Sen. Schatz offers update on votes to keep U.S. government funded

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Senator Brian Schatz voted to avert the United Sates Government shutdown.

This was an essential vote as funds from the U.S. will provide $16 billion in new disaster relief funding for Maui and disaster-impacted communities across the country.

Sen. Schatz voted to pass a bipartisan government funding deal that is meant to avert a catastrophic shutdown. This stopgap bill will keep the government funded through Nov. 17.

“We are keeping the government open and providing $16 billion in new disaster relief funding for Maui and other communities recovering from natural disasters across the country. This is good news for Hawai‘i and means federal disaster relief dollars will continue to flow to Maui,” said Senator Schatz.

He went on to explain further.

“The recovery process will take years, and we will keep working as hard as we can to bring home more federal resources,” added Sen. Schatz.

Sen. Schatz has led efforts to deliver additional federal disaster relief funding to Hawai‘i in the wake of the summer fires in Hawaiʻi.

Sen. Schatz also worked with congressional leaders and colleagues in the Hawai‘i delegation to ensure new disaster relief money was included in any short-term spending bill.