Press Releases

WASHINGTON — Last night, the Open, Public, Electronic, and Necessary (OPEN) Government Data Act was signed into law by President Trump. The new law, authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), will require federal agencies to publish public information in an open, machine-readable format and catalog it online, so that individuals, organizations, and other government offices can use it. It also addresses privacy and national security...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement in response to a federal judge’s decision to strike down the Trump administration’s plan to add a question on citizenship to the 2020 Census. Schatz led a bicameral group of over 120 current and former members of Congress on an amicus brief to support the lawsuit filed by the State of New York to stop the addition of a divisive untested citizenship question to the 2020...

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act. The legislation, cosponsored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, will make sure federal employees who are required to work during the government shutdown are given full back pay once the shutdown has ended.“Our federal workers shouldn’t suffer because the President and Republicans in Congress don’t know how to...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) led a group of 22 lawmakers in introducing the Federal Employee Civil Relief Act. The new legislation would protect federal workers and their families from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during a government shutdown.“While the President and Senate Republicans struggle to get their act together, real people are suffering,” said Senator Schatz. “Right...

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump signed into law the Forever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reimburses veterans for missed or underpaid Forever GI Bill housing benefits.The legislation was introduced by U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, to hold the VA...

WASHINGTON— The U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Forever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reimburses veterans for missed or underpaid Forever GI Bill housing benefits.“For many student veterans, every dime counts. That’s why the VA needs to get this right and pay student veterans the full amount of money they were...

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate passed sweeping legislation to improve the criminal justice system, including a bipartisan measure authored by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i). The Granting Release and Compassion Effectively (GRACE) Act improves the Bureau of Prisons’ approval process for compassionate release.“Too many people who are eligible for compassionate release die in prison because the decision takes so long. And many others wait for months just to get a...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that will expand the AMBER Alert system to include all U.S. territories. The national AMBER Alert network distributes alerts on highway billboards, TVs, radio, and cellular phones to mobilize the public when a child is missing or abducted. It has helped rescue more than 900 children.“AMBER Alerts have helped save hundreds of children....

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement (READI) Act. The bipartisan legislation, introduced by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), will 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...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) introduced a bill to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide that is hazardous to humans, particularly children. The Prohibit Chlorpyrifos Poisoning Students Act would take Hawai‘i’s state ban to the national level, banning the use of the chemical near schools in 2019 and banning its sale and distribution altogether the following year. “My bill would take Hawai‘i’s state ban nationwide, so all of our...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of 13 senators in calling on the Department of Defense to stop providing any funds or resources to support immigration detention. The call comes after President Donald Trump laid out plans that his administration would build “massive cities of tents.”“There is currently no justification for the use of military funds or resources for immigration detention,” the senators wrote in a letter to Defense...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), the top Democrat on the Senate Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet Subcommittee, led a group of 15 senators in introducing new legislation to protect people’s personal data online. The Data Care Act would require websites, apps, and other online providers to take responsible steps to safeguard personal information and stop the misuse of users’ data.“People have a basic expectation that...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and John Boozman (R-Ark.), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, introduced a bipartisan bill to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reimburses veterans for missed or underpaid Forever GI Bill housing benefits.“Secretary Wilkie may be saying the right things, but until the VA has a plan and invests money to address the ongoing staffing...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), lead Democrat on the Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, and John Boozman (R-Ark.), Chairman of the Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, led a group of lawmakers in calling for a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Inspector General investigation into allegations that the VA would not reimburse veterans for missed or underpaid benefits....

WASHINGTON – Today, following a new report that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will not reimburse veterans who were paid less than they were owed due to technical errors, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), top Democrat on the Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.), Vice Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, are demanding that the VA pay back the estimated 360,000...

WASHINGTON – Following new reports about Department of Justice (DOJ) officials discussing the possibility of violating the confidentiality of information collected during the decennial census, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) called on the DOJ to follow the law and protect the confidentiality of responses collected through the census.“We urge you to clarify immediately your understanding of existing law and reiterate your...

HONOLULU – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) and National Cemetery Administration (NCA) confirmed plans to construct a new $20.4 million interpretive center for visitors to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.“This new center will give visitors a better understanding of World War II in the Pacific, Hawai‘i’s role, and the sacrifices that so many made for our country, including those...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) called on the Department of Justice to investigate numerous reports of possible voter suppression in the gubernatorial election in Georgia.“The Department of Justice still has the authority and the obligation to enforce the Voting Rights Act and protect the right to vote,” the senators wrote. “In the case of Georgia’s election, the DOJ should ensure that all votes are counted...

Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) voted to pass legislation to improve water resources and infrastructure in Hawai‘i and across the country. The sweeping bipartisan bill includes more than $212 million to improve the Ala Wai canal and watershed, reduce flood risks in the area, and strengthen flood warning systems. “This major investment will make sure the Army Corps has the funding it needs to strengthen the canal and protect residents against...

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate passed legislation to keep seats and legroom space on airplanes from shrinking. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), who voted to pass the legislation, has been a vocal advocate for consumers against increased attempts by airlines to cut the size of seats.“Hawai‘i travelers are tired of getting less and less space for their hard-earned money. This bill, which will soon be law, gives the FAA the authority step in and say enough is...