Brian Schatz

Early life

Brian Schatz was born into a Jewish-American family in Ann Arbor, Michigan, along with an identical twin brother, Steve. He is the son of Barbara Jane (née Binder) and Irwin Jacob Schatz, a cardiologist and native of the Saint Boniface neighborhood of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Schatz's father was the first to complain about the ethics of the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, in a 1965 letter. The letter was ignored until the problem finally came to public attention in 1972. Irwin Schatz wrote that he was "astounded" that "physicians allow patients with potentially fatal disease to remain untreated when effective therapy is available." Brian Schatz said that his father didn't talk about the letter, but that it influenced him to pursue the public good.

When Schatz and his brother were two years old, the family moved to Hawaii, where Schatz graduated from Punahou School. Schatz enrolled at Pomona College in Claremont, California; he spent a term studying abroad in Kenya on a program of the School for International Training (SIT). He graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy.

Early career

After college, Schatz returned to Hawaii, where he taught at Punahou before taking other jobs in the nonprofit sector. He was briefly a member of the Green Party.

Schatz had become active in the community as a teenager through his involvement in Youth for Environmental Services. He then served as CEO of Helping Hands Hawaii and director of the Makiki Community Library and of the Center for a Sustainable Future. In March 2010, Schatz stepped down from Helping Hands to run for lieutenant governor. He was a member of the 2007 class of the Pacific Century Fellows.

Hawaii House of Representatives (1998–2006)

In 1998, Schatz challenged the incumbent State Representative of the 24th district of the Hawaii House of Representatives, Republican Sam Aiona, and won, 53%–47%. In the 2000 rematch he was reelected, 57%–43%.

In 2002 he ran in the newly redrawn 25th House district, and defeated Republican Bill Hols, 69%–31%. In 2004 he defeated Republican Tracy Okubo, 64%–36%. The 25th district includes Makiki and Tantalus on Oahu.

Subsequent political career (2006–2010)

2006 congressional election

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Hawaii, 2006#District 2

Schatz ran for , vacated by Ed Case, who had decided to run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Daniel Akaka. The Democratic primary featured 10 candidates, seven of whom served in the Hawaii Legislature. Mazie Hirono, the lieutenant governor, was the only one who had held statewide office and thus enjoyed the most name recognition. She also raised the most money, mostly because of the endorsement of EMILY's List, and lent her own campaign $100,000. She won the primary with 22% of the vote, just 845 votes ahead of State Senator Colleen Hanabusa. Schatz finished sixth with 7% of the vote, behind Hirono and four state senators.

Support for Obama

One of the earliest supporters of Barack Obama for president, Schatz founded a group with other Hawaii Democrats in December 2006 to urge Obama to run, saying, "For the last six years we've been governed by fear, fear of terrorists, fear of other countries, even fear of the other party...everyone is governing by fear and Barack Obama changes all of that. He wants to govern the United States by hope." In 2008, Schatz worked as spokesman for Obama's campaign in Hawaii.

State chairman

In April 2008, Schatz began running for the position of chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and won the job at the state convention the following month. During his tenure, the Democrats increased the number of active party members and delivered Obama's best performance of any state in the country. Hawaii native Obama won the state with 72% of the vote; just 54% of the state voted for Democratic nominee John Kerry in 2004. Schatz stepped down as party chairman on January 9, 2010.

Lieutenant Governor (2010–2012)

2010 election

On January 10, 2010, Schatz announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor of Hawaii. His campaign priorities included the creation of clean-energy jobs, public education, and technological improvements in the public sector. He also declared his support for Hawaii House Bill 444, which would have allowed same-sex civil unions in Hawaii but was vetoed by Republican Governor Linda Lingle. A number of Hawaii labor unions endorsed Schatz for lieutenant governor in the Democratic primary, held on September 18, 2010. Schatz won the nomination with 34.8% of the vote, and thus became Neil Abercrombie's running mate in the November general election. In November 2010, the Abercrombie-Schatz ticket defeated the Republican ticket of Duke Aiona and Lynn Finnegan.

Tenure

On December 6, 2010, Schatz was inaugurated as Hawaii's 11th lieutenant governor alongside Abercrombie.

