the health care workforce. This funding includes over $4.3 million in congressionally-directed spending secured by Schatz, and millions of dollars more as...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have introduced the Identifying Propaganda on Our Airwaves (IPA) Act, bipartisan legislation to help disclose foreign propaganda on American broadcast television and radio. The bill authorizes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to require that broadcasters check foreign media databases to better identify groups sponsoring programming. Companion legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that seven Native Hawaiian organizations working to preserve and share Native Hawaiian culture and traditions with visitors will receive $1 million in funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior to continue doing so. The funding is made possible by the NATIVE Act, 2016 legislation authored by Senator Schatz to help empower Native communities through cultural tourism. “Everyone who visits Hawai?i should understand and...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after the Hawai‘i Department of Health approved the Navy’s plan to drain pipelines at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.   “This is a positive step toward defueling and shutting down Red Hill. DoD must continue to work with state officials and community leaders as quickly as possible. There’s no turning back, and there’s no time to waste.” ###

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i will receive $1,417,688 in new federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support school meal programs. This money will help schools provide students with nutritious meals, supporting families that face food insecurity and addressing food shortages amid supply chain challenges. “Kids throughout Hawai‘i rely on school meals so that they can stay healthy and succeed...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, released the following statement after the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced it has approved the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit’s updated Recovery Plan. “We still have a long way to go, but this is an important step that recognizes the work HART and the city have done to provide more...