OHA hires lobby firm to help push Akaka bill

By Vicki Viotti and Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Staff Writers

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has hired a well-known law and lobbying firm in Washington to add muscle to its push for a bill that would give Hawaiians federal recognition.

The legislation — known as the "Akaka bill" after sponsor U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i — would create a formal process for Hawaiians to form their own sovereign government that would be recognized by the United States, much like American Indians and Native Alaskans. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee approved the bill last week, and it could now go to the full Senate for a vote.

OHA trustees on Thursday authorized a maximum of $450,000 for expenditures by Patton Boggs, LLP, an international law firm that the board hired after conducting interviews last week in Washington, said Clyde Namu'o, OHA administrator.

The trustees will receive weekly reports from the firm to monitor their spending and progress, Namu'o said.

The firm's work will include the preparation of a report on the federal recognition campaign for the Bush administration, in the hopes of persuading the White House to support the bill, according to Namu'o.

"There's a window of opportunity to get this bill passed, and we need to do everything we can do," he said.

Patton Boggs lobbies for such heavyweights as AOL Time Warner, Mars Corp. and Sony. Its roster of about 225 lobbying clients also includes major trade associations and state and local agencies.

Thomas Hale Boggs Jr., one of its principals, is known as a prominent Democrat who has taken a personal interest in Hawaiian recognition. He is considered one of the capital's most well-connected and influential lobbyists.

Hawai'i's congressional delegation has made progress on Hawaiian recognition since Akaka first proposed the bill in 2000, but has not been able to overcome opposition from conservative Republicans. Republican Gov. Linda Lingle and her staff have approached the Bush administration for its support.

Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawai'i, has said that a White House endorsement is key. The Clinton administration supported a version of the bill in 2000, when it passed the House but stalled in the Senate. Last session, a version of the bill cleared the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and the House Resources Committee before being blocked.