U.S. Senate (2012–present)

Appointment

Shortly before Senator Daniel Inouye died on December 17, 2012, he dictated a letter to Governor Neil Abercrombie asking that U.S. Representative Colleen Hanabusa be appointed to finish his term.

Hawaii law on interim appointments to the U.S. Senate requires the governor to choose from three candidates selected by the party of the previous officeholder. On December 26, 2012, the Hawaii Democratic Party nominated Schatz, Hanabusa, and deputy director of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Esther Kia'aina. The same day, Abercrombie appointed Schatz, despite Inouye's request. Later that night, Schatz accompanied President Barack Obama back to Washington, D.C. on Air Force One. On December 27, Schatz was sworn in as a senator by Vice President Joe Biden. He became only the sixth person to represent Hawaii in the U.S. Senate, and only the second who was not Asian American, after Oren E. Long.

Elections

2014

Schatz announced his intention to run for election in the special election to be held in 2014 for the balance of Inouye's ninth term. In April 2013 Hanabusa announced she would challenge Schatz in the primary. The core of the Schatz campaign was climate change and renewable energy.{{cite news | access-date = May 7, 2015 | access-date = August 20, 2014

As expected in heavily Democratic Hawaii, Schatz went on to win the general election, defeating Republican Campbell Cavasso with about 70% of the vote.{{cite web | access-date = December 18, 2014

2016

In 2016, Schatz ran for and easily won his first full six-year Senate term against only nominal opposition.

According to New York magazine, Schatz had a low-profile but highly influential effect on the Democratic primary for the 2020 presidential election by pushing fellow Democrats to commit to progressive positions on issues such as healthcare, climate, college affordability and Social Security.

2022

Schatz announced he intended to run for reelection for a second full term. He was challenged by Republican state representative Bob McDermott. Schatz won overwhelmingly, earning 69.4% of the total vote.

Tenure

During his time in the Senate, Schatz has developed a reputation as a liberal Democrat. He tends to vote with his party on both policy and procedural issues most of the time. GovTrack ranks Schatz as a more moderate member of his caucus. Schatz has been a part of numerous pieces of bipartisan legislation. He has co-sponsored 48 bills that have become law, including the bipartisan Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2021 and the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. He has been the primary sponsor for seven bills, including the Native American Veterans' Memorial Amendments Act of 2013 and the NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act. His primary areas of focus include healthcare, education, government operations, and national security. Schatz was instrumental in increasing the minimum smoking age to 21 and securing paid family leave for federal workers. He has also led efforts to expand telehealth services.

Schatz has also brought a large amount of federal funding to Hawaii. He secured reservation funding and transportation funding.

In April 2023, Morning Consult reported that Schatz was the "most popular" senator in the country, averaging an approval rating of 65% and a disapproval rating of 24%.

Schatz was participating in the certification of the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count when Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol. He called the storming "despicable". Schatz called for Trump's removal from office through both the invocation of the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the impeachment process. He called Trump a "danger to democracy itself". Schatz twice voted to impeach Trump. He also criticized Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz for voting against the certification of the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count during a floor speech a year later.

Schatz also gained attention for sparring with Hawley over various Biden nominees. In April 2022, Hawley objected to the confirmation of Christopher Lowman, prompting a fiery response from Schatz on the floor that cited Hawley's previous vote against Ukraine aid and his vote to exonerate Trump for extorting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In December 2022, Hawley objected to Schatz's attempt to confirm Russell Rumbaugh. The Senate confirmed both Lowman and Rumbaugh.

[[119th United States Congress|119th Congress]] committee assignments

Source:

• Committee on Appropriations
• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
• Committee on Foreign Relations
• Committee on Indian Affairs (vice chairman)
• Select Committee on Ethics

Leadership positions

• Deputy Secretary, Senate Democratic Caucus
• Chief Deputy Whip
• Co-chair, Senate Climate Change Task Force
• Chair, Senate Democratic Special Committee on the Climate Crisis
• Member, Board of Trustees for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship foundation

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
• Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
• Expand Social Security Caucus

Political positions

In 2018, New York magazine called Schatz a progressive but not a "bomb thrower" like Bernie Sanders. It characterized him as a low-profile but highly influential senator in pushing fellow Democrats to adopt progressive policy positions in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. In November 2025, Puck called Schatz "a leader of the party's progressive wing" who might be opposed by moderate Democrats if he runs to succeed Chuck Schumer as the Senate Democratic leader as his selection would run "counter to the tradition of Senate leaders who care more about winning than ideology".

