{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/civil-beat-senator-hirono-to-serve-on-intelligence-committee", "Senator Hirono to Serve on Intelligence Committee", "2014-12-12", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Mazie Hirono", "H001042", "www.hirono.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Hirono to Serve on Intelligence Committee\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n                The U.S. Senate Democratic leadership slate is announced for the new GOP-controlled chamber\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Chad Blair\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Friday, December 12, 2014\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            The U.S. Congress may soon be controlled by Republicans, but Hawaii\u2019s Democrats in the Senate have secured important committee assignments that begin\u00a0early next year.\r\nBrian Schatz will\u00a0serve on the Senate Committee on Appropriations while Mazie Hirono will serve on the Senate Select\u00a0Committee on Intelligence. Hirono will also continue\u00a0serving on the Armed Services Committee and on Veterans\u2019 Affairs.\r\nThe Appropriations\u00a0Committee writes the legislation that\u00a0funds\u00a0government departments, agencies and organizations\u00a0and\u00a0has responsibility for supplemental spending bills.\u00a0The late Dan Inouye of Hawaii was a former chairman and often steered\u00a0federal funds toward the islands.\r\n\r\n\r\nThe Intelligence Committee, meanwhile, oversees\u00a0the intelligence activities and programs of the U.S. government to make sure\u00a0they comport with the U.S. Constitution and federal laws. Under Democrat Diane Feinstein of California, the committee is in the news this week with its controversial report regarding the CIA and torture.\r\nThe Armed Services Committee has legislative oversight of the nation\u2019s military, including the Department of Defense. Given Hawaii\u2019s geopolitical strategic position in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and in proximity to Asia, the committee\u2019s role is critical.\r\nVeterans\u2019 Affairs has also had a high profile lately, due to the backlog in addressing the health needs of vets. Hawaii has a large veteran population.\r\nThe appointments are subject to a full vote by the Senate scheduled for early January.\r\n...\r\nHirono, meanwhile, in addition to gaining the plum assignment on the Intelligence Committee\u00a0and staying on Armed Services, will also serve on\u00a0the\u00a0Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources and the\u00a0Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship in the\u00a0new Congress. Hirono, however, will relinquish her position on Senate Judiciary \u2014 another high-profile panel that is often in the news.\r\n\u201cI look forward to building on our work to support our\u00a0service members, veterans and their families,\u201d Hirono said in a press release Friday. \u201cMaintaining a strong military presence in Hawaii will continue to be critical to our national security and economy in state,\u00a0while also serving as a key component\u00a0to our nation\u2019s rebalance to the Asia-Pacific.\u201d\r\nHirono added,\u00a0\u201cMy new committee assignments are well-balanced and involve top priorities for Hawaii, including shaping\u00a0policies that secure clean energy, protection of the environment and\u00a0boosting small business opportunities that create jobs that will help us achieve a sustainable future for Hawaii.\u201d\r\nCommittee assignments for the U.S. House have not yet been announced. Tulsi Gabbard and Mark Takai, who will replace Colleen Hanabusa come January, represent Hawaii. Both are military veterans who have made veterans\u2019 issues legislative priorities.\r\nRead the entire piece at:\u00a0http://www.civilbeat.com/2014/12/schatz-to-serve-on-appropriations-hirono-on-intelligence/.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/civil-beat-senator-hirono-to-serve-on-intelligence-committee"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0147360153496265, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}