U.S. Senator from Hawaii
Brian Schatz
Democrat · Hawaii
Appointed in 2012, subsequently elected. Former state representative. Focus on climate change (especially Pacific islands), indigenous rights, and government reform.
Record
Progressive Democrat. One of Senate's most vocal climate advocates given Hawaii's vulnerability. Champion of Native Hawaiian sovereignty and indigenous rights. Focus on Pacific geopolitical issues.
Legislative Record
Recently sponsored bills (8 on record)
- S.5193 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to expand the capacity to improve health outcomes and increase access to specialized care. (Introduced, Jul 30, 2026)
- S.5168 — A bill to provide paid family and medical leave to Federal employees, and for other purposes. (Introduced, Jul 29, 2026)
- S.5131 — A bill to analyze the feasibility of attaching Department of State consular officers to Coast Guard and Navy missions in Pacific Island countries. (Introduced, Jul 23, 2026)
- S.4926 — State Firearms Dealer Licensing Enhancement Act (Introduced, Jun 24, 2026)
- S.4915 — AI Labeling Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jun 24, 2026)
- S.4830 — A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 86-014 Farrington Highway in Waianae, Hawaii, as the "United States Representative Colleen Hanabusa Post Office Building". (Introduced, Jun 18, 2026)
- S.4695 — CONSENT Act (Introduced, Jun 8, 2026)
- S.4610 — Pacific POWER Act (Introduced, May 20, 2026)
Notable votes
- Voted Nay on S.Res. 817 — S. Res. 817 (Resolution Agreed to, Jul 30, 2026)
- Voted Nay on S.Res. 817 — Motion to Invoke Cloture: S. Res. 817 (Cloture Motion Agreed to, Jul 29, 2026)
- Voted Yea on H.R. 6644 — Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 6644 with an Amendment (SA 5823) (Cloture Motion Agreed to, Jun 18, 2026)
- Voted Nay on S. 2 — S. 2, As Amended (Bill Passed, Jun 5, 2026)
- Voted Yea on S. 2 — Cortez Masto Amdt. No. 5463 (Amendment Rejected, Jun 5, 2026)
- Voted Yea on S. 2 — Padilla Amdt. No. 5808 (Amendment Rejected, Jun 5, 2026)
- Voted Yea on S. 2 — Gallego Amdt. No. 5813 (Amendment Rejected, Jun 5, 2026)
- Voted Yea on S. 2 — Peters Amdt. No. 5763 (Amendment Rejected, Jun 5, 2026)
Recently cosponsored bills (12 on record)
- S.1663 — Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2025 (Introduced, Jul 30, 2026)
- S.5186 — A bill to eliminate asset limits employed by certain federally funded means-tested public assistance programs, and for other purposes. (Introduced, Jul 30, 2026)
- S.4395 — Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jul 29, 2026)
- S.5108 — A bill to protect and expand nationwide access to assisted reproductive technology, including in vitro fertilization. (Introduced, Jul 23, 2026)
- S.5110 — Improving America's Literacy Act (Introduced, Jul 23, 2026)
- S.5071 — Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jul 22, 2026)
- S.5076 — Supreme Court Biennial Appointments and Term Limits Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jul 22, 2026)
- S.5094 — Real Courts, Rule of Law Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jul 22, 2026)
Voting analysis
A housing measure accounts for four of Brian Schatz's departures, and he opposed it at every stage — the motion to end debate, an amendment folded in, the cloture motion covering that amendment, and passage. Republicans elsewhere in these rankings blocked the same bill in exactly the same sequence, from the other side of the chamber.
Blocking, mostly
The rest follows the same disposition. He voted against cloture on two further measures and against another at passage. Three departures run outward — a bill he supported at passage, a cloture motion he helped advance, and a joint resolution he backed.
