Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Andy Levin (D-Mich.) introduced new legislation to keep workers safe by requiring the publication of workplace violations. The Keeping Workers Safe Act directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to announce major violations by companies and distribute them to local media and related labor and trade organizations, a practice which has been shown to boost workplace safety. “We...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) reintroduced the State Justice Improvement Act, legislation that will make lasting changes to America’s criminal justice system. Across the country, courts often impose fines and fees without considering an individual’s ability to pay – disproportionately impacting low income communities and communities of color. This legislation provides state and local courts with new and expanded federal funding...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that the Department of the Interior has awarded $600,000 in new grant funding to support local organizations that are working to preserve and share Native Hawaiian culture and traditions with visitors. The funding was made possible by the NATIVE Act, a law authored by Senator Schatz to integrate native tourism, empower native communities, and expand unique...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) voiced their opposition to Facebook’s revived effort to launch a cryptocurrency (“Diem”) and digital wallet (“Novi”). In light of yet another scandal involving Facebook’s failure to protect its users, the...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) introduced legislation to prevent youth suicide, the second leading cause of death for people aged 10-24. The Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act would fund suicide prevention initiatives, ensure health care providers receive training to prevent intentional harm, and create a centralized hub to provide safety information to at-risk youth and their support networks. “Youth suicide is a crisis in...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.) today unveiled the Fostering Overseas Rule of Law and Environmentally Sound Trade (FOREST) Act, new bipartisan legislation that creates a framework for the federal government to deter commodity-driven illegal deforestation around the world. The FOREST Act restricts access to U.S. markets for commodities originating from illegally deforested land,...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) reintroduced legislation to protect federal workers and their families from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during a government shutdown. The Federal Employee Civil Relief Act would enable government employees and contractors to postpone payment obligations during a shutdown and for 30 days afterward. “Federal workers are dedicated public servants who inspect our...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that 12 health centers across Hawai‘i will receive $7,423,032 to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, expand and improve health care facilities, and provide health care to more people. “We are still fighting this pandemic, so this new funding will be a big help. It will update and expand health centers across the state and provide more people with the health care they need,”...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement on President Joe Biden’s nomination of Hawai‘i Attorney General Clare Connors to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawai‘i. The nomination follows Schatz and Hirono’s recommendation of Connors for the position.   “Clare Connors is an excellent choice to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawai‘i....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that Hawai‘i will receive $5,901,475 in new federal funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand and improve the Hawai‘i State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe. “This federal funding will help us continue to honor the thousands of brave service members from Hawai‘i who put their lives on the line to serve our country, and ensure their...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that several Hawai‘i colleges and universities will receive more than $7.3 million in new federal funding to support Native Hawaiian students. The grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Program will help expand programs that serve Native Hawaiian students, including targeted support to...

HONOLULU – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources will receive $5,298,701 from the U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service for climate-smart forest restoration. The restoration will occur in areas with the highest potential for carbon capture, and will also improve habitat for critically endangered bird species. “This funding will help fight the climate...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, released the following statement on an assault against a flight attendant onboard Hawaiian Airlines Flight 152. “This attack is reprehensible. I’ve been in direct contact with Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has assured me that this incident will be fully investigated by the FAA. The assailant must be held accountable and prosecuted to the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House today to discuss the $3.5 trillion budget proposal and infrastructure deal currently being considered in Congress. “Today’s meeting with President Biden was encouraging. I reiterated the need to deliver for the American people and pass bold climate action that will grow our economy, create millions of new, good-paying jobs, and save...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, announced that the University of Hawai‘i will receive $2,104,808 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to implement a Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity and to support cancer prevention research. Senator Schatz led efforts to establish and fund a Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity at the HHS...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) introduced a bipartisan resolution to support the designation of September 19-25 as “Telehealth Awareness Week.” The resolution recognizes that telehealth has helped millions of patients access quality health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that it will continue to be essential beyond the public health emergency. “Telehealth makes it possible for more people to safely get the care...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) today reintroduced legislation that will provide for fair Medicare payments for nursing facilities in Hawai‘i and Alaska. The bipartisan Equitable Payments for Nursing Facilities Act will authorize a cost-of-living adjustment at skilled nursing facilities in those states to take into account the higher costs of delivering...

WASHINGTON – Today, on the 10-year anniversary of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy repeal, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), and Todd Young (R-Ind.) reintroduced the Restore Honor to Service Members Act. The bipartisan legislation corrects the military records of service members discharged solely due to their sexual orientation to reflect their honorable service and reinstate the benefits they earned, building on Senator Schatz’s 2020...

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that two affordable housing service providers in Maui County will receive $167,639 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding was awarded to help make sure low-income seniors at HUD-assisted multifamily properties continue to receive health and wellness services. “Everyone should have access to affordable housing and the care and resources to meet their...

HONOLULU – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has allocated $4.5 million in new federal funding from the American Rescue Plan to the Hawai‘i State Department of Health to support nursing homes and other long-term care facilities that may experience COVID-19 outbreaks and strengthen efforts to protect health care workers and fight infectious diseases, including COVID-19. “Last year’s tragic...