• The Hon. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Co-Chair, The Congressional Study Group on Japan (invited)
• Mr. Wil James, President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky
• Mr. Simon Nagata, CEO and President of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
• Moderator: Mr. Ed Luce, Financial Times

President Obama has often highlighted the role that global companies and foreign direct investment play in the United States, particularly in the manufacturing industry. This program will focus on the role of foreign automakers in particular with manufacturing plants here in the United States and the benefits and challenges for both companies and the local communities.

About the Panelists

Mr. Wil James has spent over 20 years at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky and serves as Toyota’s representative on the Board of Affiliates for the National Society of Black Engineers. Mr. Simon Nagata leads Toyota’s North American manufacturing and engineering operations. A graduate of the University of Tokyo, he is the current chairman of the International Committee of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association. Mr. Ed Luce is the Washington Bureau Chief of the Financial Times of London.

This Capitol Hill panel discussion is by invitation only. For more information, please contact Ms. Sabine Schleidt, Director of International Programs, at 202-222-0972.

By invitation only.

Issues

• Thursday, May 23, 2013
• Thursday, May 9, 2013
• Friday, April 26, 2013
• Friday, April 12, 2013

A graduate of Emory University, Andy first came to us as an intern two years ago, after a two year Fulbright stint in Austria. He officially came on board as a full time employee last May and has continued to be an invaluable member of our team. His quality of character, work ethic, and professionalism are exceptional and together we look forward to expanding our programs and initiatives. Congratulations, Andy!”

“Abenomics and Japan’s Entry into TPP: An Historic Opportunity”

• Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Co-Chair, The Congressional Study Group on Japan
• Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Member, CSGJ
• Wendy Cutler, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan, Korea and APEC
• James Fatheree, President, US-Japan Business Council (USJBC)
• Charles Lake, Chairman, USJBC; Chairman, Aflac Japan
• Mark Norbom, Vice Chairman, USJBC; President & CEO, GE Japan
• His Excellency Kenichiro Sasae, Ambassador of Japan
• Minister Takeo Mori, Embassy of Japan
• Gordon Flake, President, Mansfield Foundation (Moderator)

This program was held in partnership with the U.S.-Japan Business Council and The Mansfield Foundation. For more information, please contact Sabine Schleidt, Director of International Programs, at 202-222-0972 or SSchleidt@usafmc.org.

U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY RAY LAHOOOD RECEIVES 43RD DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD IN U.S. HOUSE CHAMBER

The U. S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC) recognized LaHood for his lifetime of public service.

WASHINGTON, D.C. May 15—The U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress presented U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood with the organization’s 2013 “Distinguished Service Award.” The award is presented each year to a former Member of Congress who has demonstrated a record of outstanding public service, and a dedication to improving the lives of every American.

Today, on the floor of the House of Representatives, LaHood received the award from FMC president, Connie Morella (R-MD), who presented a report to Congress as part of the non-profit organization’s annual meeting. (Past Distinguished Service Award recipients include: Gabby Giffords, John Warner, Bob Dole, George Mitchell, Albert Gore, Jr., Lindy Boggs, and Bill Richardson, among others.)

“We are honored to present this very prestigious award to Secretary LaHood. He served the citizens of Illinois’s 18^th Congressional District from 1995 to 2009 with great passion and dedication, and I’m proud to call him a colleague and friend,” Morella said.

“Many people don’t know that Secretary LaHood started his career as a teacher, and credits teaching his students about the Constitution for inspiring him to enter politics. During his service in Congress, he accomplished so much, even spearheading the efforts to preserve the legacy of Abraham Lincoln through a bicentennial birthday celebration, and establishing a Presidential Library.”

After leaving Congress, he was named Transportation Secretary by President Obama on December 19, 2008. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on January 21, 2009.

“This award means so much to our organization because it showcases our Former Members who have dedicated their lives to public service once they leave office. We hope that the American public will take notice of that, and understand that while bipartisanship is not the norm anymore, we still strive to return to an era of cooperation and dialog,” she added.

Morella has been a champion of FMC’s educational outreach programs which include visits by Former Members to college campuses in the U.S. and abroad, democracy building efforts in emerging democracies, election monitoring, international Congressional Study Groups, and many other pro-bono projects. All FMC members donate their time, and the organization receives no public funding from Congress.

Peter Weichlein, CEO of FMC said: “Secretary LaHood exemplifies the dedication to public service that our Association seeks to highlight and use as inspiration. We are thrilled to be able to recognize his public service and how his entire professional life has been dedicated to making his community and our nation better.”

About FMC: The mission of FMC is to promote public service and strengthen democracy via domestic and international programs. FMC seeks to improve the public’s understanding of the role of Congress as a unique institution, as well as the crucial importance of representative democracy as a system of government.  Former Members of Congress participate in many diverse pro bono projects such as election monitoring abroad, outreach to high school and university students, and programs with current Members of Congress. For more information on FMC, or to get involved, visit: www.usafmc.org.

04/11/2013

BATON ROUGE – The annual LSU John Breaux Symposium heads to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 15, for a daylong discussion among former members of Congress and congressional scholars on ways to make Congress work again.

This year’s symposium, sponsored by the Manship School’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs, is co-sponsored by the United States Association of Former Members of Congress and George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management. The symposium will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the City View Room of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

Former Louisiana U.S. Sen. John Breaux, from Louisiana, will moderate the symposium’s opening session, a discussion of practical ways for Congress to work more cooperatively. That session will include former Senate Majority Leaders Trent Lott, R-Miss., and Tom Daschle, D-S.D., former Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., former Rep. Mark Kennedy, R-Minn., former Rep. Mickey Edwards, R-Okla. and Rep. Norman Dicks, D-Wash.

