U.S.-Japan Caucus

U.S.-Japan Caucus
Democratic Co-Chair	Joaquin Castro (TX-20)
Republican Co-Chair	Dave Reichert (WA-8)
Founders	Joaquin Castro (TX-20) Devin Nunes (CA-22)
Founded	January 3, 2014
Legalized	March 24, 2014
Political position	Center
International affiliation	US-Japanese Relations
Colors	Red
Seats in the United States Senate	2 / 100
Seats in the House	62 / 435
Politics of United States Political parties Elections

The U.S.-Japan Caucus is a bipartisan Congressional Member Organization within the United States Congress made up of 64 members of The United States Congress who have pledged to be dedicated to strengthening U.S.-Japanese Relations.^[1]

Mission and Purpose

According to the Caucus's website, its goal is to "...facilitate bilateral collaboration on matters of common interest between our two countries, including trade, foreign direct investment, regional stability, military cooperation, energy, technological development, and the environment. The Caucus collaborates with other entities and stakeholders that share this same objective."^[1]

History

In January 2014, Congressmen Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Devin Nunes (R-CA) began inviting members of Congress from both parties to join a Congressional Member Organization based on the improvement of US-Japanese relations. ^[2]

The formation of the Caucus was officially announced on March 24, 2014, during a live press conference. During the conference, Rep. Castro gave the following statement on behalf of the Caucus:

“I’m thrilled to help establish this bipartisan caucus and further strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and Japan on a range of issues including international economics, national security, and international development. As a Representative of San Antonio, it is especially important to continue to maintain and develop Texas’ strong economic and cultural ties with Japan. Not only is Kumamoto is San Antonio’s sister city, but also Japan is the 4th largest contributor of foreign direct investment in Texas with over 30 business projects in the state. I look forward to working with my Congressional colleagues on both sides of the aisle to facilitate bilateral collaboration on issues of common interest and strategic importance between the two countries.”^[2]

Membership

As of the 115th Congress, the US-Japan Caucus has 64 members.^[3] 62 members are from the house, and 2 are from the Senate. Below the leadership, Caucus members are listed alphabetically.

Current Members

Former Members

• Rep. Brad Ashford (NE-2)- Defeated in the 2016 General Election.
• Rep. Charles Boustany (LA-3)- Gave up his seat to run for the Louisiana Senate in 2016. Was defeated in the general election.
• Rep. Janice Hahn (CA-44)- Retired from Congress to successfully run for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
• Rep. Richard L. Hanna (NY-22)- Defeated in the 2016 General Election.

Political Activity

Since the founding of the Caucus, it and its members have repeatedly voiced their opinions on various issues surrounding Japanese foreign relations, as well as worked to pass legislation that would benefit US-Japanese relations. Below is a list of several examples:

Japanese Comfort Women

On January 12, 2016, the U.S.-Japan Caucus came out in support of a historic agreement between Japan and South Korea surrounding the controversial issue of Japanese Comfort Women. The Caucus released the following statement:

“In reaching this historic agreement, the leaders of Japan and the Republic of Korea have shifted their gazes toward a future built on mutual respect. We are pleased to see two important allies of the United States take such a significant step forward. The resolution of this sensitive issue not only strengthens Japan and the Republic of Korea’s bilateral relationship, it also positions the entire Asia-Pacific region for greater prosperity, peace, and stability. We commend Prime Minister Abe and President Park’s leadership and resolve in addressing this matter. The progress they achieved will surely serve both nations well as they confront any number of serious challenges that may arise in today’s unpredictable world.”^[4]

References