Brian Schatz

Schatz Details Impact From Kona Low Storms, Urges Long-Term Support For Recovery | U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) spoke on the Senate floor today about last month’s Kona low storms which produced continuous flooding and resulted in widespread damage across Hawai‘i. Schatz underscored the heroism of neighbors and first responders who jumped in to help those affected by flooding and damage and stressed the need for continued support from the federal government as residents recover. “Hawai‘i experienced its worst flooding in more than 20 years last month. But amid the devastation wrought by the relentless rain, Hawai‘i’s aloha spirit prevailed,” said Senator Schatz. “We saw it in the heroic emergency responders who rescued hundreds of people who were stuck in danger, with no way to get out. We saw it in all the people rushing to check in on their neighbors, sharing information on social media in real time, and helping clean up the debris and mud once the rain passed. Farmers who lost their own fields instead went to help their neighbors rebuild. Businesses sprang into action to hand out supplies and hot meals despite losing sales and incurring damages of their own. That’s Hawai‘i: no one is a stranger, especially in a time of need. And everyone pitches in to help.” Senator Schatz continued, “Recovering from a disaster of this magnitude will take months and years. The state and county governments are doing everything they can to help people recover fully and quickly, but they can’t do it alone. They need help. The federal government has a responsibility to share the burden of rebuilding. And while the approval of the disaster declaration is a good first step, it is just that – a first step. In the months and years ahead, we will need to be there to provide support and resources in any way we can until the affected people and communities are made whole once again.” A copy of Senator Schatz’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, is below. Video is available here. Hawai‘i experienced its worst flooding in more than 20 years last month. Two storms, less than two weeks apart, whipped up hurricane-force winds of up to 135 miles per hour and dumped more than 62 inches of rain in parts of the state. All told, nearly 2 trillion gallons of water fell from the sky statewide, enough to fill 3 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. And the resulting damage was widespread and severe. It all started on March 10th, when the first storm – known as a Kona low – brought close to 10 inches of rain over 4 days and broke daily rainfall records on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island, and Kaua‘i. The powerful winds and heavy rain flooded homes, toppled power lines, and shuttered schools and businesses. Well over 100,000 residents lost power. But before people could even begin to recover, a second storm quicky followed just days later, delivering more than a foot of rain. With the ground still saturated from the previous storm and drainage capacity overwhelmed, flooding got worse across the state. More than 5,000 residents were forced to evacuate and seek cover in shelters and schools. Homes were lifted off their foundations. Cars floated out of driveways. Roads and highways became inaccessible. Crops washed away on farms and fields. But amid the devastation wrought by the relentless rain, Hawai‘i’s aloha spirit prevailed. We saw it in the heroic emergency responders who rescued hundreds of people who were stuck in danger, with no way to get out. We saw it in all the people rushing to check in on their neighbors, sharing information on social media in real time, and helping clean up the debris and mud once the rain passed. Farmers who lost their own fields instead went to help their neighbors rebuild. Businesses sprang into action to hand out supplies and hot meals despite losing sales and incurring damages of their own. That’s Hawai‘i: no one is a stranger, especially in a time of need. And everyone pitches in to help. Recovering from a disaster of this magnitude will take months and years. Homes, roads, schools, and hospitals that were flooded and badly damaged will need to be rebuilt. And doing so will require significant resources, which is why the administration’s approval of Governor Josh Green’s disaster declaration request is so important. As with disasters in the past, these federal dollars will support cleanup and repairs as well as help residents get back on their feet through individual assistance. The state and county governments are doing everything they can to help people recover fully and quickly, but they can’t do it alone. They need help. The federal government has a responsibility to share the burden of rebuilding. And while the approval of the disaster declaration is a good first step, it is just that – a first step. In the months and years ahead, we will need to be there to provide support and resources in any way we can until the affected people and communities are made whole once again.

