Hawaii's senior Sen. Daniel Inouye is days away from assuming control of one of the nation's most important legislative posts, raising hopes for increased federal spending in the islands.

Inouye is expected to become chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee after the Nov. 18 Democratic caucus in Washington. Inouye first joined the committee that decides on the $1 trillion in federal agency budgets in 1971.

The 84-year-old Hawaii Democrat takes over the Appropriations Committee from Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., who at age 90 has become increasingly frail.

In a statement yesterday, Byrd said he made the decision voluntarily, deciding it's time for new leadership on the committee. “;A new day has dawned in Washington, and that is a good thing. For my part, I believe that it is time for a new day at the top of the Senate Appropriations Committee,”; Byrd said. He said he would remain as chairman of the subcommittee that writes the budget for the Department of Homeland Security.

Inouye is also staying on as chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

Inouye said he was “;humbled”; at the prospect of taking over the panel in January when the new Congress convenes.

“;I hope I am sufficiently prepared to succeed my mentor who has assisted and guided me over the past 30 years,”; Inouye said in a written statement. He flew back to Washington from Hawaii yesterday.

The decision for Byrd to step down came after a monthslong whispering campaign by some of his Senate colleagues and their aides in hopes of easing him out.

Byrd did not make reference to the leadership pressure in his statement, though he had criticized Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., over an account in Politico.com that cited anonymous sources as saying Reid was seeking to ease Byrd out of his chairmanship.

Last week, Inouye told reporters he did not want Byrd to be rushed out, noting that the same thing could happen to him. “;I realize I am next in line. If I am going to head the committee, I hope they will let me do it in the regular form. If this is the way it is going to be done, someday someone may say 'Dan is getting too old,'”; Inouye, 84, said.

Inouye had said he did not expect many committee changes, but speculated that “;Hawaii will look a little bigger on the map.”;

 

  Inouye Appointed Chairman In Congress

 

  Senator Robert Byrd will step down and Senator Dan Inouye will takeover as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee starting January 6th. 

 

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  The Charleston Gazette in West Virginia reported last week that between 1995 and 2006, Byrd was responsible for more than $1 billion in increased federal spending in his small state.

Byrd steered the Federal Bureau of Investigation to put its fingerprint identification center in West Virginia, where it employs 2,500 with another 400 private workers and 600 part-time employees. The Senate's longest-serving member also brought new prison construction and spending to the state, including three new federal prisons.

Gov. Linda Lingle called Inouye's chairmanship “;important for Hawaii.”;

“;I look forward to working with him to maximize federal funds and partnerships for our state,”; Lingle said in a written statement. The Republican governor claimed credit for getting “;more than $30 million this year from the Department of Energy as part of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative.”;

“;We have also secured $175 million over the past four year from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services,”; Lingle said. “;Having Sen. Inouye as the Appropriations chair will enable us to continue to build on this progress.”;

Mayor Mufi Hannemann also saw great potential for Hawaii in Inouye's new assignment as well as the election of Hawaii-born Barack Obama. “;There are now Hawaii ties at both the White House and at the upper echelon of the United States Senate,”; he said in a statement.

“;Sen. Inouye has served us in Hawaii exceptionally well, always ready and able to deliver the federal funding we need. And now the rest of the nation will have the chance to see what a truly great United States senator he is,”; the mayor said.