Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Following the data breach of the credit reporting agency Equifax which left up to 143 million Americans exposed, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) reintroduced the Stop Errors in Credit Use and Reporting (SECURE) Act, legislation that would make it easier for consumers to catch and resolve identity theft, fraud, and errors in their credit reports.  “This is one of several important steps Congress can take in the wake of the Equifax cybersecurity...

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations approved $16.7 million in federal funding for the East-West Center. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Appropriations Committee, worked with committee leadership in a bipartisan manner to maintain federal funding levels for the East-West Center, which directly supports the U.S. rebalance to the Asia Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue with...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. “This is one of the most inhumane things this administration could do. It doesn’t matter where you stand on immigration. We should all be able to agree that people who came here as children, who have grown up as American as anyone else’s kids, should not be...

  HONOLULU – The office of U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) is currently accepting applications for his 2017-2018 High School Internship Program.  The program provides a hands-on learning opportunity about the U.S. Senate and encourages students to be advocates in their schools and communities.“Each year, I look forward to the new ideas and perspectives that our high school interns bring to the office,” said Senator Schatz. “I encourage anyone...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Brian Schatz, in the wake of recent violence in Charlottesville, released the below statement calling on President Trump to withdraw his nomination of Sam Clovis to be USDA Undersecretary for research, education and economics:“In this time of great division, our nation cries out for healing, unity and clarity on the path forward from our elected leaders. Unfortunately, for Donald Trump to nominate and to advocate for Senate...

HONOLULU – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) slammed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt following reports that the EPA plans to break protocol and give a political appointee the direct authority to approve or deny grant requests. “While I do believe that political appointees can serve important leadership roles in federal agencies, I fail to understand the beneficial role a political appointee, without any meaningful scientific...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet, and U.S. Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, called on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an independent review of the reported attack on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Electronic Comment Filing System and...

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the U.S. Senate passed key technology legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), lead Democrat on the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet.   “The march of technology does not stop or slow down with the political climate in Washington,” Senator Schatz said. “I’m glad that we can still come together, regardless of party or politics, to give Americans greater...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today led a bipartisan group of senators in calling on Acting Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Thomas Kane and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to review and explain their plans to follow recommendations from the Department of Justice Inspector General to expand the use of compassionate release, a program that provides low-risk, elderly or terminally ill inmates the opportunity to appeal for early release if they meet...

WASHINGTON – Following a partisan vote today to advance legislation that would repeal the Affordable Care Act, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) spoke out against the Republican bill on the Senate floor. “We don't know exactly what’s in the bill, but we do know that it will cut taxes and cut Medicaid and people are going to be hurt,” said Senator Schatz. “What the American people need to do now is make sure that this thing comes crashing down. We have to...

WASHINGTON – Following a new report on the possible misuse of taxpayer dollars at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) asked HHS Secretary Tom Price to provide information about the Department’s advertising and public relations efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and promote pending legislation before Congress. In their letter, the senators ask Secretary Price...

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will award $3,247,000 to coastal management programs in Hawai‘i. “This funding reflects NOAA’s commitment to local management of our coastal lands,” said Senator Schatz.  “From the Paepae o He‘eia fishpond and Kako‘o ‘Oiwi taro lo‘i, to...

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill for fiscal year 2018. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ranking Member of the Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, worked to include $266.3 million for military construction and upgrade projects across Hawai‘i and $78.4 billion that will benefit veterans’ programs, including those in Hawai‘i....

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), lead Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, released the following statement on the proposed merger between Hawaiian Telcom and Cincinnati Bell. “Hawaiian Telcom has been an engaged corporate citizen in Hawai‘i for generations. The hundreds of jobs it provides and the services it offers are vital to Hawai‘i’s local economy. As the lead Democrat on the...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) have introduced bipartisan legislation to expand access to rural telehealth services. The bill would allow non-rural hospitals serving rural areas to qualify for support from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF).The “Reaching Underserved Rural Areas to Lead on Telehealth Act (RURAL),” S. 1377, would update existing law to allow non-rural members of...

WASHINGTON – This evening, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of Senate Democrats in holding the Senate floor to urge Senate Republicans to abandon their closed door approach in drafting Trumpcare and show the American people their bill. “The Republicans are going about this in a way that is so procedurally disgusting that it is an embarrassment to our democracy. They are hiding this bill because people will be outraged when they find out what’s in...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and U.S. Representatives Tim Walz (D-Minn.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) released a report detailing the impact of President Trump’s budget on America’s veterans.   While Trump requested an overall increase in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), his proposed budget shifts funding away from critical programs that veterans rely on – including programs that...

WASHINGTON – Today, as Americans celebrate LGBT Pride Month, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) reintroduced the Restore Honor to Service Members Act. The legislation will correct the military records of service members discharged solely due to their sexual orientation to reflect their honorable service and reinstate the benefits they earned. “With this bill, Congress has the opportunity to honor...

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on the Ninth Circuit Court’s ruling against President Donald Trump’s revised Muslim ban. “The Ninth Circuit’s decision to uphold Judge Watson’s ruling against President Trump’s Muslim ban is another win for the rule of law,” said Senator Schatz. “The courts continue to affirm what we already know: the Muslim ban is un-American, unconstitutional, and...

HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to cancel his appearance before the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I am deeply troubled that Attorney General Sessions has canceled his scheduled appearance before the Senate Appropriations Committee this coming week to discuss the Department of Justice budget. Apparently, Attorney General...