Schatz, Cruz Introduce New Bill To Protect Kids On AI Chatbot Platforms | U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii

Position: The release introduces bipartisan legislation requiring AI chatbot platforms to establish parental controls, implement protective default settings for minors, limit manipulative design features, require parental consent, and prohibit targeted advertising to children.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today introduced the CHATBOT Act, legislation that would put parents, not Big Tech, in charge of how children interact with AI chatbots and require higher safety safeguards for young users. While AI chatbots can support a child’s learning, research, and creativity, they also pose real risks to minors, including exposure to inappropriate content, language, and addictive features. Some AI companies have even deployed rewards, notifications, and targeted advertising to drive prolonged engagement by adolescent users. The Children’s Health, Advancement, Trust, Boundaries, and Oversight in Technology Act, or CHATBOT Act, would require AI companies to establish “family accounts” for parents to manage access and usage of AI chatbots by their children. Safety features provided under family accounts would, by default, be set to the most protective settings. Family accounts would be required for users under 13 and optional for teen users. For teen users that are not connected to a family account, safeguards would be fixed to the most protective settings. AI chatbots platforms would limit manipulative design features; require parental consent for chatbot usage; and prohibit targeted advertising to children. In addition, the bill would direct further study on potential chatbot-related harms to children and best practices for parents. Upon introduction, Chairman Cruz said: “The rapid development of sophisticated chatbots has left many parents in the dark as powerful AI systems enter children’s lives. Congress has an opportunity to put parents back in control. With the right safeguards, AI systems can benefit a child’s education without putting their well-being at risk. The CHATBOT Act ensures America leads in deploying AI safely and responsibly.” Senator Schatz said: “AI is an incredibly powerful tool – it’s everywhere, and it poses real risks for kids. We’ve seen reports of AI chatbots encouraging kids to hurt themselves and for some, they’re replacing real life relationships, isolating kids from their families and friends. Our bill will give parents better tools to keep their kids safe and hold AI companies accountable.” Senator Curtis said: “Parents deserve both clarity and control over how their children interact with AI chatbots, which are becoming more integrated into their education and everyday lives,” said Senator Curtis. “Our bipartisan bill provides commonsense guardrails that prioritize kids’ safety, limit manipulative design, and help ensure that parents—not algorithms—hold the reins.” Senator Schiff said: “It is essential that we institute commonsense guardrails on the use of AI chatbots by children and teenagers that empower parents' ability to protect their kids. In California and across the country, we have seen firsthand the tragic consequences of quickly evolving AI chatbots which, in the worst cases, have encouraged self-harm, emotional dependency, violence, and exploitation of the youngest Americans. This moment demands action to protect children’s health and safety online, and I’m proud to join Senators Cruz, Schatz, and Curtis in introducing this bipartisan legislation as a first step towards that goal.” Read the one-pager on this legislation HERE. Read the full text of this legislation HERE. The following groups are supportive of the legislation: 3Strands Global Foundation, America First Policy Institute, Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI), American Counseling Association, American Federation of Teachers, American Principles Project, Bull Moose Project, Citizens for Renewing America, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, David’s Legacy Foundation, Digital Progress Institute, Enough is Enough, HSA Coalition, Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking, NCOSE, Pearl at the Mailbox, and Street Grace. Find a full list of supporting statements HERE.

Schatz Leads Group Of 17 Senators In Demanding Trump Administration Comply With Law, Use Foreign Assistance Funding To Support Global Health, Food Aid, Help Save Lives As Congress Directed | U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii

