Jay C. Kim 1939–

H former members 1993–2017 H Jay C. Kim 1939– UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE 1993–1999 REPUBLICAN FROM CALIFORNIA war survivor and refugee, Jay C. Kim became the Engineers, a firm that designed highways and water first Korean American elected to Congress. “In a reclamation plants. Primarily procuring government free enterprise system, hard work pays off,” the contracts, JAYKIM Engineers was one of five minority- oftenA outspoken Congressman noted, summing up his owned firms hired to demolish buildings damaged during political philosophy. “I’ve always believed that. If you don’t the 1992 riots in Los Angeles and its suburbs.6 work hard, you’re going to fall behind.”1 After building Kim entered electoral politics to “make government his own engineering business, Kim won a U.S. House run more like a business,” placing first in a nine-candidate seat just two years after his initial entrée into politics. As a race for the Diamond Bar, California, city council in 1990. new Congressman, he voiced skepticism over House Rules One year later, he was elected mayor.7 and practices that solidified power among a small group In 1992 local Republican officials courted Kim to of senior Members. However, Kim’s own difficulties with run for the U.S. House in a newly created congressional campaign finance violations effectively ended his career in district. The new district sat at a crossroads between elected office. Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Orange counties. It Chang Joon Kim was born in Seoul, Korea, on March encompassed most of the city of Ontario, an airport, an 27, 1939.2 His birth name meant “Golden Splendid Law,” industrial base, and several high-income neighborhoods. but he later legally changed his name to Jay.3 Kim’s father The Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, a low-security prison was a restaurant manager before the Korean War, but, as in Chino, and President Richard Nixon’s Presidential Jay Kim recalled, his well-educated family members were Library were also located within its boundaries. marked as enemies by North Korean forces. The family’s With only two years of political experience, Kim faced home was destroyed, and they walked 90 miles to safety. veteran political opponents in the GOP primary : Pomona Kim’s adopted brother was later executed by North Korean assemblyman Charles Bader and lawyer James Lacy. Kim communist officials.4 campaigned on lower taxes and privatizing government Jay Kim graduated from Po Sung High School, Seoul, services. He opposed amnesty for undocumented South Korea, in 1956 before finishing his education in immigrants, but supported abortion rights, arguing the the United States. In 1961, fresh out of one year of service government had no business getting involved in women’s in the South Korean Army, Jay Kim immigrated to the reproductive decisions. Kim won the primary with a United States at the age of 22.5 He married Jung Ok (June) 30-percent plurality—with 889 more votes than his closest in 1962 ; the couple had met in Seoul. He earned a BS in opponent.8 In his conservative district, Kim handily won engineering from the University of Southern California in the general election with 60 percent against Democrat Bob 1967. Two years later, he earned an MS in environmental Baker, an intelligence analyst and Vietnam veteran.9 engineering from the same institution. Kim later earned a Alleged campaign ethics issues surfaced shortly after PhD from Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea, in 1993. Kim took office, ensuring that he would face primary Kim worked in restaurants and grocery stores when challenges throughout his House career. His campaigns, he first arrived in the United States. Later, with a Small including his run for city council, were plagued by Business Administration loan, he founded JAYKIM careless bookkeeping and disclosure irregularities.10 474 H ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICANS IN CONGRESS Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives 42940_09-APA-MP3.indd 474 2/13/2018 12:12:00 PM Jay C. Kim 1939– UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE 1993–1999 REPUBLICAN FROM CALIFORNIA 42940_09-APA-MP3.indd 475 2/13/2018 12:12:02 PM H jay c. kim H Less than a year after his election, the Los Angeles Times being “shocked” to see Members gather in various caucus reported that JAYKIM Engineering had spent $400,000 groups on the House Floor ; a colleague had to tell him on his campaign, which constituted an illegal corporate about party bloc seating tradition in the chamber wherein contribution. Federal officials investigated, and Kim Republicans sat to the left of the House rostrum.18 admitted that he should have paid the company from the With an outsider’s perspective on Congress, Kim campaign coffers to rent office space. Still, no formal legal embraced the role of being among the institution’s loudest or ethics charges were brought against