“Most agree that Congress is broken and many members have either forgotten or never learned how to transcend party labels and ideology to get things done,” said Robert Mann, director of the Reilly Center. “The purpose of this symposium is to discuss and agree upon a series of practical steps that members, new and old, could take to break through the partisan gridlock.”

“Former members of Congress have a unique ability to share their perspectives on what works in Congress, and what doesn’t, without fear of political consequences,” Breaux said. “These former leaders will provide valuable ideas about what today’s Congress needs to do in order to be more effective.”

“We are thrilled to participate in this important and timely discussion,” said Peter M. Weichlein, CEO of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress. “Our membership includes about 600 former senators and representatives from both parties, many of whom are skilled practitioners when it comes to reaching across the aisle to get things done. We understand the challenges that come with the job and we hope that our contribution can be of value not just to the symposium, but also to current members in this Congress and the next.”

“Congress’ founding principle is to make democracy work for all Americans, but in an increasingly polarized environment this has become more difficult than ever,” said Kennedy, who currently serves as the director of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University. “This symposium will help lawmakers develop tools to move beyond partisan agitation to action on issues that affect the left, right, and center.”

One outcome of the symposium will be the publishing of a book by LSU Press in the fall of 2014, which will be presented to each member of the new 114^th Congress in January 2015.

In addition to the former Congresional members, the scholars participating will be:

• Susan Herbst, president of the University of Connecticut and author of “Rude Democracy: Civility and Incivility in American Politics.”
• Ross Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University who has served on the staffs of former Sens. Walter F. Mondale, Birch Bayh and Frank Church and as a senior adviser to Sen. Patrick J. Leahy and former Sen. Chuck Hagel. He is author of several books about Congress including “Friend and Foe in the U.S. Senate.”
• Brian Fife, a public policy professor at Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne and author of “Reforming the Electoral Process in America: Toward More Democracy in the 21st Century.”
• Frances E. Lee, professor of American politics at the University of Maryland and author of “Beyond Ideology: Politics, Principles and Partisanship in the U.S. Senate.”
  

“From the former members of Congress, we envision very practical ideas for how members of both parties can get along and work together on bipartisan solutions,” Mann said. “And, from the scholars, very specific proposals on systemic or institutional reforms to make Congress work more efficiently and harmoniously.”

The annual Breaux Symposium was established in 2000 as a core program of the Manship School’s Reilly Center. Its goal is to explore areas where little or no research has been conducted and/or to approach ideas from a fresh perspective – in other words, to turn issues on their head. Underpinning the Manship School’s focus on the study of media and politics, the Breaux Symposium’s central question is: How well is the public being informed, and what must be done to increase citizen awareness and constructive debate?

The inaugural symposium featured journalists Marvin Kalb, Walter Isaacson and David Broder discussing the role of the press at the turn of the century. In the past decade symposia topics have included new models for news, the role of advocacy groups in bypassing traditional media to reach voters, redefining public opinion polling in an age of segmented marketing and personalized communication, and the impact of propaganda on American democracy.

For more information about the symposium, contact Tara Brown in the LSU Reilly Center at thamme1@lsu.edu or Dava Guerin at the United States Association of Former Members of Congress at 215-262-9020.

Billy  Gomila

LSU Media Relations

225-578-3867

bgomila@lsu.edu

**Bus transportation will be provided between locations on May 15

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

• 6:30-8:00 p.m.  Welcome Reception, Statuary Hall, U.S. Capitol Building

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

• 7:00 – 8:00 a.m. Coffee Reception, The Speaker’s Room (H-122), U.S. Capitol Building

• 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Welcome by Association President, Connie Morella, Chamber of the House of Representatives

• 8:30 – 8:45 a.m. Presentation of the 43nd Distinguished Service Award:  Secretary Ray LaHood, Chamber of the House of Representatives

• 8:45 – 9:30 a.m. Presentation of the 43nd Annual Report to Congress, Chamber of the House of Representatives

• 9:45 a.m. Meet Bus to transport to George Washington University

• 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.** Breaux Symposium at George Washington University:

“Making Congress Work, A Guide for Senators, Representatives and Citizens”
City View Room 7th Floor, George Washington University (1957 E Street, NW)
The goal of the conference is to bring together former Members of Congress, issue experts, and university students to discuss how to make Congress work. There will be an opening panel led by Sen. John Breaux and including former Senate Majority Leaders Trent Lott (R-MS) and Tom Daschle (D-SD), Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), former Member Mickey Edward (R-OK), former Member Mark Kennedy(R-MN) and former Member Norm Dicks (D-WA). The opening panel will be followed by 5 breakout sessions led by a moderator and designed to incorporate the contributions of our membership. The goal of the conference is to put together a publication that can be disseminated to all current Members elected to the next Congress.
** Lunch and Dinner will be provided during the Symposium**

• 6:15 p.m. Meet Bus to transport to the National Archives

• 7:00 p.m. Panel Discussion at National Archives:  “Congress and the White House, Working Together or Not Working at all?”  McGowan Theater, National Archives,  (Please enter through the Special Events entrance at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue)  Moderator: Peter Cook, Bloomberg TV Confirmed panelists: Vic Fazio (D-CA), Steve LaTourette (R-OH), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Larry Pressler (R-SD).

Thursday, May 16, 2013

• 8:00 – 9:30 a.m.  Working breakfast hosted by Fix The Debt for former Members interested in learning more about that organization’s activities. Since this is not an event organized by the Former Members Association, we ask you to RSVP directly to Christine Brennan Brennan@fixthedebt.org.

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU CAN ATTEND ANY OF THE EVENTS; switiw@usafmc.org.  Click here to download the rsvp form for our annual meeting events.

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