Position: Senator Schatz and 17 colleagues demand that the Trump administration release $19 billion in withheld foreign assistance funding and spend it as Congress appropriated, arguing the withholding violates law and wastes taxpayer money while undermining U.S. global health, food security, and development priorities.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, today led a group of 17 senators in demanding that the Trump administration reverse course on withholding $19 billion in taxpayer money, comply with the law, and spend down the funding as Congress directed. In their letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, and OMB Deputy Director Eric Ueland, the senators wrote, “The plan includes spending up to $3.2 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 development and global health funding on close-out costs, instead of lifesaving and other congressionally-directed programs, which constitutes an unnecessary and illegal impoundment of funds.” “All of these funds were appropriated to advance U.S. interests in stabilizing overseas markets, advancing energy security, supporting Ukraine, combatting infectious diseases, and strengthening food security, among other purposes. In addition to abandoning our partners, ceding global leadership, and potentially wasting billions of taxpayer dollars, terminating these programs as part of the Administration’s illegal and reckless decimation of USAID has resulted in significant costs as legal fees pile up and overdue payments are owed to U.S. implementing partners. These implementers need to be made whole, and sufficient prior year funds exist to cover related expenses,” the senators continued. “We therefore demand that the Administration obligate the full $3.2 billion in expiring FY25 assistance, including the $2 billion global health funding, consistent with the law. The Administration also must satisfy its remaining payments owed to implementers and release the remainder of prior year funds.” Schatz’s letter was also signed by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.). The full text of the letter follows and is available here. Dear Secretary Rubio, Director Vought, and Deputy Director Ueland: On April 20, the Administration informed Congress that it is withholding $19 billion in taxpayer dollars as part of its plan to cover “costs associated with the close-out of terminated foreign assistance awards,” which is an appalling admission of waste of U.S. taxpayer dollars resulting from the misconceived foreign assistance review and abrupt drawdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The plan includes spending up to $3.2 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 development and global health funding on close-out costs, instead of lifesaving and other congressionally-directed programs, which constitutes an unnecessary and illegal impoundment of funds. We write to demand that you reverse this proposal and put the funds to their intended use to save lives and advance U.S. interests as directed by Congress last year. All of these funds were appropriated to advance U.S. interests in stabilizing overseas markets, advancing energy security, supporting Ukraine, combatting infectious diseases, and strengthening food security, among other purposes. In addition to abandoning our partners, ceding global leadership, and potentially wasting billions of taxpayer dollars, terminating these programs as part of the Administration’s illegal and reckless decimation of USAID has resulted in significant costs as legal fees pile up and overdue payments are owed to U.S. implementing partners. These implementers need to be made whole, and sufficient prior year funds exist to cover related expenses. The $3.2 billion in FY25 funds were signed into law by President Trump in March 2025 and expire at the end of this September. Notably, this includes $2 billion appropriated for healthassistance, including $330 million for programs to combat HIV/AIDS, $250 million for malaria programs, $320 million for maternal and child health, and nearly $650 million for global health security, among other critical programs. The Administration should immediately begin using these foreign assistance funds to deliver results for the American people. There is no reason for this FY25 funding to be withheld to cover the wasteful costs this Administration has incurred because it chose to dismantle USAID. Withholding these investments will significantly reduce programming worldwide, with particularly severe consequences for populations already facing heightened hardship due to prior aid terminations and reductions. Holding FY25 health funds in reserve—while urgent needs go unmet—creates unnecessary risk and wastes taxpayer dollars. It is unconscionable that the Administration would leave these funds unspent at a moment when newly released Department of State data show a sharp decline in HIV testing and prevention, raising the risk of new infections and undermining long-term epidemic control; when malaria is resurging globally and antimalarial drug resistance is spreading; and when millions of children are projected to die this year from preventable diseases. We further note that award terminations cannot be used as a back door to illegally close USAID. The Administration requested legal authority to close USAID in the President’s FY26 budget request, and that was rejected by the Congress and excluded from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (P.L. 119-75). We therefore demand that the Administration obligate the full $3.2 billion in expiring FY25 assistance, including the $2 billion global health funding, consistent with the law. The Administration also must satisfy its remaining payments owed to implementers and release the remainder of prior year funds. We request that you respond by no later than May 8, 2026 with a timeline for making these funds available to the lifesaving and other critical programs for which they were provided.

Schatz: Instead Of Making Life More Affordable For Americans, Republicans Are Spending $70 Billion On Rogue Agency | U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii

Position: Senator Schatz opposes Republican spending of $70 billion on ICE funding, arguing that resources should instead be directed toward reducing the cost of living for Americans struggling with inflation and basic necessities.

