WASHINGTON D.C. –
U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) was formally selected today to lead the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs as Chairman in the 112th Congress. He was elected, unanimously, by members of the committee at its organizational meeting. He is the first Native Hawaiian to chair the committee.
Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) was elected, also unanimously, to serve as Vice-Chairman.
Both Akaka and Barrasso pledged to continue the committee’s tradition of bipartisanship in addressing issues important to American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians.
At the meeting, the committee also adopted its rules for the new Congress and its funding resolution for committee operations. The committee’s rules are essentially the same as in the 111th Congress, with some technical and clarifying changes made. The one exception extends the previous two-day requirement to a three-day requirement for notice and items on the agenda prior to any business meetings of the committee.