[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 4, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E744]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF IWAO MATSUDA TO THE US-JAPAN 
                      LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MAZIE K. HIRONO

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 4, 2010

  Ms. HIRONO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
contributions of Iwao Matsuda, Co-chairman of the U.S.-Japan 
Legislative Exchange Program (LEP).
  LEP is the longest standing and among the most successful legislative 
exchange programs in the U.S. Congress. This week marks LEP's 22nd year 
and 43rd consecutive session. Mr. Matsuda has played a tremendous role 
in making LEP a rewarding program.
  I have had the privilege of participating in several LEP meetings 
with Mr. Matsuda. He has been a remarkable leader of LEP and 
representative of the people of Japan.
  As a member of the Japan Diet, Mr. Matsuda was troubled by the 
sometimes bitter trade disputes between the United States and Japan and 
wanted to find a way to improve communications and understanding among 
the legislatures of Japan and the United States. In 1988, Mr. Matsuda 
took the far-sighted initiative of contacting friends in the U.S. 
Congress and at the George Washington University to create a program 
that would encourage personal and informal discussions among U.S. and 
Japanese parliamentarians. This was the beginnings of LEP.
  As time passed, Mr. Matsuda sought to expand the U.S.-Japan 
Legislative Exchange Program to include members of the South Korean 
National Assembly and initiated in 2003 the U.S.-Japan-South Korea 
Trilateral Legislative Exchange Program (TLEP), which meets regularly 
with LEP to foster closer ties and understanding among the democratic 
legislatures of the three countries.
  After twenty-plus years of public service, Mr. Matsuda, a true 
visionary of the promotion of democratic ideals, will be retiring, and 
this will be his last LEP session.
  Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much), Mr. Matsuda, for all that you 
have done to strengthen U.S.-Japan-South Korean friendships and expand 
understanding among the free peoples of the Asian-Pacific region and 
the world at large.

                          ____________________