Schatz: Don’t Let Anybody Tell You There’s Not Enough Money, What There’s Not Enough Of Is Moral Clarity WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today spoke on the Senate floor about Republicans’ efforts to provide $70 billion in new funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – on top of the tens of billions in funding the agency already has – while Americans across the country struggle to afford basic necessities including groceries and gas because of Donald Trump’s tariffs and war in Iran. “People are paying more for gas, for utilities, for food, for housing, for health care – for every single aspect of their lives. And you would think these guys – they have the trifecta – would go charging up the mountain and try to reduce the cost of living. And instead, they are spending $70 billion on this rogue agency,” said Senator Schatz. Senator Schatz added, “Don't let anybody tell you there's not enough money. What there is not enough of is moral clarity. People are going broke. And we are lighting money on fire in the government. It's just for all the wrong things.” A transcript of Senator Schatz’s remarks is below. Video is available here. There’s a lot going on in the country and in the world. Gas is at four bucks a gallon nationwide, and it's $5.65 at my corner Shell station in Honolulu. Groceries are expensive. Electricity bills are rising at double the rate of inflation, and millions of Americans have lost their health insurance this year. People really are struggling just to get by, and we in the United States Congress have got to be focused on helping them. We have this very limited tool called reconciliation, and it's a way to circumvent the filibuster. It's a way to do things on just a purely partizan basis. And both parties have used this tool. It's really only available once every fiscal year. And without getting into the terribly boring details, it's basically spending or tax cuts. And that's the tool that we can use without having to compromise with the other side. Now, when [Democrats] had the House and the Senate and the presidency, we used that tool for the American Rescue Plan in the middle of COVID. Mass unemployment – we decided to stabilize everybody's salaries so they wouldn't be unable to make their rent or their mortgage or put food on the table. And then we did the Inflation Reduction Act, which focused on reducing the cost of prescription medicine and attacking the climate crisis and providing tax credits for those who are working – but not wealthy, but not poor enough to qualify for an array of government programs. And so the most important thing to understand about what's happening today and tomorrow is not that Republicans are about to spend $70 billion to fund an agency that already has seven years of prefunding. Not that they're trying to make ICE, and will make ICE, more well-funded than the United States Marine Corps. It's not that Republicans refuse to make even the most reasonable reforms to hold ICE to the same standard that every local police department is held to. That you have to get a warrant before you conduct a search. That you have to introduce yourself. That you have to have a name and badge number. That there are very, very rare circumstances under which an officer should be permitted to wear a mask and conceal their face. And that there should be training in excess of 47 days. I want everybody to understand the reason ICE trainees were given 47 days of training is to match up with the fact that this is the 47th president of the United States. It used to be a many months training. There used to be use of force training. They used to be treated like a normal law enforcement agency. Now, we can have a disagreement about the degree and extent of immigration policy and who should be in this country and who shouldn't. But I think what happened was, they mistook people's dissatisfaction with the Biden border policy for a license to go and terrorize communities. Everybody now agrees: get the bad guys who don't belong here out of the country. Deport people who are committing violent crimes or dangerous crimes. Get them out of here. But everybody also understands that what ICE has done over the last year has been inhumane and made all of us less safe. And so we were in a negotiation about – again, these are not like some progressive wish list full of reforms. These are literally the things that the Honolulu Police Department, that the New York City Police Department, that any police department in a rural state or an urban state or anywhere across the country has to adhere to. And most law enforcement officers – federal, state, county – are perfectly fine being well-trained. Are perfectly fine having to get a warrant. Are perfectly fine when there is an officer involved shooting to have an independent investigation. All of that is normal. And most law enforcement officers say, yeah, these guys are unusually poorly trained. And so we were in a negotiation to provide funding with reforms. But the Republicans ran out of patience. And so what we said was, why don't we just go ahead and fund the agencies that we all agree on. FEMA, the cybersecurity function, the Coast Guard. So we passed this on a bipartisan – not just a bipartisan basis, a unanimous basis out of this chamber. And then the House killed it. And so they are stuck now trying to figure out how they're going to fund this agency. And so they're using their one legislative opportunity that comes only once every fiscal year to fund ICE and CBP for three years going forward. Why does that matter so much? First, it's a failure of just like basic legislating to solve a problem that everybody saw with their own eyes. When Alex Pretti and Renee Goode were killed by federal employees, it transcended politics. It transcended immigration policy, that's for sure. Nobody wanted to see that. But they didn't have the appetite to enact the most basic reforms. And so here we are. But that's not the most important part. The most important part is this: people are paying more for gas, for utilities, for food, for lumber, for housing, for health care, for every single aspect of their lives. And you would think – and if I'm not accusing anybody of anything. But even if you didn't care about the actual material condition of your constituents, you would care that they were mad at you, that everything was up. You would care that everything has gotten more expensive during Donald Trump's second term, especially since by most accounts, he was elected because everything was too expensive. And so you would think these guys – they have the trifecta, they have the House, they have the Senate, they have the presidency. And so they're going to go charging up the mountain and try to reduce the cost of living. That's what you should do with this reconciliation opportunity. That's what you should do. And instead, they are spending $70 billion on this rogue agency. And so over the next couple of days, we're going to give them opportunities to enact good policy that would reduce the cost of living. And there are a number of ways we could do that. We could restore the tax credits for the Affordable Care Act. We could reverse the tariffs that are a tax on every consumer across the United States of America. We could end this preposterous war, which is costing about $2 billion a day and raising the price, by the way, not just of gasoline, but of diesel, and not just of diesel, but of fertilizer, which is an input for our agricultural industry. So everything is getting more expensive at the same time that we're spending $2 billion a day. Just to give you context, last year, when the government was shut down over a health care fight, the amount in question was $23 billion for a year's worth of the Affordable Care Act's tax credits. That's about 11 days’ worth of this war. And so don't let anybody tell you that there's not enough money. There is enough money. They're spending $2 billion a day on this war that nobody asked for, nobody expected. It's not even working out – $2 billion a day, no end in sight. And then $70 billion pre-funding a federal agency that's already been prefunded. And so don't let anybody tell you there's not enough money. What there is not enough of is moral clarity. People are going broke. And we are, in fact, lighting money on fire in the government. It's just for all the wrong things.

