U.S. Senator-elect Mazie Hirono was named this week by the Democratic Steering Committee to serve on the Judiciary, Energy and Veterans’ Affairs committees.

The Judiciary committee is in charge of approving U.S. Supreme Court nominees, a high-profile responsibility.

The assignments are subject to approval by the full Democratic caucus and of an organizing resolution by the full Senate when the 113th Congress convenes in January.

U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye will continue as chairman of the Appropriations Committee and also serve on the committees for Rules and Indian Affairs. Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington takes over the gavel from retiring Sen. Dan Akaka on Indian Affairs.

—Chad Blair

Photo courtesy functoruser.

Sen. Les Ihara and Reps. Isaac Choy, Scott Nishimoto, Karl Rhoads, Roy Takumi, Kyle Yamashita, Sharon Har, Henry Aquino, Ty Cullen, Ken Ito and Ryan Yamane have been in Washington, D.C., this week for the National Conference of State Legislatures annual Fall Forum.

Har is attending a women’s forum, and Aquino, Cullen, Ito and Yamane are attending a Military and Veterans Affairs Task Force meeting, both in relation to the NCSL event.

The NCSL agenda calls for state legislators and staff from across the country to “brainstorm how states will weather the ‘Fiscal Cliff,’ push Congress to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act and discuss how to combat human trafficking,” according to a press release.

Forum speakers were to include former U.S. Senators Trent Lott (R) and Byron Dorgan (D), who will discuss whether Republicans and Democrats “can overcome the partisan divide and work together in the next Congress.”

—Chad Blair

State Reps. Henry Aquino, Ty Cullen, Ryan Yamane and Sharon Har with U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye.

That’s according to this article in Politico:

Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), newly elected to the Senate, has also filed paperwork to form a leadership PAC, federal records today show. Dubbed Pineapple PAC, Hirono may use her new PAC to raise and spend money separate and apart from her campaign account for purposes that range from travel and touting ideology to making donations to political brethren. Jadine Nielsen will serve as treasurer.

—Chad Blair

The Hill has this report. Excerpts:

The Senate quickly approved legislation Thursday afternoon that would delay the implementation of a law aimed at increasing the transparency of financial statements of senior government officials.

The Senate approved H.R. 6634 by unanimous consent, and with no debate. The bill delays certain transparency requirements in the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act until April 15, 2013.

Senate passage sends the bill to the White House for President Obama’s signature into law.

The bill is an apparent response to arguments from groups representing federal workers that the STOCK Act’s requirement to publish financial disclosure forms online could pose a security risk. Many of these groups support ending the requirement altogether — the rule would affect about 28,000 government officials.

—Chad Blair

Communications Director Jesse Broder Van Dyke sent us this little item Wednesday (Dec. 5) about his boss:

At the closing session of the 2012 Tribal Nations Conference today, President Barack Obama gave a “shout-out” to U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka who was attending the conference as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. 

“I want to give a special shout-out to Senator Danny Akaka, who has been such a tireless advocate for Native Americans throughout his career,” President Obama said to applause.  “You know that Danny is going to be retiring this year, and he’s such a great friend.  And as a Hawaiian boy, I’ve got to give him a little special props. (Laughter.)”

—Chad Blair

The Hill has this report. Excerpts:

The Senate voted to pass an amendment to the defense bill that would require a report on military activities that could be used in Syria.

The amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, S. 3254, which funds the U.S. military and its operations, passed on a 92-6 vote.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) introduced Amendment 3262, which would require the Department of Defense to submit to the congressional Defense committees a report identifying the limited military activities that could deny or degrade the ability of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to use air power against civilians and opposition groups in Syria.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said he opposed the amendment because it would encourage U.S. involvement in another war in the Middle East. …

Hawaii Sens. Dan Inouye and Dan Akaka voted with the majority.

—Chad Blair

Photo courtesy Soggydan.

The Hill has this report. Excerpts:

The House approved legislation on Tuesday that would ease federal regulations on the manufacture of coolers, water heaters and other appliances.

In a 398-2 vote, members approved H.R. 6582, the American Energy Manufacturing Technical Corrections Act. This bill combines several proposals that the House and Senate have approved this year, including language that would allow manufacturers of walk-in coolers to use different standards to meet energy efficiency goals. It also eases rules for water heaters and over-the-counter refrigerators.

While bills easing energy-related regulations have been divisive this year, both Republicans and Democrats said they could support the bill.

“This bill will reduce regulatory burdens and provide greater certainty for manufacturers, allowing them to stay in business, avoid layoffs and will also ensure the continued benefits of energy savings and consumer savings because of increased energy efficiency,” Rep. Ed. Whitfield (R-Ky.) said.

“This bill will not produce large energy savings, but it’s a worthwhile package of consensus improvements,” Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said.

Hawaii Reps. Colleen Hanabusa and Mazie Hirono were in the majority.

—Chad Blair

The Hill has this report. Excerpts:

A United Nations treaty to ban discrimination against people with disabilities went down to defeat in the Senate on Tuesday in a 61-38 vote.

