Posted on: Friday, January 31, 2003

Congress delegation assigned to panels

By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Freshman Rep. Ed Case will serve on the House Education and the Workforce Committee and the House Agriculture Committee in the 108th Congress, Democratic leaders decided this week.

Case, D-Hawai'i, said the assignments will help him stay involved with issues important to the state, including reforms to public education, federal money for special education, and measures that affect the sugar and pineapple industries.

The new congressman will learn his subcommittee assignments next week.

Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawai'i, will remain on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Resources Committee.

In the Senate, Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawai'i, is ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs and will continue to serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he is ranking member on the defense subcommittee. Inouye also keeps his seats on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.

Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, will remain on the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he is ranking member of the readiness subcommittee. Akaka also keeps his seat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He is the top Democrat on that panel's national parks subcommittee.

Akaka also serves on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee — where he is ranking member on the international security subcommittee — and on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, and the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs and the Senate Select Committee on Ethics.

Akaka lost a seat on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee when the Senate reorganized this year under Republican control.