Schatz Presses RFK Jr. On Support For President Trump’s Order To Boost Weed Killer He Said Was Toxic, Causes Cancer | U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii

Position: Senator Schatz opposes the Trump administration's executive order to boost glyphosate production, citing health and safety concerns about the herbicide's toxicity and alleged cancer risk. He also opposes CDC vaccine trials on newborn babies in West Africa, characterizing them as dangerous and unethical.

Schatz Also Calls Out RFK’s Attempt To Conduct Dangerous, Unethical Vaccine Trials On Newborn Babies In West Africa WASHINGTON – At a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) pressed U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on his support for President Trump’s executive order aimed at boosting the production of glyphosate, an herbicide used by the agriculture industry to kill weeds. Kennedy has called the herbicide “toxic” and was part of a winning legal team representing a man in a lawsuit who alleged that the weed killer Roundup caused cancer. Senator Schatz asked Secretary Kennedy, “Does glyphosate cause cancer?” Schatz then asked, “Is it healthy for people to be around? Kennedy responded, “I would say no.” “I got a lot of friends back in Hawai‘i who supported you because of issues such as this, and they were hurt, shocked, confused when you were explicitly in favor of Trump's executive order,” Schatz said. “What would you say to those folks who were kind of animated by this idea that we are too reliant on these dangerous chemicals... this seemed like an opportunity for you to really stand up for your agenda, especially given your successful litigation in this space.” Kennedy responded, “I was very clear with the president about my own displeasure with the executive order. The president felt it was necessary for national security reasons.” Schatz also questioned an attempt by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention to conduct dangerous and unethical vaccine trials on newborn babies in West Africa. Video of Senator Schatz’s exchange with Secretary Kennedy is available here.

Schatz Secures Commitment From Health Secretary To Support Hawai‘i’s Recovery From Kona Low Storms, Protect Health Care Access | U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii

WASHINGTON – During an Appropriations Subcommittee oversight hearing on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) budget request, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) secured a commitment from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to support Hawai‘i’s recovery efforts following the devastating Kona Low storms that caused massive flooding across the state. In his opening question to Secretary Kennedy, Schatz asked, “We just had a series of storms and flooding events, and President Trump just signed a major disaster declaration. In particular, the Kula Hospital has 105 long-term senior care beds, and it’s no longer operational. The governor just submitted a request for a public health emergency declaration. Do I have your commitment to work together to make sure there's continuity of care for all the people who have been impacted by the floods?” In response, Kennedy affirmed his support for Hawai‘i’s recovery efforts, saying, “You do, Senator, and my staff is already working with the governor's office to make sure that happens as expeditiously as possible.” Video of Senator Schatz’s exchange with Secretary Kennedy is available here.

Ranking Members Schatz, Coons, Schumer, Shaheen, and Reed condemn President Trump’s threat against Iranian civilization | U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii

Position: The senators condemn President Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilian infrastructure, characterizing it as a war crime and moral failure that undermines diplomatic solutions and endangers U.S. service members.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense, Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Democratic Leader, Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight” in Iran: “We speak today with one voice and one purpose: to condemn President Trump's threat to extinguish an entire civilization. “This is not strength. Intentionally destroying the power, water, or basic infrastructure upon which tens of millions of civilians depend to punish the very civilians who suffer at the hands of the Iranian regime would constitute a war crime, a betrayal of the values this nation was founded on, and a moral failure. It’s unconscionable to threaten the lives of so many people – grandparents, children, families – simply because they were born in Iran. President Trump’s reckless threat makes Americans less safe, further destabilizes our nation and economy, and puts at greater risk U.S. service members. It only serves to push us further away from the only viable solution to this war: a diplomatic one. The president must not follow through on this threat.”

