Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced the State Public Option Act, bicameral legislation to create a Medicaid-based public health care option on the insurance marketplace, which will provide Americans with a new high-quality, low-cost choice when purchasing health insurance. “Our bill will unlock each state’s Medicaid program to anyone who wants it, giving Americans a high-quality, low-cost...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), all members of the Senate Commerce Committee, called on the Chairman and Ranking Member of the committee to hold a hearing on President Trump’s attacks on the media and his latest threat to interfere with the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) television station license renewal proceedings. “The FCC Chairman’s failure to quickly respond and...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, released the following statement on Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai’s comments about President Trump’s threat against NBC. “This statement is better than nothing, but it is merely a reiteration of the FCC’s authorities under the law. What we needed is a full-throated defense...

HONOLULU — U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement today on President Donald Trump’s nomination of Barry Myers as Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “Barry Myers is a questionable choice to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As the CEO of AccuWeather, Barry Myers views NOAA as a direct competitor that provides high-quality forecasts for free. He is in the vanguard of corporate...

HONOLULU – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, released the following statement after President Trump threatened to challenge NBC’s broadcast license. “The president’s threat against NBC and other media outlets is far from empty. In 1974, President Nixon and his top aides discussed using the FCC’s license renewal process to punish the Washington...

HONOLULU – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Co-Chair of the Senate Climate Change Task Force, released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan.  “Once again, the administration has put partisan ideology above the health of the American people, our economy, and our planet.  Like their failed attempts to undermine clean water and methane rules, this effort to repeal the Clean Power Plan has no...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) introduced the Police Creating Accountability by Making Effective Recording Available (Police CAMERA) Act of 2017.  This legislation would create a pilot grant program to assist state and local law enforcement agencies develop safe and effective body-worn camera programs that also protect civilians’ privacy rights. “We can’t restore...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement in response to the mass shooting in Las Vegas, which has left at least 50 people dead and more than 500 injured. “Today, our hearts are with the people affected by this tragedy, and with all of Las Vegas. But warm words are not enough. Thoughts and prayers won’t stop this from happening again. It’s time for Congress to finally stand up against gun violence and take action so this...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), and Tom Udall (D-N.M.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, introduced a bill to reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) through 2022. NAHASDA provides federal housing assistance and housing loan guarantees for Native Hawaiians. Additionally, the legislation helps provide safe and affordable housing for Native Americans and...

WASHINGTON – This week, the Senate voted unanimously to pass the CHRONIC Care Act, which includes key provisions authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) that will improve access to and quality of care for Medicare patients and save costs for the federal government. “Almost every other part of our health system uses technology to improve health and save costs. It’s long past time for Medicare to catch up,” said Senator Schatz....

WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) reintroduced the Stop Militarizing Our Law Enforcement Act (S. 1856) to establish limitations and create greater transparency on the federal transfer of surplus military-grade equipment to state and local law enforcement agencies.“As we work to rebuild the trust between communities and the police, we can’t ignore the role that the federal government has played in arming police...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Making Available Information Now to Strengthen Trust and Resilience and Enhance Enterprise Technology (MAIN STREET) Cybersecurity Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ranking Member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, and James Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. The bipartisan bill will provide...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called for an investigation into the planned periodic shutdown of Healthcare.gov – the official federal website established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) where Americans can enroll in a health insurance plan – during the 2018 open enrollment period (OEP). During open enrollment – the time of year that individuals can enroll in a...

HONOLULU – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will award Hawai‘i a total of $1,928,823 in federal funding to improve the Maui Veterans Cemetery in Makawao and the Lanai Veterans Cemetery in Lanai City. “These federal funds will help improve our veterans cemeteries on Maui and Lanai, and help us honor the legacies of thousands of brave service members...

WASHINGTON – Today, the Hawai‘i Congressional Delegation, announced that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) will award $1.6 million in federal funding to MA‘O Organic Farm in Wai‘anae to fund the construction of a new building to house agricultural produce processing and a farmer training facility. The new facility is expected to create 200 jobs in Hawai‘i.“Agriculture is part of Hawai‘i’s history, and this funding will help it be part...

WASHINGTON – Following a newly released report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who made the joint request for the study in October 2015, called on the Department of Education to strengthen its oversight of the financial health of colleges and better assess the risk of school closures. The abrupt financial collapse of the predatory Corinthian Colleges...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced legislation to repeal the national debt ceiling, an arbitrary limit set by Congress on the amount of funding that the United States Treasury may borrow. “Paying our debts should be an automatic act, not a politicized weapon used for leverage,” said Senator Schatz. “It’s clear that the debt ceiling is not about fiscal responsibility, but about...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate passed the Open, Public, Electronic and Necessary (OPEN) Government Data Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) which was included in the FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act. The bipartisan bill will require public data to be accessible from an online Federal Data Catalog so individuals, organizations, and other government offices can use it. “Public data must be public, and it’s the...

WASHINGTON – Tonight, the U.S. Senate passed the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), comprehensive legislation that authorizes defense funding for Fiscal Year 2018. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) helped secure Hawai‘i priorities and worked to include provisions he authored that will help fund improvements to the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, strengthen public data transparency, give Hawai‘i and states across the country more flexibility in...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans’ Affairs, announced that Hawai‘i is set to receive federal funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs to help homeless veterans. “No veteran should be homeless,” said Senator Schatz. “These funds will give struggling veterans access to stable housing and provide them with the services they need to...