Abortion

Schatz is pro-choice. He supports access to legal abortion without restrictions.

Budget and economy

Schatz supports income tax increases to balance the budget and federal spending to support economic growth.

LGBTQ+ rights

Schatz supports same-sex marriage. He sponsored legislation in 2015 to allow married gay couples to have equal access to the veterans benefits and Social Security they have earned. Schatz supports LGBTQIA+ rights. He received a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign. Schatz supports transgender rights.

Drugs

Schatz stopped short of calling for the legalization of marijuana in Hawaii in 2014, and has called for the criminalization of date-rape drugs. In 2016, he advocated for immunity for banks offering services to marijuana businesses.

Economy

To encourage tourism in West Hawaii, Schatz proposed that customs begin in Japan so that planes can arrive in West Hawaii as domestic flights.

Environment

In March 2014, Schatz was a lead organizer of an overnight talkathon devoted to discussing climate change. The gathering of over two dozen Senate Democrats took place on the Senate floor. The League of Conservation Voters supported the talkathon and ran campaign ads on Schatz's behalf.

In 2019, Schatz voiced his support for both a Green New Deal and a carbon tax as means to reduce emissions, saying that the two proposals are "perfectly compatible" with each other.

Schatz believes that climate change is a threat and has supported clean energy initiatives. In 2013, he wrote an op-ed promoting subsidies for wind turbines. He has advocated for 50% clean and carbon-free electricity by 2030. He opposed the Keystone Pipeline.

Along with Martin Heinrich and Sheldon Whitehouse, Schatz is one of the "Three Climateers" of the Senate, driving and negotiating legislation to address climate change, culminating in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Schatz was a member of the Senate Democrats' Special Committee on the Climate Crisis, which published a report of its findings in August 2020.

Foreign policy

Schatz criticized China's island-building activities, saying that "China's outsized claim to the entire South China Sea has no basis in international law."

In October 2017, Schatz condemned the genocide of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar and called for a stronger response to the crisis.

Schatz spearheaded a nonbinding resolution in July 2018 "warning President Trump not to let the Russian government question diplomats and other officials". The resolution states the United States "should refuse to make available any current or former diplomat, civil servant, political appointee, law enforcement official or member of the Armed Forces of the United States for questioning by the government of Vladimir Putin". It passed by a vote of 98–0.

In 2024, Schatz introduced an amendment to a national security package endorsing the creation of a Palestinian state in response to the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip and inflammatory statements by Benjamin Netanyahu. He called the amendment a message of "hope for a peaceful and prosperous and healthy future". In April 2025, Schatz voted for a pair of resolutions proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders to cancel the Trump administration's sales of $8.8 billion in bombs and other munitions to Israel. The proposals were defeated, 82 to 15.

Gun law

Schatz supports gun control legislation. He voted for a 2013 bill banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets, and co-sponsored legislation requiring background checks for every firearm sale in 2019.

Schatz participated in the Chris Murphy gun control filibuster in 2016. He expressed disappointment when both the Democrat-proposed Feinstein Amendment (making the sale of firearms to individuals on the terrorist watchlist illegal) and the Republican-supported background check changes and gun sale alert system did not pass the Senate. He said:

In response to the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, Schatz said, "We can do more than lower the flag to half-mast. We can take a stand against gun violence by passing common-sense gun safety laws."

Health care

Schatz supports Senator Bernie Sanders's single-payer proposal, but also introduced his own proposal which would allow states to expand Medicaid into a universal system. Schatz supports the Affordable Care Act but supported a religious exemption from its individual mandate.

Housing

In April 2019, Schatz was one of 41 senators to sign a bipartisan letter to the housing subcommittee praising the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 4 Capacity Building program as authorizing "HUD to partner with national nonprofit community development organizations to provide education, training, and financial support to local community development corporations (CDCs) across the country" and expressing disappointment that President Trump's budget "has slated this program for elimination after decades of successful economic and community development." The senators wrote of their hope that the subcommittee would support continued funding for Section 4 in Fiscal Year 2020.

