Press Releases

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today introduced S. 3010, “The Supplementing the Pipeline for Efficient Control of The Resources for Users Making New Opportunities for Wireless (SPECTRUM NOW) Act.” The legislation would help provide the necessary support for federal spectrum users to research innovative ways to increase their spectrum-use efficiency and to find ways to repurpose spectrum for commercial use.“The ultimate success of...

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed the Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2019. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) worked to include nearly $3 million to protect Hawai‘i coffee and maintain agriculture research facilities in Hilo. The bill also includes more than $32 million to support agricultural inspection stations like those at neighbor island airports, making it easier for...

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2019. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Appropriations Committee, worked to include $375 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), an agency within the Department of Energy tasked with funding energy technology projects that help the United States compete and prosper. The funding is a $22 million...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, led a group of 21 senators in urging Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Director of Presidential Personnel John DeStefano to choose a nonpartisan, experienced, and scientifically qualified nominee to be the director of the Census Bureau. Last week, Secretary Ross told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science that the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) introduced legislation that would help more vulnerable homeowners move out of dangerous flood zones. The bipartisan bill calls for a comprehensive review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) program to reduce flood risk and taxpayer exposure by buying homes from property owners in flood-prone areas. In...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) commended the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) for urging its member institutions to review policies related to students with criminal histories. AAC&U called on its members to “take action to mitigate the negative effects that [criminal justice] involvement can have on students, on communities, and on America’s democratic promise.” The move came in response to a letter...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, asked the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide more information about technology addiction and its effect on childhood development. “Technological progress has benefited society, but we must not neglect its...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on President Donald Trump’s approval of a presidential disaster declaration that will bring significant relief to communities on Hawai‘i Island impacted by the volcanic eruption of Kilauea. “We are appreciative of the good and quick work of our federal partners as we navigate this difficult and unpredictable disaster. This declaration will help our state and county governments and...

WASHINGTON – Following a report that the Department of Defense (DoD) revised a January 2018 vulnerability assessment by removing references to climate change and key findings on the risks from sea level rise, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, led a group of senators in calling on Defense Secretary James Mattis to release the unpublished draft of the report and explain why the...

WASHINGTON – Today, Hawai‘i’s Congressional Delegation urged President Donald Trump to act swiftly on Governor David Ige’s request for a presidential disaster declaration for areas on Hawai‘i Island impacted by the ongoing Kilauea Volcano eruptions. The declaration will help ensure that the affected communities can access important federal funding and resources to recover. “Based on the severity of the damage and preliminary assessments, it is clear that...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement in response to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) plan to dismantle its Office for Students and Young Consumers, the only office in the federal government dedicated to protecting student loan borrowers from bad actors in the financial sector. The move comes on the heels of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ effort to stop states from enforcing consumer protection laws against...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that President Donald Trump has signed a disaster declaration that will bring significant relief to communities impacted by devastating floods on Kauai and Oahu. “The people of Kauai have pulled together to respond to and recover from this disaster and the county, state, and federal governments have stepped up to support them,” said Senator Schatz. “FEMA has been a great partner in this process, and...

HONOLULU – Today, Hawai‘i’s Congressional Delegation urged President Donald Trump to act swiftly on Governor David Ige’s request for a Presidential disaster declaration for areas on Kaua‘i and O‘ahu impacted by severe flooding. The declaration will help ensure that the impacted communities can access important federal funding and resources to recover. “Based on the severity of the damage, Governor Ige has requested that you issue a Presidential disaster...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) led 12 senators in calling on financial institutions to take a stand against gun violence and set new guidelines for their clients to improve public safety and save lives. “There is a growing consensus in the private sector that companies can and should take action to address the problem of gun violence in our country,” the senators wrote. “Your company’s leadership to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement in response to the Senate confirmation of Kenji Price to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawai‘i.“Kenji Price is an excellent choice to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawai’i, and I look forward to having him serve in that role. Kenji has previous experience as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and in private practice in Hawai‘i, and he has also served...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) introduced the Protecting Our Military Installations from Recurrent Floods Act of 2018, legislation that would protect military bases from flooding by making sure facility planners are aware of recurrent flood risks in certain areas and consider those risks when building or designing facilities. “Extreme weather is becoming more frequent and severe. And these are facts that...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to be ready to swiftly approve any request from the State of Hawai‘i for a disaster declaration for communities affected by flooding on Kauai and Oahu. In letters to FEMA Administrator Brock Long and SBA Administrator Linda McMahon, Senator Schatz thanked them for their...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, lead Democrat on the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, introduced the Robocall Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2018, legislation to help the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) prosecute violations of its automated telemarketing call rules, also known as robocalls, by increasing the statute of limitations from one year to three. “If there is one thing Americans can agree on, it’s that...

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that funding for the construction of a new 120-bed state extended care facility in Honolulu has been accelerated due to increased funding that U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), top Democrat on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, worked to include in the fiscal year 2018 omnibus spending bill.   “The sizeable increase we were able to secure...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement in response to severe flooding on Oahu and Kauai.  “Communities on Oahu and Kauai are starting to clean up the damage done by the flooding this weekend, but they need as much help as they can get,” Senator Schatz said. “I have reached out to the appropriate federal agencies—including FEMA, SBA, USDA, and DOT—and let them know where we stand. They are...