Hawai'i's soft voice carries in Senate

By Susan Roth
Advertiser Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — A recent Tuesday morning found Sen. Dan Inouye in a familiar place — chairing a hearing of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee on the first day of the legislative week on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Dan Inouye sits in his office in the Hart Senate Building last month. His low-key style has earned him the respect of his peers. Gannett News Service

"I can assure you that I take this bill seriously, and admittedly, in a sense, personally," Inouye said. "I had the great honor of serving with Senator Dodd's father, and I believe my record would show that my relationship with the state of Connecticut has been on the up and up."

But Inouye went on to argue forcefully against the bill, and it was clear the measure would not pass the Senate. In one fell swoop,

Inouye reminded Dodd and Lieberman of his stature and reduced the white-haired, 58-year-old senior senator from Connecticut to a legislative legacy. His father is former Sen. Thomas Dodd.

The Connecticut lawmakers may have been frustrated, yet Inouye's put-down brought a rush of senatorial fawning.

"We often consider you to be the third senator from Connecticut," said Dodd.

"There is not a better friend to Connecticut in the Senate," gushed Lieberman.

Inouye, 78, the third-most-senior member of the Senate, is revered by many colleagues, respected for his heroism in World War II, his methodical work ethic, his keen understanding of the legislative process and his ability to work both sides of the aisle.

Although Inouye has maintained a low profile through most of his 40 years in the Senate, he has become an example of sorts as the number of war heroes in the chamber has dwindled.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., recently pointed to Inouye in a fiery floor speech accusing President Bush of politicizing the debate over possible war in Iraq and creation of a homeland security department. Bush had declared in a speech that the Senate was not interested in the security of the American people.

"You tell Sen. Inouye he's not interested in the security of the American people," Daschle yelled. "That is outrageous. Outrageous. The president ought to apologize to Sen. Inouye and every veteran who has fought in every war who is a Democrat in the United States Senate."

Inouye, who sat solemnly behind Daschle, remarked, "I very seldom speak on the floor." He went on to remind Bush that he chairs the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, which unanimously approved spending $356 billion for military preparedness in fiscal 2003.

"Does that suggest we are not concerned about the security of our people?" Inouye said.

After keeping characteristically mum about the resolution authorizing use of force in Iraq, Inouye voted against it.

Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, Sen. Inouye listens during a hearing on legislation to overhaul the federal process recognizing tribes on Capitol Hill last month. Gannett News Service

Inouye secured nearly $1.3 billion in federal money in fiscal 2002 for Hawai'i, including $827 million for military projects. He shrugs off the pork attacks, saying it's his job to bring home the bacon and he's proud that he does "pretty well" at it. But he deliberately tries not to talk about it too much, he said, knowing it could encourage criticism and jealousy.

"My colleagues know I can justify everything — even Sen. McCain," he said in a recent interview. "People point to my efforts to get $3 million to get rid of the brown tree snake, for example. But once you explain the circumstances and what this snake can do in Hawai'i, they're supportive."

His decision many years ago to become an appropriator put him in the midst of annual budget battles, but it meant he did not author other major national legislation except American Indian programs and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

In addition to overseeing defense spending, Inouye also has authority over spending on military construction, foreign operations and the departments of Commerce, Justice, State, Interior, Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. He is chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and a leading member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the Rules and Administration Committee.

Colleagues say the senator is successful because of his low profile, not in spite of it.

"That's what makes him so effective," said former Sen. Robert Dole, R-Kans., and a friend since they recuperated in the same Michigan hospital after being seriously injured in Italy in 1944.

"He's quietly working all the time on what's of interest to Hawai'i," Dole said. "He's not interested in rushing to the stakeout and getting on television. If anybody has something he needs help with, he'd be there to help you. If you had a problem, you'd want to sit down and talk to him."

That feeling was "pretty universal" in the Senate when they served together, Dole said, "and I don't think it's changed much. I think he always had a lot of influence. He treats everybody the same. He's not trying to pick a fight with anybody. You can disagree with him, but he never makes it personal."

Inouye's conservative Republican friend, Ted Stevens of Alaska, the top Republican on the defense-spending panel, said the two disagree on most national issues.

"We know we cross each other out" in votes on the Senate floor, Stevens said, though they have never disagreed on military issues.

The brotherly relationship between the pugnacious, gruff Stevens and the sedate, polite Inouye puzzles some, but Stevens, who is a year older, said they bonded as World War II veterans who represent "offshore states" that have had to fight for their share of federal programs.

"I think he does a lot more than people see," Stevens said. "His actions are not cloaked; people just don't pay attention to the issues we pay attention to. We have a great feeling for the disabled, for the military and for indigenous peoples. We don't seek publicity. We're not on the talk shows. Alaska and Hawai'i are small — they're not one block in Brooklyn."

Sen. Dan Inouye, left, talks with Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., before a hearing on American Indian legislation last month. Gannett News Service

When the committee severely admonished Torricelli in July, leading to his withdrawal from his re-election campaign, there was no public comment. Reporters chased down Inouye in the subway between Capitol office buildings. He was heading back to his office alone, relieved the inquiry was over.

"I've had many assignments during my service in the Senate. Without question, this has been one of the most difficult," he said then.

Unlike many senators who travel the Capitol with a pack of aides, Inouye is usually alone in the halls. His staffers sometimes don't know exactly where he is, and he often disregards his official schedule.

On a recent week during the chaotic final period of the legislative session, Inouye's schedule was even busier than usual.

After a weekend in Rapid City, S.D., where he chaired an Indian Affairs hearing on the goals and priorities of local tribes, he returned to Washington to find three more Indian Affairs hearings on his schedule and meetings stacked every half hour in between. His day usually begins at 9 or 10 a.m., but he often has a private breakfast meeting first.

He was scheduled to attend the unveiling of a new painting in the Capitol at 5 p.m. on one day, and had two receptions scheduled for each of the other evenings, including one to pick up an award from the U.S. Coast Guard. He missed most of the events, but not the award ceremony.

In addition to meetings with other senators, his appointments that week included the president of Spelman College in Atlanta, an elite private school for black women; Bob Hiam, president of the Hawai'i Medical Services Association; Brad Mulholland and Phil Grill of Matson Navigation, for an update on the West Coast dock crisis; James Yee, the "outstanding older worker" from Hawai'i; and relatives of his friend Gen. Alejo Santos, a World War II hero from the Philippines.

Throwing open a cabinet in his office stocked with ramen noodle cups and packets of instant hot cocoa, Inouye said he rarely has time for a regular lunch.

"I receive an average of about 50 invitations a day in the D.C. area," he said, mostly for after 5 p.m. "I accept an average of about two dinners a month. I usually drop in at receptions and stay about five to 15 minutes."

Except when he's getting an award, that is. The senator shook hands and grinned for pictures for about an hour when he received one for his support of the Coast Guard.

With a chauffeur to drive him between events, Inouye said he's usually home in Bethesda, Md., by about 8:30 p.m., and has dinner with his wife, Margaret, about six days a week.

He said he rests on weekends, but boasts that he has taken no vacations since 1963, after he was first elected to the Senate. He has no plans to retire when his current term ends in 2004, and looks forward to another six years in office.

"Believe it or not, I love this job," he said. "It has provided me with certain things in life that I need, and one of them is a challenge. Life without challenge would be lethally dull, and there are no dull moments in my life."