Press Releases

  WASHINGTON – As a result of legislation authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, which was signed into law last year, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced its plans to expand access to military commissaries, exchanges, and recreation facilities to more veterans and caregivers. Thousands of veterans in Hawai‘i may be eligible for these new...

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department Health & Human Services (HHS) announced that the West Hawai‘i Community Health Center will receive a $1,060,398 grant to help low income families on Hawai‘i Island access quality and comprehensive health care. “The West Hawai‘i Community Health Center provides affordable and accessible health care services to thousands of people who might not otherwise receive care,” said U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i),...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) called on the U.S. Marine Corps to listen to community concerns and further review the environmental impact of its plan to build a retaining wall on Ewa Beach. “It is incumbent that the Marine Corps explore long-term resilience benefits for the Pu‘uloa Range Training Facility that avoid unnecessary environmental impacts on Hawai‘i’s beaches and the residents of Ewa Beach on the island of...

WASHINGTON – Today, ahead of a meeting at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce centered on climate policy, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) called on board members to explain their support for the Chamber’s anti-climate agenda, how its activities to block climate action conflict with their own companies’ public positions, and whether they are aware of the sources of anonymous “dark money” that fund the Chamber. “The U.S....

WASHINGTON – The Senate Commerce Committee has approved the Restoring Resilient Reefs Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the committee, that would help restore Hawai‘i’s coral reefs. “With the widespread threats to coral reefs across Hawai‘i growing, we need to do more to help states and communities fight back,” said Senator Schatz. “My bill will make federal funding available so that more local governments and organizations have the...

  WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) introduced the Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act, bipartisan legislation that would produce high quality data on where general surgeons are in short supply around the country. “We have a doctor shortage crisis in Hawai‘i, and it’s having a real impact on families living in hard-to-reach areas across the state,” Senator Schatz said. “Our bill will help us...

  WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced the Senate companion to the House-passed Violence Against Women Act.   “For 25 years, VAWA has provided support, shelter, and a new chance at life for women and children in Hawai‘i and across the country,” said Senator Schatz. “This bill will strengthen vital services, improve prevention programs, and increase housing and financial assistance for...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on the first public hearing of the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry.   “It is a solemn time for our country, and it is unfortunate that it has come to this. But we take solace in the fact that our founders wrote into the Constitution a remedy for the behavior that was exposed. Although impeachment and removal are severe consequences, so are the high crimes being alleged. “The safeguards built into...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), lead Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, called on telecom companies to provide answers on the islandwide phone, internet, and cable TV outage that occurred last week on Kauai. According to reports, the outage lasted for at least a day for many residents. Many in the community voiced complaints about Spectrum’s response and their failure to provide quick,...

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that non-profit The Food Basket on Hawai‘i Island will receive a $985,652 grant to help more low-income families across the state access locally grown produce and healthy food. “This new federal funding means more people in Hawai‘i will be able to put healthy, locally grown food on their tables, helping both local farmers and families in need,” said U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced it will award the State of Hawai‘i $20 million to help build a new pedestrian bridge over Ala Moana Boulevard. The new bridge will connect Ala Moana Beach Park and Kewalo Harbor to Ward Village, the Ala Moana Center, and the future Ward rail station. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, worked with DOT to...

HONOLULU – The United States Air Force announced it has approved Barking Sands Pacific Missile Range Facility as the preferred alternative for the Air National Guard’s Space Control Squadron. By selecting a site on Kauai, the Air Force will create a new, highly technical squadron to monitor U.S. satellites in support of the national security space mission, ensuring that the military and other national security agencies have access to satellite communication, intelligence, and key...

  WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) called on Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt to step in and provide immediate support to efforts to control and eradicate the invasive longhorn beetle before it devastates Hawai‘i Island. “The threat to U.S. agriculture and Hawai‘i’s environment justifies immediate, strong intervention from the federal government in order to prevent harm to the...

  WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), lead Democrat on the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet, released the following statement on Twitter’s decision to ban all political advertisements.   “Twitter’s new policy to stop all political ads is strong, but it’s not the only solution. Online platforms, including Facebook, can simply refuse to run ads with blatant lies. This is not a new...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) introduced the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2019, bipartisan legislation that would expand telehealth services through Medicare, improve health outcomes, make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors, and help cut costs for...

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) applauded the Senate passage of the Deepfake Report Act, bipartisan legislation that would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct an annual study of deepfakes and other types of similar content. Deepfakes are hyper-realistic, digital manipulations of real content that depict events that did not actually occur. “Fake content can damage our national security and undermine...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) called on Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to end his efforts that would threaten funding for programs that help millions of Americans in rural communities access telephone and internet services. “Especially in rural areas, USF programs have been key to redefining access to services and ensuring that the...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and John Thune (R-S.D.) reintroduced the Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement (READI) Act. The bipartisan legislation would ensure more people receive relevant emergency alerts on their mobile phones, televisions, and radios, explore new ways of alerting the public through online video and audio streaming services, track and study false alerts when they occur, and improve the way states plan for emergency...

WASHINGTON  – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced the Stopping Executive Overreach on Military Appropriations Act (SEOMA) in response to President Trump’s raid of military construction funds in order to build his wasteful wall on the southern U.S. border. The bill would rescind President Trump’s egregious abuse of executive power and prevent future...

WASHINGTON – Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved the State of Hawai‘i’s request for federal aid to contain the Kahana Ridge fire on Maui. FEMA's Fire Management Assistance Grant Program (FMAGP) offers federal funding for the mitigation, management, and control of fires deemed likely to constitute a major disaster. “This new emergency federal funding will strengthen efforts to contain the Kahana Ridge fire and keep families safe. We’re...