Guest guest Posted March 12, 2002 Report Share Posted March 12, 2002 http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20020313wo42.htm Chicken issue shows how politicians influence government policymaking Yomiuri Shimbun, 13 March 2002 Gaku Shibata At the Japan-U.S. summit held in Tokyo on Feb. 18, U.S. President George W. Bush, who was pressing the fight against terrorism and calling for Japan's economic rehabilitation, suddenly raised the chicken issue. After lecturing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on importance of the disposal of bad loans, Bush glanced at U.S. Ambassador Howard Baker, who was sitting beside him, and praised him for doing a good job dealing with bilateral trade issues. Bush then expressed hopes that the chicken import issue would be settled soon. Bush's remark apparently was intended to show his consideration toward Baker, a former Republican senator with more political seasoning than the president himself. Bush's reference to the chicken issue at the summit was confusing for the Japanese officials present. Nonetheless, some senior Foreign Ministry officials, who were in the know about the chicken issue, were relieved that they had taken the initiative to start talks with Washington on the issue prior to Bush's Japan visit. The chicken issue concerns Japan's ban on imports of chicken from the United States, after chickens infected with influenza virus were found in Pennsylvania in January. Tokyo had told Washington that the ban would continue until the safety of chickens throughout the United States had been confirmed. Behind Washington's call for an early lifting of the import ban was heavy pressure from Jesse Helms, the veteran Republican senator from North Carolina, who represents U.S. agricultural interests. At a recent hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the 80-year-old senator, known for his ultraconservatism, told Secretary of State Colin Powell that, while Baker was doing a good job, the United States could not overlook Japan's treatment of U.S. chickens and would have to take some sort of action unless Japan changed its stance. Bush could hardly ignore the influential politician's demands. Since his election to the Senate in 1973, Helms has worked his way up the congressional hierarchy with his outspoken remarks and has gained a reputation as a Capitol Hill hawk. While he served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee from 1995 to June 2001, Helms threatened to stop U.S. payments of its U.N. membership fees and stalled the ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. He wielded his strong influence on the domestic and foreign policies of successive U.S. administrations. Helms has something in common with Muneo Suzuki, the Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker whose questionable relationships with the Foreign, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and other ministries and agencies involved in diplomatic and agriculture-fishery affair, as well as his dubious fund-raising activities have dominated headlines in recent weeks. But Helms' influence in Washington is incomparable to Suzuki's in scale. The Foreign Ministry, which was at Suzuki's mercy, was sensitive to Helms' moves. It worked with the farm ministry to hasten the confirmation of the safety of U.S. chicken in an effort to lift the import ban, except on chicken from Pennsylvania, prior to Bush's visit. The lifting of the import ban did not come in time for Bush's arrival in Tokyo, as chickens infected with influenza were found in Maine on Feb. 15. But the ban was lifted Feb. 22--the day Bush returned home from his three-nation Asian trip--after Japan confirmed that the United States was taking satisfactory quarantine measures. While the corrupt relationship among politicians, bureaucrats and businesspeople is once again becoming the target of public criticism, the suspicious relationship between the bankrupt U.S. energy company Enron Corp. and the Bush administration is stealing the show. Bush and former Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay were old acquaintances and Enron and its employees donated about 570,000 dollars to Bush in the 2000 presidential campaign, topping the list of contributions to the Bush camp. Vice President Dick Cheney and other top-ranking Bush administration officials also have close ties with Enron. Enron reportedly has made cash donations to more than two-thirds of the U.S. senators. The sudden collapse of Enron inflicted heavy losses on the company's 20,000 employees, who had put Enron stocks in 401(k)-type pension programs, as well as investors. On the other hand, it transpired that Lay and other Enron executives hid the company's losses and pocketed a total of 1.1 billion dollars by selling their Enron holdings before Enron stock prices plummeted. Americans began to suspect the Bush administration had given Enron favorable treatment in working out its energy policy. The White House, for its part, is struggling to defend its position by taking various measures including reform of the discredited U.S. corporate accounting system. U.S. lawmakers are going all out to evade voter criticism of their behavior. The House of Representatives passed a bill in February to amend federal law on election funds--basically banning soft money for political parties. Under the old law, no upper limit was set on cash contributions to political parties. Lawmakers, mainly Republicans, were initially inclined to shelve the bill, but they found restrictions on political funds inevitable in light of the headline-grabbing Enron scandal. Everywhere in the world, legislators try to make laws with the aim of realizing their policies, while taking the interests of their supporters and constituencies, as well as voters, into consideration. They also try to expand their influence on government policymaking by taking advantage of their right to deliberate on bills and approve personnel nominations. Voters evaluate politicians by making sure: -- Their policies are in the interest of the people. -- They are not promoting the interests of specific groups at the expense of the interests of most voters. -- They are not gaining illegal profits in return for their favors. Six months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the political season is returning to Washington with the midterm congressional elections set for November. Helms has expressed his intention to retire and not run in the next election due to his advanced age. But Helms will not be the last U.S. politician to exert strong influence on a political world where legislative, administrative and business interests are interconnected in a complex Way. There is an endless succession of politicians who are eager to become the next Helms by acquiring political acumen on Capitol Hill. Shibata is a Yomiuri Shimbun correspondent in Washington. Copyright 2002 The Yomiuri Shimbun Try FREE Mail - the world's greatest free email! / Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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