In 2021, Schatz and Senator Todd Young co-authored the Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) Act, which created a federal fund that encourages new home construction and less restrictive local zoning laws. The bill passed as part of the $1.7 trillion spending bill (H.R. 2617) on December 20, 2022.

Privacy rights and cybersecurity

In one of his first Senate votes, Schatz voted against the FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012. On April 17, 2013, he voted to expand background checks for gun purchases.

Schatz voted for the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, a bill many civil liberties groups opposed.

In January 2025, Schatz and Senators Chris Murphy, Ted Cruz, and Katie Britt introduced the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA). Senators John Curtis, Peter Welch, John Fetterman, Ted Budd , Mark Warner, and Angus King also co-sponsored the act, which would set a minimum age of 13 to use social media platforms and prevent social media companies from feeding "algorithmically targeted" content to users under 17. Schatz said: "There is no good reason for a nine-year-old to be on Instagram or Snapchat. The growing evidence is clear: social media is making kids more depressed, more anxious, and more suicidal. Yet tech companies refuse to anything about it because it would hurt their bottom line. This is an urgent health crisis, and Congress must act with the boldness and urgency it demands". He continued, "Protecting kids online is not a partisan issue, and our bipartisan coalition—which includes several parents of kids and teenagers—represents the millions of parents across the country who've long been asking for help".

Supreme court nominees

Of Trump's 2017 Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, Schatz said in a statement, "We need to know if Judge Gorsuch will serve as an independent check on the executive and legislative branches. We need to know if Judge Gorsuch will interpret the law fairly or reliably favor the powerful. And we need to know if he will uphold the right to privacy, the basis for a woman's right to choose. Judge Gorsuch has refused to give the Senate any clarity. In case after case, Judge Gorsuch consistently sided with corporations over individuals, undermined women’s rights, and failed to protect workers." Schatz voted against Gorsuch's confirmation, but he was confirmed in a 54–45 vote.

Of Trump's 2018 Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Schatz said in a statement, "Judge Brett Kavanaugh has a troubling record of undermining civil liberties, opposing environmental protection, favoring corporations over workers, and undermining reproductive rights". Schatz also said the FBI should investigate the allegations against Kavanaugh. Schatz voted against Kavanaugh's nomination, but Kavanaugh was confirmed in a 50–48 vote.

Schatz did not support Trump's 2020 Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. He said in a statement, "We are just weeks away from Election Day, but Republicans are rushing to confirm a justice to the Supreme Court before the American people get a chance to make their voices heard. They are hurrying their nominee onto the Court to help overturn the Affordable Care Act, kicking millions off their health care in the middle of the worst public health crisis in a century. With voting already underway, the people should decide who they think should pick our next Supreme Court justice. I will not support this nominee". Schatz voted against Barrett's nomination, but she was confirmed in a 52–48 vote.

In April 2022, Schatz met with Joe Biden's Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. Schatz called her "exceptionally qualified to serve on the Supreme Court" and said, "Throughout her years of public service, she has demonstrated a dedication to the Constitution, including a strong commitment to equal justice under the law". Schatz voted to confirm Jackson's nomination, and she was confirmed in a 53–47 vote.

Trump's cabinet nominees, first term

Of Trump's 2017 Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, Schatz said in a statement, "From international human rights to the grave threats facing our country, Mr. Tillerson’s views do not align with well-established, bipartisan foreign policy. The United States has built our global leadership on a foundation of core American values of liberty and justice for all—values that were missing from Mr. Tillerson’s testimony in his nomination hearing. After reviewing his record and his testimony before the Senate, I do not believe Mr. Tillerson is the right person to lead the State Department. I will vote no on his nomination to lead the State Department." Tillerson was confirmed in a 56–43 vote.

Schatz voted to confirm Mike Pompeo as CIA Director in 2017. When Trump nominated Pompeo to succeed Tillerson as Secretary of State in 2018, Schatz said on Twitter (now X), "I voted YES on Pompeo for CIA on the theory that he would be the 'adult in the room.' I was wrong. I am voting NO on Pompeo for Secretary of State because our top diplomat should believe in diplomacy. He has an alarming tendency towards military provocation and brinkmanship." Pompeo was confirmed in a 57–42 vote.

