[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 23, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H7716-H7717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HOUSTON NEEDS NONSTOP SERVICE TO TOKYO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Whitfield). Under a previous order of 
the House, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Green] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, the United States is currently negotiating a 
new bilateral aviation agreement with Japan. It is vitally important 
that the United States press for the broadest possible agreement that 
would open up nonstop service to Tokyo from Houston, TX. Priority must 
be given first to providing service to those major U.S. cities, 
including Houston, that have no nonstop service to Tokyo at all 
currently.
  There is ample traffic to support daily nonstop service between 
Houston and Tokyo. In addition, more competition is needed between new 
United States gateways and Japan rather than additional increased 
service from existing United States -Japan service points.
  Why does Houston deserve nonstop service? Houston is the fourth 
largest city in the Nation and is a huge market which is currently 
unserved by nonstop service to Japan. The addition of nonstop air 
service will result in substantial economic benefit to Houston as it 
would increase annual output by over $800 million, provide over 5,600 
new jobs, and increase incomes in Houston by $170 million.
  Here are more facts to back up this argument. Houston is the largest 
city in the United States without nonstop service to Tokyo. Houston is 
also the second largest United States metropolitan area in terms of 
Asian population that does not have single plane service to Asia. 
Houston is the second largest international traffic gateway without 
single plane service to Asia.
  Two hundred seventy-three Houston firms currently trade goods and 
services with Japan. Nearly 540 other Houston companies do business 
with East Asia as a whole, including Japan. Japanese companies have 
almost 90 subsidiaries in Houston as well as the largest concentration 
of Japanese specialty chemical companies outside of Japan. That is also 
in Houston. Houston is the Nation's second leading city for 
international business.
  I am proud to have joined the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Archer], the 
chairman, and my other Houston colleagues in a letter to the President 
earlier this year on this issue. As negotiations continue with Japan, 
consideration should be given to the fact that new service between 
unserved United

[[Page H7717]]

States cities and Japan is more competitive and more preferable than 
additional service from cities that already have service to Japan.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. GREEN. I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank the gentleman from Texas, 
particularly for his effort. I simply want to join in his remarks and 
acknowledge as a representative for the downtown business community one 
of the strains on expanding business and expanding trade is a lack of a 
direct route from Houston to Tokyo. I would encourage the negotiators 
to seriously look at the importance of the fourth largest city in the 
Nation having a direct route from Houston to Tokyo, and particularly 
with respect to Continental Airlines and other airlines that are 
looking at that issue.
  Mr. GREEN. In reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, and I know it is a 
bipartisan effort by both Republicans and Democrats, because I am 
honored to represent the Intercontinental Airport now that the Federal 
court saw fit last year to give it to me from district 18, having lived 
there for many years. It is important to the whole business community 
and all of Houston because of the port and the trade we already do with 
Japan to have that nonstop service. I hope those negotiators understand 
that.

                          ____________________