Ranking Member Schatz Statement On Trump Administration’s Budget Proposal | U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii

Position: Senator Schatz opposes the Trump administration's proposed cuts to foreign assistance, arguing that Congress will maintain bipartisan investments in foreign aid to save lives, strengthen alliances, and advance American interests.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ranking Member of Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, today released the following statement on the Trump administration’s fiscal year 2027 budget request, which proposes slashing critical investments in lifesaving foreign assistance. “The Trump administration’s budget proposal is simply that – a proposal. It has no force of law, and it will not become law. The proposal calls for steep cuts to lifesaving assistance and critical efforts that advance American interests around the world. That’s not going to happen. “In FY26, Congress, on a bipartisan basis, made investments that will save lives, strengthen our alliances and partnerships to confront pressing challenges, rebuild American competitiveness, and make Americans safer at home. We will do so again.”

Schatz, Colleagues Introduce Legislation To Repeal Trump’s AI Moratorium | U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii

Position: Senator Schatz and colleagues oppose President Trump's executive order that would prevent states from regulating artificial intelligence, and support legislation to repeal it and allow states to enact AI safeguards without federal penalty.

Bill Comes As Republicans Renew Push to Preempt State-Level AI Laws WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of six senators in introducing the Guaranteeing and Upholding Americans’ Right to Decide Responsible AI Laws and Standards (GUARDRAILS) Act to repeal President Trump’s executive order seeking to prevent states from regulating artificial intelligence. The Trump administration renewed its call for a preemption of state-level AI laws as part of its National AI Policy Framework which was released last week. “Embracing the amazing possibilities of AI can’t come at the cost of leaving Americans vulnerable to its profound risks, which is exactly what President Trump’s Executive Order tries to do,” said Senator Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. “Discouraging states from enacting common-sense regulation that protects people from potential AI harms is dangerous. Congress has a responsibility to get this technology right, but states must not be penalized for acting in the public interest in the meantime.” The GUARDRAILS Act would prohibit the executive order issued in December 2025 from taking effect so that states do not have federal funds withheld for enacting commonsense safeguards around AI. In addition to Schatz, the bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.). Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-Va.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), and April McClain Delaney (D-Md.). The text of the legislation is available here.

Schatz Introduces Legislation To Prevent Youth Suicide | U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii

Position: Senator Schatz introduced legislation to fund youth suicide prevention initiatives, provide training to healthcare providers in suicide prevention and lethal means safety, and establish a centralized information hub for at-risk youth and their support networks.

Bill Funds Initiatives To Support Suicide Prevention, Train Medical Professionals In Suicide Prevention And Lethal Means Safety WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today introduced legislation to prevent youth suicide, the second leading cause of death for people aged 10-24. The Child Suicide Prevention Act would fund suicide prevention initiatives, ensure health care providers receive training to prevent intentional harm, and create a centralized hub to provide safety information to at-risk youth and their support networks. “Youth suicide is a crisis in Hawai‘i and across America, and we need to do everything we can to get young people help when they need it,” said Senator Schatz. “This bill provides important training and resources to medical professionals who will be able to deliver timely help and prevent these tragedies.” Specifically, the Child Suicide Prevention Act would: “I have heard from so many young people about their challenges and struggles with mental health. We can and we must do better for our kids, and I want them to know that there is hope,” said Representative Underwood. “Representative Schrier, Senator Schatz, and I introduced the Child Suicide Prevention Act to make sure health care providers are equipped with life-saving training and interventions backed by data. Our legislation takes meaningful action so that young people can get the help they need to lead safe and healthy lives.” In addition to Schatz, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.). Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) and Kim Schrier (D-Wash). Suicide rates among young Americans increased by 52 percent between 2000 and 2021 and nearly 10 percent of youth have reported attempting suicide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A June 2021 CDC report found a significant increase in emergency department visits for suicide attempts among adolescents aged 12-17 during the pandemic, including a spike of more than 50 percent among adolescent girls. A critical opportunity to identify young people at risk is in health care settings, but many health care professionals lack the training or resources to do so. This bill prepares health care professionals to identify and respond to warning signs by training them in evidence-based suicide prevention practices like lethal means safety, a practice limiting access to objects that can be used for self-directed violence, and providing funding to connect at-risk patients with crisis resources. The full text of the legislation is available here.