H 5606 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 25, 1995

Admittedly, it is going to take us 7

years, but we are doing it, and I am

proud to be part of that effort.

I will just conclude by saying ultimately what we do is going to have to

be worked out with the President of

the United States. He has to sign this

legislation. I am hopeful he will finally

weigh in on trying to find ways to save

Medicare. I do not mean that sarcastically. I just mean it as openly as I can,

because right now there is no plan

coming out of the administration. But

ultimately we need to pass a budget

that gets us balanced in the next 7

years. We need to do it for the people

who are in this country today, and we

need to do it for our children and for

our children’s children, and for our

children’s children’s children.

We have simply got to wake up and

do it, and in the process of our plan, we

are going to spend more on health care

for the elderly, more on health care for

the poor. We are going to spend more

on some of our entitlement programs,

But we are going to reduce spending in

a whole host of areas.

Farmers are going to feel the reductions. People in urban areas are going

to feel the reductions. People in rural

areas are going to feel the reductions.

We are all going to be part of this effort. We are going to save this country.

We are going to save this country so it

can be the great Nation it has been for

so long.

And, Mr. Speaker, I really thank

your kindness in staying. I know you

needed to go. I appreciate the time you

have afforded me.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr.

AGENTS OF INFLUENCE

fBURTON of Indiana). Under a previous

order of the House, the gentlewoman

from Ohio [Ms. KAPTUR] is recognized

for 5 minutes.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, Japanese

auto companies enjoy a 25-percent

share of our American automotive

market. By contrast, our auto firms

have only a 1.5-percent share of Japan’s

market. In fact, all foreign automotive

companies, including the European, the

Asian, only have a 4-percent, 4-percent

share of Japan’s market.

This is because of the insurmountable, unfair trade barriers Japan erects

to protect its home market from any

kind of foreign import that would really give competition to Japan’s home

market suppliers.

What does that mean to our country?

It means that last year we, again, for

the 10th time in this past decade had a

$66 billion trade deficit with Japan, and

over half of it in the automotive arena.

For each billion dollars of deficit, that

translates into 20,000 more jobs we

could have right here at home.

In fact, when you think about it, if

we could have auto trade equity with

Japan, we could build 100 more companies in this country each employing

5,000 people in an industry that pays its

people a living wage.

America also fails to stand tall in the

ongoing United States-Japan trade

standoff because of the influence exercised by lobbyists here in this city by

Japanese industry throughout the corridors of power. What do I mean? This

past week, the Washington Post revealed that one of our most prominent

and influential political writers and

columnists and broadcasters, George

Will, that we have all seen on television, in the newspapers is married to

a lobbyist for foreign interests who

earns almost $200,000 a year working

for, are you ready for this, Japan’s

automobile manufacturers’ association, the chief lobbying group for Japan’s interest in this country and

around the world.

Mr. Will has been writing columns

and has been on television fulminating

against the Clinton administration’s

actions against Japan’s automakers,

but he fails to mention that his wife’s

lucrative affiliation with these companies is providing very adequate income

for his family. Astoundingly, when this

connection was revealed, his response

to this conflict of interest is, ‘‘Well,

it’s just too silly.’’ That is what he is

quoted in this article as saying.

The article says his wife’s firm is

paid $200 an hour to deal with reporters, to follow legislation, to place advertising, issue press releases and draft

articles for newspapers with such titles

as ‘‘Selling Cars this Japan: It Isn’t

About Access’’ or ‘‘Fixing the Outcome

of Trade with Japan is a Dangerous

Way to do Business,’’ castigating the

approach that the Government of the

United States is taking on behalf of the

people of the United States.

The article says her firm also sought

to arrange for the industries, Japan’s

industries’ top Washington lobbyists to

meet, guess who, the Chicago Tribune

editorial board, she tried to place an

opinion piece in the Washington Times,

and drafted letters to the New York

Times and Detroit Free Press.

What does Mr. Will say about all

this? He says, ‘‘Well, to me, it is beyond boring. I don’t understand the

whole mentality.’’

Well, as one Member of Congress, I do

not think it is silly. I do not think it is

boring. I understand what influencing

opinion is all about. I think it is a

question of agents of influence who operate in ways that influence our press,

press who are supposed to be objective

and factual, and as one professor says

in this article who is an associate dean

of Columbia University’s Journalism

School, he says, the same kind of conflict questions that apply here also

apply to extended families. The fact

Mr. Will does not see a problem shows

he just does not get it.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Clinton administration to hang tough for America and the American people.

By unanimous consent, leave of abLEAVE OF ABSENCE

fsence was granted to:

Mrs. MEYERS of Kansas (at the request of Mr. ARMEY) for May 23, 24, and

25, on account of illness.

By unanimous consent, permission to

SPECIAL ORDERS GRANTED

faddress the House, following the legislative program and any special orders

heretofore entered, was granted to:

(The following Member (at the request of Mr. DORNAN) to revise and extend his remarks and include extraneous material:)

Mr. HOKE, for 5 minutes, today.

(The following Members (at the request of Mr. MCNULTY) to revise and

extend their remarks and include extraneous material:)

Ms. KAPTUR, for 5 minutes, today.

Mr. OWENS, for 5 minutes, today.

Mr. MARTINEZ, for 5 minutes, today.

Mr. LAFALCE, for 5 minutes, today.

(The following Member (at his own

request) to revise and extend his remarks and include extraneous material:)

Mr. RAMSTAD, for 5 minutes, today.

(The following Member (at the request of Mr. SKAGGS) to revise and extend his remarks and include extraneous material:)

Mr. FATTAH, for 5 minutes, today.

Ms. KAPTUR, for 5 minutes, today, at

her own request.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I move

ADJOURNMENT

fthat the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr.

SHAYS). Pursuant to the provisions of

House Concurrent Resolution 72, 104th

Congress, the House stands adjourned

until noon on Tuesday, June 6, 1995.

Thereupon, at 2 o’clock and 22 minutes p.m., pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 72, the House adjourned until Tuesday, June 6, 1995, at

12 noon.

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS,

fETC.

Under clause 2 of rule XXIV, executive communications were taken from

the Speaker’s table and referred as follows:

911. A letter from the General Counsel, Department of Defense, transmitting a draft of

proposed legislation to repeal various reporting requirements of the Department of Defense, and for other purposes; to the Committee on National Security.

912. A letter from the General Counsel, Department of Defense, transmitting a draft of

proposed legislation to amend chapter 47 and

49 of title 10, United States Code, and chapter 15 of title 37, United States Code, to improve the quality and efficiency of the military justice system; to the Committee on

National Security.

913. A letter from the Secretary, Department of the Treasury, transmitting the annual report on the operations of the Exchange Stabilization Fund [ESF] for fiscal

year 1994, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 5302(c)(2); to

the Committee on Banking and Financial

Services.