him.11 critics. One of his first speeches highlighted his cynicism Given this rocky start, Kim faced challengers in the over the political process on Capitol Hill. “In the few 1994 Republican primary but captured a 41 percent short months that I have been here I have learned that plurality in the four-person field. In the general election, this beltway is the land of the easy promise,” Kim said. Kim easily won with 62 percent of the vote against “It’s the place where special interests prevail, where truth is Pomona-based urban developer Ed Tessier.12 In the 1996 tempered by political expediency, where honesty and values primary, Yorba Linda-based businessman Bob Kerns take a back seat to business-as-usual politics.”19 had little financing but attacked Kim’s ongoing ethics Kim’s disillusionment solidified during his freshman challenges. Kim won with 58 percent of the vote and, orientation, during which a senior Member steered him in the general election, defeated Democrat Richard L. toward more powerful committee assignments in order Waldron with 59 percent of the vote.13 to draw larger campaign contributions.20 Kim was among Throughout his career, Kim served on the Public several freshmen who sought to abolish select committees, Works and Transportation (later Transportation and launching a salvo against the seniority system which gave Infrastructure) Committee. He sought a seat on this panel long-serving Members greater power. Kim also proposed with the goal of streamlining and trimming government cutting committee sizes and budgets by 25 percent, spending.14 Kim also served on the Small Business claiming that such cost-saving measures would improve Committee in the 103rd Congress (1993–1995). Congress’s reputation. “The war cry is, eliminate gridlock,” As the first Korean American elected to Congress, he observed, starting “by eliminating the overwhelming Kim traveled to South Korea following his election and power of the seniority system.”21 the Korean-American community in southern California One of Kim’s primary legislative interests was helping quickly embraced him as a surrogate representative.15 At private entrepreneurs with government contracts, the same first, Kim didn’t embrace that role. When he arrived in kind of work he did as an engineer.22 One of his earliest Washington, Republicans tried to place him on the Foreign legislative proposals was the Highway Construction Private Affairs Committee—specifically the Asia subcommittee— Investment Act that helped entrepreneurs get contracts to an assignment he initially declined. Kim claimed he did repair and build roadways. “The private sector is always not have a special agenda nor did he wish to be labeled a looking for sound investments. The public sector is always spokesperson on South Korea and for Korean Americans. looking for more projects,” he noted. “This private-public Yet, after his re-election and as part of the new GOP partnership I am proposing beneficially addresses both majority in 1995, he accepted the assignment on the needs. It’s a win-win concept.”23 renamed International Relations Committee. He served Kim also sought federal reimbursement for road on the panel for two terms.16 maintenance to keep up with increased traffic from Mexico Representative Kim had an outsized presence for a after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) freshman lawmaker.17 He amassed one of the House’s took effect in 1994, and to allow repair shops and most conservative records and earned a reputation for vehicle dealerships to access and operate onboard vehicle being outspoken. As a political newcomer, Kim recalled diagnostics under the Clean Air Act. He successfully 476 H ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICANS IN CONGRESS 42940_09-APA-MP3.indd 476 2/13/2018 12:12:02 PM H jay c. kim H funneled aid for several local projects : $151 million for foundered in South Korean waters and was discovered sewer recycling in Orange County, $91 million for road with “armed commandos” aboard.31 Kim offered a improvements and carpool connector lanes on major resolution to condemn North Korean action. “The Clinton highways passing through his district.24 administration American taxpayer-funded aid to North Kim was a vocal opponent of President William J. Korea has grown faster than to any other country in (Bill) Clinton’s health care plan, specifically opposing any Asia,” Kim explained on the House Floor. “Is this what mandated contribution from employers for coverage, a Americans are subsidizing? Commando raids and military centerpiece of the plan. “Employer mandates are nothing attacks on our own troops and our allies?”32 more than a tax on jobs,” he said. “They are nothing more Revelations of further campaign finance violations than a job-killing payroll tax, a tax that American workers dogged Kim during his final term in the House. In 1995 will pay in the form of reduced wages and lost jobs.

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