Schatz stop on Big Island includes discussion about local priorities, federal policy and its impacts

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz met on Aug. 12 with Big Island business leaders before later addressing nearly 250 residents during a Waimea Community Association meeting, taking questions from local community members.

The Democrat from Hawai‘i met in Hilo with members of Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Hawai‘i Island Chamber of Commerce and Hui ‘Oihana Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce to provide updates about federal funding for health care, education, infrastructure and other priorities on Hawai‘i Island.

“I got to hear directly from business leaders and regular people about how federal policies are impacting them and what resources they need,” said Schatz in a release following his Big Island visit.

He later attended a meeting Waimea Community Association, addressing nearly 250 community members and taking questions.

Schatz discussed the impacts to Hawai‘i Island from the Republican tax law, given that Hawai‘i County has the highest percentage of enrollees for Med-QUEST, Hawai’i’s Medicaid program, in the state and nearly 40,000 residents who receive SNAP — or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also commonly referred to as food stamps — benefits.

The senator — a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee — helped deliver more than $76 million in federal earmark funding to Hawai‘i Island in recent years for a range of infrastructure, housing and health care projects.

“We’re going to continue working together to protect and support our local communities,” Schatz said in the release.