Of Trump's 2017 Secretary of the Treasury nominee Steven Mnuchin, Schatz said in a statement, "Steven Mnuchin has a troubling business record using predatory business tactics. The United States government entrusted his company, OneWest, to help seniors and working families stay in their homes during the housing crisis. His company did the exact opposite, preying on vulnerable homeowners and profiting from it. In addition to his disturbing record, Steven Mnuchin has pledged to roll back the consumer protections that were put into place to stop the kind of reckless practices that caused the financial crisis in 2008. This is dangerous and irresponsible, and that’s why I will be voting no on Steven Mnuchin’s confirmation." Mnuchin was confirmed in a 51–48 vote.

In 2017, Schatz voted to confirm Trump's nominee Jim Mattis as Secretary of Defense. Mattis was confirmed in a 98–1 vote. After Mattis resigned, effective in 2019, Trump nominated Mark Esper for the position. Schatz voted to confirm Esper, who was confirmed in a 90–8 vote.

In 2017, Schatz voted against Trump's Attorney General nominee, Jeff Sessions. He said in a statement, "Throughout Sen. Sessions' career, he has been on the wrong side of history. As a U.S. attorney and in the Senate, he failed to protect fundamental civil rights, including the right to vote. When he had the chance to protect equal rights for LGBTQ Americans and help reform a racially biased and outdated sentencing system, he refused to do so. When the Department of Justice worked to end racial discrimination and the use of excessive force by police, he stood in opposition. And when confronted with the reality of the president's inhumane plan to deport undocumented children who call the United States home, he showed zero empathy. Time and time again, when presented with the opportunity to advocate for the central mission of the Justice Department—pursuing equal justice for all—Sen. Sessions fell short." Sessions was confirmed in a 52–47 vote. After Sessions resigned, Trump nominated William Barr (attorney general under President George H. W. Bush) to the position. Schatz voted against Barr, saying, "Mr. Barr has been clear where he should be vague, and vague where he should be clear". Barr was confirmed in a 54–45 vote.

In 2017, Trump nominated Ryan Zinke for Secretary of the Interior. Schatz voted against his nomination, but he was confirmed in a 67–31 vote. After Zinke resigned, Trump nominated David Bernhardt to the position. Schatz voted against Bernhardt's nomination, but he was confirmed in a 56–41 vote.

Trump nominated Sonny Perdue for Secretary of Agriculture in 2017. Schatz voted to confirm Perdue, and he was confirmed in an 87–11 vote.

Trump nominated Wilbur Ross for Secretary of Commerce in 2017. Schatz voted to confirm Ross, and he was confirmed in a 72–27 vote.

Trump nominated Tom Price for Secretary of Health and Human Services in 2017. Schatz expressed concern about Price's nomination and voted against it. Price was confirmed in a 52–47 vote. After Price's controversial tenure and resignation, Trump nominated Alex Azar to fill the position. Schatz voted against Azar, citing his positions on the Affordable Care Act and the healthcare system. Azar was confirmed in a 55–43 vote.

Joe Biden cabinet nominees

Schatz voted to confirm nearly all of President Joe Biden's cabinet nominees, including Antony Blinken as Secretary of State, Janet Yellen as Secretary of the Treasury, Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense, Merrick Garland as Attorney General, Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior, Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture, Gina Raimondo as Secretary of Commerce, Marty Walsh as Secretary of Labor, and Xavier Beccera as Secretary of Health and Human Services. All were confirmed.

Personal life

Schatz is married to Linda Kwok Kai Yun. They have two children.

Schatz has three brothers, including an identical twin brother, Steve. Steve is executive director of Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, an interagency educational partnership at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He formerly ran the Hawaii Department of Education's Office of Strategic Reform.

Schatz's father, Irwin Schatz, died on April 1, 2015, of metastatic melanoma.

As a U.S. senator, Schatz is one of Pomona's highest-profile alumni; Pomona invited him to be the commencement speaker for its Class of 2017.

Electoral history

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Notes

References

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