**Congress of the United States**

**House of Representatives**

**Washington, DC 20515**

**PRESS RELEASE**

For immediate Release Friday, March 16, 2007

Contact: Pepi Nieva (808) 225-1219

**Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono appointed to**

**House Democracy Assistance Commission**

*Commission to aid 12 emerging democracies including Afghanistan and
Indonesia*

WASHINGTON DC-- Hawaii Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono was appointed by
Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the bipartisan House Democracy Assistance
Commission (HDAC), created by Congress to strengthen democratic
institutions by assisting legislatures in emerging democracies
throughout the world.

Hirono is one of two first-time Democratic House members appointed to
the Commission. She joins 10 other Democratic members appointed by
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and nine Republican members selected by Minority
Leader John Boehner.

"Through the sharing of their expertise and knowledge, this
distinguished group of members will assist those countries that are
striving and sacrificing in the name of freedom of democracy," Pelosi
said. "I'm grateful to these members for dedicating their time and
talents to this important commission."

"I am honored to be appointed to this commission. As the representative
from Hawaii with its multicultural, multiethnic community, I'm looking
forward to a two-way dialogue with government representatives of
emerging democracies," Hirono said. "It is a privilege to be able to
contribute to the Commission's goal of supporting the democratic
parliaments of our partner nations in the months ahead."

-more-

*Page 2: Hirono appointed to Democracy Commission*

Central to HDAC's work is providing procedural, technical, and material
assistance to legislatures and their members in developing democracies
around the world, drawing on the experience of the U.S. Congress in
legislative governance. Commission members and their staff work in
Washington and on site in partner countries to build the capacity of
democratic institutions and work with elected officials to strengthen
the building blocks of effective, independent national legislatures,
such as budgetary analysis, legislative research, and oversight of the
executive branch. The Commission is unique in its peer-to-peer,
legislature-to-legislature method of democracy building.

Currently, the House Democracy Assistance Commission is implementing
programs for legislatures in twelve nations: Afghanistan, Colombia, East
Timor, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia,
Mongolia, and Ukraine. Examples of the Commission's work include helping
to set up a national archival library in East Timor, supporting the
establishment of an independent office of fiscal analysis in Kenya, and
assisting the Parliament of Afghanistan with oversight of its budget.

Democratic members are Commission Chair David Price (NC-4)**,** Lois
Capps (CA-23), Rush Holt (NJ-12), Adam Schiff (CA-29), Alyson Schwartz
(PA-13), Don Payne (NJ-10), Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL), Sam Farr (CA-17), John
Salazar (CO-3), and Keith Ellison (MN-5).

Republican members are Commission Vice Chair David Dreier (CA-26)**,**
John Boozman (AR-3), Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1), Joe Wilson (SC-2), Judy
Biggert (IL-13), Jerry Weller (IL-11), Jeff Miller (FL-1), Wayne
Gilchrest (MD-1), and Bill Shuster (PA-9).

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