Wednesday, April 15, 2020
FMC Welcomes Rep. Larry Bucshon
Indiana Representative becomes Co-Chair of the Congressional Study Group on Japan
(Washington, DC) – FMC, an association of former Members of Congress, is proud to announce that U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon. M.D. (R-Ind.) will serve as the Republican House Co-Chair for the Congressional Study Group on Japan, joining U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.).
“The Congressional Study Group on Japan is one of the most prestigious international legislative exchanges working with Congress today,” said Dr. Bucshon. “Indiana is one of the leaders in Japanese corporate investment in the United States, so I am pleased to join my friend, Congresswoman DeGette, and to follow in the footsteps of my predecessor, Congressman Billy Long. I hope to continue the fine work they have done, in helping our colleagues learn more about the critically important relationship shared between the United States and Japan. Now, more than ever, Congress must better understand America’s relationships with our allies and trading partners across the globe.”
FMC would like to extend its most heartfelt gratitude to departing Co-Chair U.S. Rep. Billy Long (R-MO), who helped continue the vital transpacific outreach of the Study Group.
The Congressional Study Group on Japan was formed in 1993 and involves current Members of Congress from both the House and Senate in an ongoing conversation with Members of the Japanese Diet. For decades, the Study Group has brought bipartisan groups of legislators together to discuss issues ranging from trade policy to global security. It is one of four such legislative exchanges housed at FMC. The other three are focused on Germany, Korea and Europe. Each Study Group has four co-chairs, split on a bipartisan, bicameral basis.
“I’ve traveled to Japan with Dr. Bucshon and seen firsthand his dedication to our transpacific partnership,” said DeGette. “I look forward to having him join our Congressional Study Group as a co-chair. As the world faces this unprecedented health challenge, it’s especially important that we continue to promote cooperation and friendship between our two nations.”
Bucshon joins DeGette in the House, and U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), as Co-Chairs of The Congressional Study Group on Japan. The Study Group also features a bipartisan membership of more than six dozen Members of the U.S. House and Senate.
Bucshon, serving in his fifth term in the House, represents a state full of businesses that invest in trade with Japan, and Japanese businesses who create good, well-paying jobs in the United States. He currently serves on the prestigious House Energy and Commerce Committee.
“The Congressional Study Groups cannot function without a robust, engaged team of Members in the House and Senate,” said Dr. Charles Boustany (R-LA 2005-2017), Vice President of FMC. “I am confident that Congressman Bucshon will join one of our most effective supporters in the House, Congresswoman DeGette, to help engage more of their colleagues, keeping a vital dialogue alive on the Hill and with our allies in Japan. He has been very supportive of our programming in the past, including visiting Japan with the Study Group on two occasions. We look forward to that support helping lead this organization.”
FMC is a non-advocacy, non-partisan organization founded in 1970 and chartered by Congress in 1983. It is a voluntary alliance of former U.S. Senators and Representatives, working to strengthen Congress in the conduct of its Constitutional responsibility through promoting a collaborative approach to policy making; and to deepening the understanding of our democratic system.
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