The treaty backed by President Obama and former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kansas) fell 5 votes short of the two-thirds needed for confirmation as dozens of Senate Republicans objected that it would create new abortion rights and impede the ability of people to home-school disabled children.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) argued the treaty would infringe on U.S. sovereignty, an argument echoed by other opponents.

Supporters of the treaty argued that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities would simply require the rest of the world to meet the standards that Americans already enjoy under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. …

Hawaii Sens. Dan Inouye and Dan Akaka voted in favor of the treaty.

—Chad Blair

Photo courtesy Clément G.

This report comes from The Hill. Excerpts:

Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has taken a job as a columnist for World Net Daily, a conservative website best known for articles advancing “birther” conspiracy theories about President Obama.

The former Pennsylvania senator will write a weekly column appearing on Mondays. Other writers for the site include actor Chuck Norris and fellow 2012 Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain.

The site made waves last year when founder Joseph Farah told NBC Newshe was unconvinced by the president’s long-form birth certificate. Farah told the network he paid for private detectives to travel to Hawaii in an effort to discredit the president’s claims of having been born in the United States, and conferred with real estate mogul Donald Trump on the issue.

—Chad Blair

Elizabeth Santorum, daughter of GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum, sign waves in Honolulu.

Talking Points Memo has this item:

Only 10 percent of Americans rated the honesty and ethics of Congressional members as “high” or “very high.” Fifty-four percent gave lawmakers on Capitol Hill the lowest marks possible — the highest negative rating of any profession included in the survey.

Congressional members only outpace car salespeople, whose honesty and ethics rated the lowest in the survey. Nurses were rated as the most honest and ethical. 

—Chad Blair

Photo courtesy Senator Mark Warner.

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to be in session on only 15 Fridays in 2013, “an almost 30 percent drop from 2011,” according to the calendar released by House Majority leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) on Friday (Nov. 30).

Excerpts from this report in The Hill:

In 2011, there were 21 scheduled Fridays, compared to only 15 planned for 2013. Members will work only one Friday for nine months out of the year, and two Fridays for the other three months. Both 2011 and 2013 are non-election years.

“It’s just a freak occurrence, it was nothing purposeful,” a leadership aide close to the process told The Hill.

—Chad Blair

Photo courtesy Dougtone.

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved the bipartisan Hatch Act Modernization Act of 2012 by voice vote Friday (Nov. 30).

The bill was introduced by Sen.  Dan Akaka and cosponsored by Sens. Joe Lieberman (ID-Connecticut), Carl Levin (D-Michigan) and Mike Lee (R-Utah).

The 1939 Hatch Act “restricts the political activity of Federal employees, District of Columbia government employees, and state and local employees whose positions are connected to federal funds,” according to Akaka’s office.

Among other things, the Hatch Act Modernization Act allows most state and local employees to run for partisan elective office and places employees of the executive branch of the District of Columbia under provisions of the Hatch Act.

In a statement, Akaka said, ”I am pleased the Senate approved this important legislation, which will allow more Americans the right to run for public office and serve their communities, and treat federal employees and employees of the District of Columbia more fairly. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to pass the bill.” 

—Chad Blair

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday (Nov. 30) voted to approve the STEM Jobs Act, which “eliminates the Diversity Visa program in order to create a new visa program for foreign students graduating with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from U.S. research universities.”

That’s according to a press release from Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, who along with Rep. Mazie Hirono voted “no” on the measure. It passed 245-139, largely along partisan lines.

According to this report from the Associated Press, the bill will “make green cards accessible to foreign students graduating with advanced science and math degrees from U.S. universities. But even this limited step, strongly backed by the high-tech industry and enjoying some bipartisan support, is unlikely to go anywhere this session of Congress, dramatizing how difficult it will be to find lasting solutions to the nation’s much-maligned immigration system.”

In a statement, Hanabusa said, “While I support a visa program targeted at students excelling in STEM programs, we should not eliminate the Diversity Visa program, which ensures people from countries that have low rates of immigration to the U.S. have the same opportunity to pursue their dreams here.”

The STEM Jobs Act now heads to the U.S. Senate.

—Chad Blair

Sen. Dan Akaka has just opened what will likely be his final Indian Affairs Committee hearing before his retirement at the end of the year.

The subject today is “Reclaiming Our Image and Identity for the Next Seven Generations” and two flat-panel televisions were showing famous indigenous people like Duke Kahanamoku and NFL Quarterback Sam Bradford.

Watch a live webcast hearing here.

— Michael Levine

HawaiiGas CEO Jeff Kissel will be the guest speaker at a luncheon here in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

According to a company press release, Kissel’s talk, entitled “Say Aloha to Natural Gas” will address the opportunity to improve the economy in Hawaii by introducing liquefied natural gas for the first time.

I’ll be at the Natural Gas Roundtable luncheon, and will share Kissel’s thoughts and the questions he gets after he’s pau. Is there anything you’d like me to ask him?

— Michael Levine