Seven refusals against three crossings is a member whose disagreement with his caucus is mostly about what it is willing to let through.
| Roll call | Date | Outcome | Their vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.R. 6644 H.R. 6644, as amended On Passage of the Bill H.R. 6644 · roll call 119 | Mar 12, 2026 | Bill Passed | Nay (party: Yea) |
| H.R. 6644 Motion to Invoke Cloture: H.R. 6644 as amended On the Cloture Motion H.R. 6644 · roll call 119 | Mar 11, 2026 | Cloture Motion Agreed to | Nay (party: Yea) |
| H.R. 6644 Scott (SC) Amdt. No. 4308, as amended On the Amendment S.Amdt. 4308 to H.R. 6644 (No short title on file) · roll call 119 | Mar 11, 2026 | Amendment Agreed to | Nay (party: Yea) |
| H.R. 6644 Motion to Invoke Cloture Re: Amdt. No. 4308 On the Cloture Motion S.Amdt. 4308 to H.R. 6644 (No short title on file) · roll call 119 | Mar 10, 2026 | Cloture Motion Agreed to | Nay (party: Yea) |
| H.R. 7148 H.R. 7148, as Amended On Passage of the Bill H.R. 7148 · roll call 119 | Jan 30, 2026 | Bill Passed | Yea (party: Nay) |
| S. 1071 Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to S. 1071 On the Cloture Motion S. 1071 · roll call 119 | Dec 15, 2025 | Cloture Motion Agreed to | Nay (party: Yea) |
| S. 2296 S. 2296, as amended On Passage of the Bill S. 2296 · roll call 119 | Oct 9, 2025 | Bill Passed | Nay (party: Yea) |
| H.R. 1968 Motion to Invoke Cloture: H.R. 1968 On the Cloture Motion H.R. 1968 · roll call 119 | Mar 14, 2025 | Cloture Motion Agreed to | Yea (party: Nay) |
| S.J.Res. 3 S.J. Res. 3 On the Joint Resolution S.J.Res. 3 · roll call 119 | Mar 4, 2025 | Joint Resolution Passed | Yea (party: Nay) |
| H.R. 5009 Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5009 On the Cloture Motion H.R. 5009 · roll call 118 | Dec 16, 2024 | Cloture Motion Agreed to | Nay (party: Yea) |
Above the Hawaii average
Hawaii's two Democratic senators sit apart on this measure, with Schatz the higher of the pair.
Among the 2 Democrats in the Hawaii delegation, the average rate of voting against the party majority is 4.3%. Brian Schatz is above that average at 5.0%.
What he legislates on
He is vice chairman of the Indian affairs committee and ranking member of the state and foreign operations appropriations subcommittee. The bills spread across health capacity and specialised care, paid family and medical leave for federal employees, a feasibility study on attaching consular officers to Coast Guard and Navy missions in Pacific Island countries, state firearms dealer licensing, and labelling of artificial intelligence.
Sponsored bills carry the Congressional Research Service's own subject classification. Brian Schatz's cluster into: Crime and Law Enforcement (2), Government Operations and Politics (1), International Affairs (1), Science, Technology, Communications (1).
Of the 8 most recent of those, 8 currently sit at Introduced.
Tenure and attendance
Appointed to the seat at the start of the last decade and elected since, he now falls in the veteran band. Few roll calls happen without him.
First elected in 2012, now serving across 8 terms. Brian Schatz falls in the veteran cohort.
By the numbers
In the 119th Congress, Brian Schatz has 724 bills sponsored, 2356 cosponsored, 8 recent floor votes recorded.
Committee assignments
- Senate Committee on Appropriations
- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
- Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (Vice Chairman)
- Senate Select Committee on Ethics
- Senate Committee on Appropriations: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- Senate Committee on Appropriations: Department of Defense
- Senate Committee on Appropriations: Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
- Senate Committee on Appropriations: Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
- Senate Committee on Appropriations: State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (Ranking Member)
- Senate Committee on Appropriations: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries
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