Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the County of Hawai‘i will receive $1,376,067 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support wastewater treatment. This funding covers eight new emergency power generators, helping to ensure wastewater treatment plants and sewer pump stations remain functional during a natural hazard or severe weather event. “The Big...

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that $20 million in federal funding, secured by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) in the American Rescue Plan, will be distributed to Papa Ola Lokahi and five Native Hawaiian Health Care Centers to support vaccination efforts, respond to and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and strengthen health care services for Native Hawaiian families across the state. “This new funding will help more Native...

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate passed legislation authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) that will improve road safety standards and make streets safer for everyone. The Vulnerable Road Users Safety Act, which Senator Schatz worked to include in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, utilizes technology, infrastructure, and design expertise to vastly reduce pedestrian and cyclist road deaths in Hawai‘i and across the United States. “For too...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) voted to pass a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal that includes at least $2.8 billion in estimated funding for Hawai‘i. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes funding to repair roads and bridges and make them more resilient to climate change, improve public transportation options for residents, and strengthen high-speed internet access in Native Hawaiian communities and across...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) reintroduced the Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act, which encourages colleges and universities to remove criminal and juvenile justice questions from their admissions applications by providing guidance and training to schools to change their policies. Most schools currently include these questions in their admissions processes. “Everyone deserves the chance to rebuild their life through higher education, whether...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) today reintroduced the State Public Option Act, bicameral legislation to create a Medicaid-based public health insurance option to strengthen the Affordable Care Act by providing Americans with a new high-quality, low-cost choice when purchasing health insurance. “Our bill will open up each state’s Medicaid program to anyone who wants it, giving people a high-quality, low-cost public...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today introduced new legislation to fight cybercrime and help keep Americans safe from online scams. The bipartisan Better Cybercrime Metrics Act will improve data collection on cybercrimes, giving law enforcement and policy makers more tools to understand the size and scope of cybercrime in the United States. “To protect people and fight online...

WASHINGTON – Two bills authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) to support Native Hawaiian language schools and programs, unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, where Schatz serves as Chairman. “Our bipartisan bills will strengthen federal support for culturally-based Native language education and make sure Native language use in Hawai‘i and across the country continues to grow,” said Chairman Schatz. The pair of bills passed by the...

WASHINGTON – As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today voted to advance legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for the use of military force (AUMFs). “Repealing the outdated 1991 and 2002 AUMFs is good for our national security and will help restore American leadership around the world. It also reasserts Congress’ constitutional role in declaring war. But we still have more work to do. It’s...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Housing and Transportation, released the following statement on a new order issued by the Biden Administration that will extend the federal eviction moratorium. “No one should be kicked out of their home during a pandemic because they can’t afford their rent. These extensions will stop evictions for thousands of Hawai‘i residents struggling to make ends...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) spoke on the Senate floor today to celebrate Carissa Moore’s Olympic Gold Medal win in surfing.  The senator also paid tribute to Duke Kahanamoku and his work to bring the sport of surfing to the Olympic Games, which made its debut as an official Olympic sport this year. “There’s a saying that the best surfer is the person having the most fun, and that’s unquestionably the case with Carissa. She has an...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today introduced new legislation to improve road safety standards and make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. “For too long, transportation policy has been focused on how we can fit more cars on our roads, but that isn’t the only way people travel. My bill will make it safer for everyone to use our streets – whether it’s on foot or on a bike,” said Senator Schatz, Chairman of the Senate...

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Veterans’ Disability Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) that would increase the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans. “There’s no reason that we shouldn’t guarantee an annual cost-of-living...

HONOLULU – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i will receive more than $3 million in new federal funding from the American Rescue Plan to help detect and prevent potential COVID-19 outbreaks among the state’s most vulnerable and high-risk communities – including people experiencing homelessness and prison populations. “As Hawai‘i experiences a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant, we can’t leave vulnerable...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) today introduced legislation to help communities plan for and recover from major disasters. The Reforming Disaster Recovery Act would strengthen the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) disaster recovery grants for states, local governments, and tribes. It would also improve coordination at the federal level...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today introduced the Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment (E-BIKE) Act, new legislation to promote the use of electric bicycles, or e-bikes, through a refundable consumer tax credit. E-Bikes are increasingly being used as a cheaper, more environmentally-friendly transportation option for short trips and daily commutes that can help break the cycle of fossil fuel use. “We need to do everything we can to...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that 10 small rural hospitals in Hawai‘i – those with fewer than 50 beds and Critical Access Hospitals – will receive $2,583,760 in new federal funding from the American Rescue Plan. This funding will help these hospitals expand COVID-19 testing for people living in rural communities and tailor mitigation efforts to meet local needs – such as community education and workforce...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) reintroduced the College Equity Act, a bill that would give colleges and universities funding to address disparities in higher education recruitment, admissions, and support. “There are schools where veterans, people of color, and people with disabilities are able to thrive, and others where they struggle. The difference often comes down to schools knowing the challenges that exist for students and doing something to help,”...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that two Early Head Start and Head Start Programs in Hawai‘i will receive nearly $3 million in new federal funding through the American Rescue Plan. The funding — provided to Parents and Children Together and the Honolulu Community Action Program — will be vital to helping these programs recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, including by making up for lost learning time and building back to fully...

HONOLULU – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation, partnering with the counties of Hawai‘i, Kauai, and Maui, will receive $5.15 million in new federal funding to purchase battery electric buses and charging infrastructure for each of the counties. “Electric buses make our air cleaner, our roads quieter, and reduce the operating costs of our public transit,” said Senator Schatz, Chairman of the...