U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka said yesterday that when he goes back to Washington next week, his top priority will be joining those urging President Bush to set a timetable for troops to withdraw from the war in Iraq.

Akaka, D-Hawai'i, said that after speaking with top Iraqi government officials during a trip to Iraq in June, "I got the message that they wanted to govern themselves."

He said the U.S. should set a deadline to remove military troops by July. Also, Akaka said, the U.S. should press Iraqi officials to do what they can to assist with the exit from the country.

"It's something that needs to be done right away," he said, adding that he hopes a deadline can be finalized by the end of the year.

Akaka's stance runs contrary to the position of Hawai'i senior Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, who said on Wednesday that he remains opposed to setting a firm deadline for U.S. withdrawal.

Describing himself as "spirited and relaxed" after a tough re-election campaign, Akaka also expressed optimism that with Democrats taking the reins of leadership in the Senate, his signature bill, which seeks federal recognition of a Native Hawaiian government entity, will finally get a debate and vote on the Senate floor.

With both houses of Congress now controlled by Democrats, "there is, of course, a better opportunity for the passage of the Akaka bill," he said.

Akaka said he would like a vote as early as February, but noted that those prospects are contingent on Congress pushing through some pressing national legislation, such as about a dozen outstanding appropriations bills.

A new Congress means the Akaka bill will have to be reintroduced.

He said he expects the bill to contain similar, if not the same, language as the one that was before Congress this year. Akaka said that he's not inclined to change language in the bill since the substance of it was put together with input from five different task forces.

The measure this year had strong support among most Hawai'i politicians, including the entire Hawai'i congressional delegation and Republican Gov. Linda Lingle.

But the Bush administration raised concerns about the proposed race-based government, maintaining that it would contradict American ideals of racial equality.

Akaka acknowledged that addressing such concerns may remain a hurdle that the bill must overcome. Assuming the bill passes the House and Senate, he said, "by then I hope the president will consider the bill favorably."

With Democrats taking over the Senate, Akaka is looking forward to accepting a larger leadership role in Washington. He is the ranking member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, where he has spent 16 years, and could be its next chairman.

It is an increasingly significant committee, with veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, he said.

"As chair, I would make every effort to raise the funding for veterans affairs," he said. "It's a cost of war, and we need to give (veterans) the services they need."

He said he also may be in line to head several key subcommittees, including those involving government management, national readiness and national parks.