Brian Schatz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brian Schatz
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Deputy Secretary of the Senate Democratic Caucus | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 Serving with Chris Murphy
|
|
| Leader | Chuck Schumer |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Vice Chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 |
|
| Preceded by | Lisa Murkowski |
| Chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee | |
| In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025 |
|
| Preceded by | John Hoeven |
| Succeeded by | Lisa Murkowski |
| United States Senator from Hawaii |
|
| Assumed office December 26, 2012 Serving with Mazie Hirono
|
|
| Preceded by | Daniel Inouye |
| 12th Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii | |
| In office December 6, 2010 – December 26, 2012 |
|
| Governor | Neil Abercrombie |
| Preceded by | Duke Aiona |
| Succeeded by | Shan Tsutsui |
| Chair of the Hawaii Democratic Party | |
| In office May 2008 – January 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Jeani Withington |
| Succeeded by | Dante Carpenter |
| Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives | |
| In office November 3, 1998 – November 7, 2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Sam Aiona |
| Succeeded by | Della Au Belatti |
| Constituency | 24th district (1998–2002) 25th district (2002–2006) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Brian Emanuel Schatz
October 20, 1972 Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
Green (formerly) |
| Spouse | Linda Kwok Kai Yun |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Pomona College (BA) |
| Signature |  |
Brian Emanuel Schatz (born October 20, 1972) is an American politician. He is currently a U.S. Senator for Hawaii. He has held this important job since 2012.
Before becoming a senator, Schatz was a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1998 to 2006. He also led the Democratic Party of Hawaii from 2008 to 2010. From 2010 to 2012, he served as the 12th lieutenant governor of Hawaii.
Early Life and Education
Brian Schatz was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He has an identical twin brother named Steve. When Brian was two years old, his family moved to Hawaii.
He went to Punahou School in Hawaii. Later, he attended Pomona College in California. He even spent some time studying in Kenya. In 1994, he earned a degree in philosophy. After college, he returned to Hawaii and worked in non-profit organizations. For a short time, he was a member of the Green Party.
Early Career in Hawaii
Schatz was active in his community from a young age. He was involved in groups like Youth for Environmental Services. He also worked as the head of Helping Hands Hawaii, a non-profit group. He was also a director at the Makiki Community Library.
In 2010, he left Helping Hands to run for lieutenant governor.
Hawaii House of Representatives (1998–2006)
In 1998, Brian Schatz ran for a seat in the Hawaii House of Representatives. He won the election for the 24th district. He was reelected in 2000.
In 2002, he ran in the 25th House district and won again. He served in the Hawaii House of Representatives until 2006.
Political Journey (2006–2010)
Running for Congress
In 2006, Schatz ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was one of many candidates in the Democratic primary election. He did not win this election.
Supporting Barack Obama
Brian Schatz was one of the first people in Hawaii to support Barack Obama for president. In 2006, he helped start a group to encourage Obama to run. He believed Obama would bring hope to the country. In 2008, Schatz worked as a spokesperson for Obama's campaign in Hawaii.
Leading the Democratic Party
In 2008, Schatz became the chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawaii. During his time as chairman, the party grew. Hawaii also showed strong support for Barack Obama in the 2008 election. Schatz stepped down from this role in 2010.
Lieutenant Governor (2010–2012)
The 2010 Election
In 2010, Brian Schatz decided to run for lieutenant governor of Hawaii. His main goals were to create jobs in clean energy, improve public education, and use technology to make government better. He also supported equal rights for all couples.
He won the Democratic primary election. This made him the running mate for Neil Abercrombie, who was running for governor. They won the general election together.
Serving as Lieutenant Governor
On December 6, 2010, Schatz became Hawaii's 11th lieutenant governor. He worked alongside Governor Neil Abercrombie.
U.S. Senate (2012–Present)
Becoming a Senator
In December 2012, Senator Daniel Inouye passed away. He was a very respected senator from Hawaii. Hawaii law says the governor must choose a new senator from a list of candidates.
On December 26, 2012, Governor Neil Abercrombie chose Brian Schatz to fill Senator Inouye's seat. The next day, Schatz was sworn in as a U.S. Senator. He was one of the youngest senators at that time.
Senate Elections
2014 Special Election
After being appointed, Schatz decided to run in a special election in 2014. This election was to finish the rest of Senator Inouye's term. His campaign focused on climate change and clean energy.
Schatz won the special election with about 70% of the votes.
2016 and 2022 Elections
In 2016, Schatz ran for his first full six-year term as senator. He won easily.
He ran for reelection again in 2022 and won with a large majority of the votes.
What He Does in the Senate
As a senator, Brian Schatz is known as a progressive Democrat. He often votes with his party on important issues. He has also worked with senators from other parties on many laws.
He has helped pass laws related to veterans' benefits and conservation. He has also led efforts on bills about Native American veterans and cybersecurity for small businesses. His main areas of focus include healthcare, education, and national security.
Schatz helped raise the minimum smoking age to 21. He also worked to get paid family leave for federal workers. He has also pushed for more telehealth services, which allow doctors to help patients using technology.
He has also worked to bring federal money to Hawaii for things like transportation.
In 2021, Schatz was at the U.S. Capitol when it was stormed by protesters. He called the event "despicable." He also said that President Trump should be removed from office. Schatz voted twice to impeach President Trump.
Leadership Roles
- Chief Deputy Whip (a leader in his party)
- Co-chair, Senate Climate Change Task Force
- Chair, Senate Democratic Special Committee on the Climate Crisis
His Views on Key Issues
Brian Schatz is seen as a progressive politician. He works to push for advanced policy ideas within his party.
Money and Economy
Schatz supports increasing income taxes to help balance the government's budget. He also believes in federal spending to help the economy grow.
Civil Rights
Schatz supports same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights. He has worked on laws to make sure married gay couples get the same benefits as other couples. He has received high ratings from groups that support LGBTQ+ rights.
Environment
Schatz is a strong supporter of fighting climate change. In 2014, he helped organize a long discussion in the Senate about climate change. He has received perfect scores from environmental groups.
He supports ideas like a Green New Deal and a carbon tax to reduce pollution. He believes in using clean energy and wants 50% of electricity to be clean by 2030. He was against the Keystone Pipeline.
Schatz is known as one of the "Three Climateers" in the Senate. He has helped create laws to deal with climate change, like the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
Foreign Policy
Schatz has spoken out against China's activities in the South China Sea. He believes China's claims there are not based on international law.
He has also spoken against the treatment of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. In 2018, he helped pass a resolution warning President Trump not to let Russia question U.S. officials.
Gun Laws
Schatz supports stricter gun control laws. He voted for a bill in 2013 to ban large-capacity magazines. He also supports requiring background checks for all gun sales.
He participated in a long discussion in the Senate in 2016 to push for gun control. After a shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, he said that more should be done to prevent gun violence.
Health Care
Schatz supports a system where everyone has access to healthcare. He has supported a plan that would allow states to expand Medicaid to cover more people. He also supports the Affordable Care Act.
Housing
Schatz has supported programs that help local groups build and improve communities. He believes these programs are important for economic development.
Privacy Rights
Schatz has voted on laws related to privacy. He voted against a law that would have allowed more government surveillance. He also voted to expand background checks for gun purchases.
Personal Life
Brian Schatz is married to Linda Kwok Kai Yun. They have two children.
His identical twin brother, Steve, works in education in Hawaii.
Images for kids
-
Brian Schatz's signature
See also
In Spanish: Brian Schatz para niños
