Protecting
Our
Health
Care
Senator
Schatz
continued
to
speak
out
against
attempts
to
repeal
the
Affordable
Care
Act.
“Americans
who
don't
lose
their
coverage
will
still
get
hurt
with
higher
premiums
or
insurance
plans
that
don't
cover
basic
things
like
getting
help
for
opioid
addiction,
pregnancy,
hospital
stays,
mental
health,”
said
Senator
Schatz.
“So
if
this
bill
passes,
healthcare
will
no
longer
be
a
right
in
this
country.
It
will
be
a
privilege.
It
depends
on
where
you
live,
where
you
work,
and
how
much
money
you
make.”
To
view
Senator
Schatz's
full
floor
speech,
click
here.
Maintaining
National
Security
Last
week,
the
Senate
passed
the
2018
National
Defense
Authorization
Act
(NDAA),
comprehensive
legislation
that
authorizes
defense
funding
for
Fiscal
Year
2018.
The bill
includes
more
than
$300 million
for
military
construction
in
Hawai‘i
and
several
Schatz
provisions
that
focus
on:
Strengthening
transparency
of
government
data
The
NDAA
includes
Senator
Schatz’s
“OPEN
Government
Data
Act,”
a
bipartisan
bill
he
introduced
with
Senator
Ben
Sasse
(R-Neb.)
that
directs
federal
government
data
be
open
and
available
whenever
possible
to
the
public
while
preserving
privacy
and
national
security
concerns.
Strengthening
Oversight
of
the
Red
Hill
Bulk
Fuel
Storage
Facility
The
NDAA
includes
Senator
Schatz’s
“Red
Hill
Oversight
and
Environmental
Protection
Act
of
2017,”
which
requires
the
Department
of
Defense
to
program
funding
in
its
future-years
budget
that
is
necessary
to
make
the
improvements
identified
as
part
of
the
September
2015
Administrative
Order
on
Consent/Statement
of
Work
that
the
Navy
and
Defense
Logistics
Agency
entered
with
the
EPA
and
State
of
Hawai‘i’s
Department
of
Health.
Authorizing
greater
flexibility
for
military
construction
in
Hawai‘i
Senator
Schatz
secured
a
bipartisan
amendment
in
the
NDAA
that
gives
the
military
in
Hawai‘i
greater
flexibility
to
improve
facilities
and
develop
minor
projects
that,
because
of
the
high
cost
of
construction
in
Hawai‘i,
would
otherwise
be
forced
through
the
formal,
multi-year
DoD
military
construction
planning
process.
Assessing
China’s
influence
in
the
Western
Pacific
Senator
Schatz
secured
an
amendment
in
the
NDAA
directing
the
Department
of
Defense
to
contract
with
an
independent
organization
to
study
U.S.
security
and
foreign
policy
interests
in
the
Freely
Associated
States
of
Palau,
the
Marshall
Islands,
and
the
Federated
States
of
Micronesia,
and
to
assess
China’s
influence
in
these
states
and
how
that
influence
is
affecting
America’s
defense
and
foreign
policy
interests.
Honoring
Our
Veterans
Senator
Schatz
also announced
that
our
state
is
set
to
receive
federal
funding
from
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
to
help
homeless
veterans. The
VA’s
Homeless
Providers
Grant
and
Per
Diem
Program
will
provide
approximately
$185
million
to
community
agencies
in
Hawai‘i
and
across
the
country,
including
the
U.S.
Veterans
Initiative
at
Barbers
Point,
which
serves
nearly
a
thousand
veterans.
The
Initiative
will
be
eligible
to
receive
reimbursement
grant
funding
to
help
carry
out
their
mission
and
provide
affordable,
long-term
housing,
and
supportive
care
for
homeless
veterans,
who
may
struggle
with
a
lack
of
a
local
support
network
or
steep
financial
or
health
challenges.
One
out
of
every
six
homeless
people
is
a
veteran.
Supporting
Hawai‘i’s
Students
Senator
Schatz
answered
questions
on
a
wide-range
of
topics
from
seniors
at
Damien
Memorial
School.
Ten-year-old
Robbie
Bond,
founder
of
the
non-profit
Kids
Speak
for
Parks,
met
with
Senator
Schatz
to
discuss
his
mission
to
save
the
National
Parks.
Senator
Schatz
joined
Cub
Scout
Pack
1
to
talk
about
public
service
and
giving
back
to
the
community.
To
respond
to
this
message,
please
click
here.
This
link
will
take
you
to
a
webpage
where
you
can
reply
to
messages
that
you
receive
from
Senator
Schatz’s
office. |