The U.S. House of Representatives is on leave for constituent work this week, but the U.S. Senate is back in session. The Senate agenda includes legislation that “would ban forms of workplace discrimination against gay and transgendered people.”

Here’s a roundup of recent activity from our reps in D.C.:

• Rep. Colleen Hanabusa joined four of her Democratic colleagues to voice concerns to the U.S. Army Medical Command about plans to downsize the Warrior Transition Battalion at Tripler Army Medical Center, which provides care and services to returning soldiers. 

• Hanabusa and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard are co-sponsors of the USA Freedom Act, which would end the National Security Agency’s bulk phone record collection program and increase transparency of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

• Gabbard joined Secretary of State John Kerry to launch the U.S. Department of State’s Veterans Innovation Partnership. The program “will help build and deploy strategic partnerships between the U.S. government and U.S. private sector to mobilize resources and build networks to promote foreign affairs career opportunities for veterans.”

• Gabbard and Hanabusa split votes on a bipartisan tweak to the Dodd-Frank financial reform law … one that would give banks more flexibility to use complex financial instruments known as swaps to hedge risk.” Hanabusa was one of  70 Democrats and all but three Republicans to support the bill, which passed.

• Sen. Brian Schatz “highlighted the important role after-school programs” play in Hawaii at a meeting with former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Senate Leader Harry Reid. Schatz is a co-sponsor of the After School for America’s Children Act, which aims to extend and improve 21st Century Community Learning Centers. 

• Sen. Mazie Hirono supported Patricia Millett’s nomination to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, which was filibustered by Senate Republicans. Hirono also joined other senators in calling on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder ”to prevent American taxpayers from having to foot the bill as a result of settlement negotiations between the U.S. Department of Justice and JPMorgan Chase over the bank’s mortgage lending practices in the lead up to the financial crisis.”

Photo: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard with Secretary of State John Kerry. (Michael Gross)

—Chad Blair