[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 88 (Thursday, May 25, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H5606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                          AGENTS OF INFLUENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Burton 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.


                          ____________________