stitutes the term “representative of a foreign interest” for “foreignrnagent,” thus broadening the definition and closing a loophole.rnFARA also provides certain exemptions to registration includingrncommercial activities. Foreign agents, for example, arernnot required to notify the Justice Department’s RegistrationrnUnit to claim an exemption, making it difficult for the JusticernDepartment to determine who should be registered.rnAll such exemptions need to be terminated. My bill alsorncracks down on those foreign agents who fail to register with thernJustice Department in a timely fashion, which is a serious problemrntoday. Of the 28 registration statements reviewed in thernGAO report, a whopping 68 percent had not registered onrntime. My bill would subject any person who has failed to file,rnomitted information, or lied about the facts of his foreign lobbyingrnto a minimum fine of $2,000 and a maximum fine of onernmillion dollars.rnBuy AmericanrnIn June 1995, the House approved my Buy Americanrnamendment to legislation authorizing funds for the Pentagon.rnMy amendment was designed to end preferential treatment inrnPentagon procurements for products made in countries thatrndiscriminate against American firms. The thrust of myrnamendment is very simple: countries that keep their governmentrncontracts off-limits to American firms will get the samerntreatment from Uncle Sam.rnThe United States has entered into a number of bilateral andrnmultilateral trade agreements, such as the General Agreementrnon Tariffs and Trade and the North American Free Trade Agreement.rnCompanies from countries that have signed these agreementsrncan get preferential treatment when bidding on Americanrngovernment contracts. Under my amendment, if a countryrndiscriminates against American firms, the Pentagon terminatesrnthe preferential treatment in procurement for products madernin that country.rnFair TradernI am the ranking Democrat on the Coast Guard and MaritimernTransportation Subcommittee, and last summer the House approvedrnmy provisions to the “Ocean Shipping Reform Act ofrn1995.” The bill deregulates the ocean shipping industry andrnwould eliminate the Federal Maritime Commission, the independentrnfederal agency that currently regulates ocean shipping,rnby the end of fiscal year 1997. The FMC’s remaining functionsrnwould be transferred to the United States Department ofrnTransportation.rnMy provision strengthens federal laws governing unfair tradernpractices of foreign carriers and governments. It targets foreignrncarriers that are financially or organizationally affiliated withrnlarge, diversified, but vertically integrated interests. Carriersrnowned and operated in this fashion are like government-ownedrncarriers, in that they may not have a pure profit motive—^givingrnthem an unfair competitive advantage. Current law does notrnallow our government to take action against these types of foreignrncarriers if they engage in unfair pricing practices that harmrnAmerican shippers. It also gives the DOT the authority to takernaction against these carriers.rnSome foreign shippers and at least one American newspaperrnhave raised concerns about my provision. They have the mistakenrnimpression that my provision allows the United Statesrngovernment to regulate the rates of foreign ship lines suspectedrnof unfair pricing. This is not the case. My provision allows thernU.S. Secretary of Transportation—after an investigation andrnpublic hearing—to seek remedies if the secretary finds that anrnocean carrier is or has been financially affiliated with nontransportationrnentities—government or private—in such a way thatrndisadvantages American carriers. The remedies authorized underrnmy provision are the same as currently exist for government-rncontrolled carriers that are engaging in unfair practices.rnWhy should unfair or anticompetitive marketplace behavior byrnone class of carriers be treated any differently from that of another?rnSome have also suggested that my provision was promptedrnby pressure from the American shipping lobby. Such accusationsrnare insulting, to say the least. Anyone who has followedrnmy career knows that I have been an outspoken and active voicernfor strong government action to combat illegal and damagingrnforeign trade practices. In working with my Republican colleaguesrnon this legislation, one of my main interests was ensuringrnthat deregulation of the ocean shipping industry and thernelimination of the FMC did not result in a diminished effort byrnthe United States to fight foreign carriers that engaged in unfairrnand predatory trade practices. That was the only driving forcernbehind my amendment. American carriers and shippersrnlearned of my provision only after a draft of the bill was suppliedrnto their representatives, and to every other ocean shipping interest.rnI am pleased, however, that they support my provision.rnAs far as the protests of foreign shipping line executives arernconcerned, I have this message: play fair and you’ll have nothingrnto worry about. <0rnLIBERAL ARTSrnTHE FRUITS OFrnIMMIGRATIONrnIllegal aliens from Mexico are turning up in large numbers inrnnorthwestern Arkansas, reported Border Watch last January.rnAlong with the influx has come an increase in the number ofrnrapes, murders, and thefts in the area, which is causing problemsrnfor Arkansas courts. It seems few of the aliens speak Englishrnor even know the time or place of their birth. Accordingrnto municipal judge Douglas Schrantz, many of them, whenrnasked when they were born, simply respond, “‘I was born whenrnthe avocados came in,’ or something like that.”rnMAY 1996/21rnrnrn