ASSOCIATED PRESS
House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin conducted a ceremonial swearing-in for U.S. Rep.-elect Colleen Hanabusa, D-Hawaii, right, as her husband, John Souza, center, participated on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 14.
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Freshmen Democratic House members Tuesday unanimously elected U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa of Hawaii as their class representative, a new position that is part of a change in the House Democratic leadership structure.
In the position, Hanabusa will advise House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, who survived a challenged to her party leadership post from Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio. Pelosi subsequently announced several changes in the Democratic Caucus leadership, including adding the freshman representative.
Hanabusa is technically not a freshman representative, having served two terms starting in 2011. In 2014 she unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate. She returned to Congress last month to complete the term of U.S. Rep. Mark Takai, who died of cancer in July. She also won the Nov. 8 election race for her own two-year term, starting in January.
“It is an honor to have been selected by the freshman class to listen, advocate for and represent their interests in the expanded House Leadership team approved by the House Democratic Caucus on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016,” Hanabusa said in a statement. “My special thanks to Leader Pelosi for her vision and support of expanded House Leadership as we collectively focus on the many challenges facing our country.”
Pelosi said in a statement, “The vital efforts of leaders in these positions will be strengthened by the mandate of their colleagues, and I am eager to partner with them to tackle the work before our country and caucus.”
