Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement in response to the president’s annual State of the Union address. “Tonight, we heard the president reflect on the significant progress we have made in just one year. Amid tough odds, we have seen real results that have led to historic job growth, a more stable economy, and a decline in COVID-19 cases everywhere. But there is still more work to do, and President Biden outlined a clear plan...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement on President Joe Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. “Judge Jackson has the legal expertise, record of fairness, and extensive experience – both professional and personal – that will make her an excellent addition to the Supreme Court. She is a highly respected jurist who has excelled in her career as a public defender, at the U.S....

HONOLULU – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and  Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on President Joe Biden’s appointment of Chris Kanazawa to serve as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Hawai‘i and the Western Pacific. “Chris has worked with Hawai‘i’s agricultural businesses and communities for decades, and has held this position before. He is...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia’s unprovoked attack against Ukraine’s national sovereignty and independence is the greatest breach of peace in Europe since World War II and a threat to democracies around the world. It cannot stand. “President Biden has taken tough and appropriate actions, imposing crushing...

HONOLULU – The U.S. Senate last week unanimously passed the John Lewis National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Endowment Revitalization Act. Authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), the bipartisan legislation will increase investments in universities conducting critical research into minority health disparities. Schatz’s bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives in April and now heads to the...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today passed legislation authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) that provides $100 million in new federal funding to cover the cost of defueling the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and direct the Department of Defense to comply with the State of Hawai‘i’s emergency public health order. Schatz worked closely with bipartisan leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee to include the funding provision in a critical spending...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center and Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services on Oahu will receive nearly $4 million to expand and improve their virtual care programs, including telehealth. The two health centers, which serve more than 47,000 people, have utilized telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure patients receive comprehensive primary care services. “Telehealth lets...

WASHINGTON – Following the arrest of a then-10-year-old Black student at a Waipahu school in January 2020, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today urged the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education to develop and publish clear guidance on arrests and law enforcement actions for schools in Hawai‘i and across the country. “The long-term mental and socio-emotional impact that arrests have on children necessitate an analysis of school-based arrests by race, color,...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced today the names of 42 students nominated to attend the following military service academies: United States Air Force Academy, the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy. The service academies are highly selective rigorous four-year institutions whose graduates become commissioned officers in the United States Armed Forces.  “These nominees represent the very best...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on President Joe Biden’s approval of a presidential disaster declaration that will bring significant relief to communities in Honolulu and Maui County impacted by December’s severe weather and flooding. Last month, Schatz and the Hawai‘i congressional delegation urged the president to quickly approve Governor David Ige’s disaster declaration request. “FEMA has been a...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D- Hawai‘i) today announced that six farms and community organizations on Hawai‘i Island and Maui will receive $1,149,316 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help them create new products and better advertise their goods and services. This support will allow these organizations to grow their businesses and become more successful in accessing new markets. “Small farms and agricultural businesses help feed...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i will receive $10,737,672 in funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support sustainable fishing and hunting and improve restoration, conservation, and management of fish and wildlife populations. “Fishing, hunting, and enjoying the outdoors are part of Hawai‘i’s history and our way of life. This new investment will help us make sure that residents and visitors alike can...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today introduced legislation to permanently shut down the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. The Senate bill introduction follows companion legislation introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Kaiali‘i Kahele (D-Hawai‘i). “Together we will work to secure federal funding to defuel, conduct congressional oversight, and push for legislation. Our bicameral bill will help us in our fight to...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i will receive $2,616,956 in new funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand its network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, part of nearly $18 million in estimated formula funding coming to Hawai‘i over the next five years for EV charging. “People want to purchase EVs, but they worry about where and when they’ll be able to charge their car. By building EV...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) today called on President Joe Biden to step up efforts to demilitarize the police. “We urge you to prioritize the demilitarization of law enforcement by limiting the transfer or purchase of certain military equipment...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) cosponsored the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act, legislation that will prevent members of Congress and their families from buying and selling stocks while holding office. “Members of Congress have one job and that’s to help people, not enrich ourselves through stock trades,” said Senator Schatz. “No federal elected official should be picking stocks while making policy. It’s that simple.” The...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured $100 million in new federal funding to cover the cost of defueling the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and direct the Department of Defense to comply with the State of Hawai‘i’s emergency public health order. Schatz worked closely with bipartisan leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee to include the funding provision in a critical three-week spending...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today reintroduced the Promoting Local Arts and Creative Economy Workforce (PLACE) Act, legislation that will support workers and small businesses in creative industries by increasing federal resources and expanding federal benefits for those using creativity and skill in their employment. “Creative workers support local arts and innovation, help different cultures tell their stories, and bring people together as a society....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after the Department of Defense (DoD) announced it would contest the State of Hawai‘i’s emergency public health order. “The DoD made a grave and unforced error that undermines public trust. Fortunately, we have civilian oversight of the military, and this inexplicable and maddening resistance to the defuel order will not succeed. They will lose in court, and they will lose in...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, urged 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. In his letter to the president, Schatz cites Peltier’s advanced age, illness,...