[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 27 (Thursday, February 13, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E256-E257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO THE AUSTRALIAN EXCHANGE WASHINGTON INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 13, 2003

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to 
celebrate a unique international exchange that continues to enrich this 
institution and The Other Body annually.
  Australia is half a world away from this chamber and my constituents 
in the Sixth Congressional District of South Carolina. Yet Australians 
and Americans are close international allies and, in many ways, 
exceptionally close cousins in our democratic institutions, in our 
multiculturalism, and in the value we place on friendship.
  Since 2000, a select handful of Australian university students have 
made the journey, at great personal expense, from Adelaide in South 
Australia to spend six-weeks full-time in very welcoming congressional 
offices. This year was my first such opportunity to host such an 
entrepreneurial student in Alison Cupper, who is originally from the 
neighboring Australian state of Victoria.
  Alison has been a tireless assistant since the moment she arrived. 
She is here to study, which she has done daily in her enthusiasm to

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learn all she can about the American system of government and in how 
even a brief visitor from overseas can help serve the people of South 
Carolina.
  Alison is by no means alone in this adventure. Whether it has been 
Grant Harvey-Mutton in the office of Senator Chuck Hagel, or Briony 
Whitehouse in the office of Sen. Christopher Dodd, or Tamara Gale with 
our colleague Alcee Hastings, or Joshua Bolton in the office of Jerry 
Nadler--each of the students has brightened our days with their 
curiosity, humanity, and the demeanor of the best tradition of polished 
diplomats.
  Both the U.S. and Australian governments have been strong supporters 
of this exchange, and rightly so. It is an effort I hope continues on a 
small staple of US-Australian relations.
  Late last month, Mr. Speaker, the Roll Call newspaper offered a small 
portrait of the program and its participants. I offer that text here to 
you and our colleagues so that we may all celebrate the value of this 
exchange, which is so delightfully focused on the students, and from 
which we can reinforce the values we hold dear about ourselves and 
about the world in which we live. Mr. Speaker, please join me and my 
colleagues in thanking everyone involved in creating and shepherding 
this internship program from its initial concept to the thriving 
institution it has become. They have done this nation and the 
Australian people numerous proud acts of public service, which I hope 
will continue for many years to come.

                    [From Roll Call, Jan. 27, 2003]

  Far From Home; Australians Brave Snow, Strong Dollar for Internships

                         (By Raya D. Widenoja)

       Coming to Washington is always an adventure, but just 
     imagine coming from the other side of the world. Five 
     students from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, 
     have, braving the elements for a back-stage look at American 
     politics.
       ``It's just so bloody cold,'' commented Grant Harvey-
     Mutton, who recently left high summer in Adelaide to intern 
     in Sen. Chuck Hagel's (R-Neb.) office on the 4-year-old 
     program arranged by former Democratic Hill aide Eric 
     Federing.
       Federing, who is now the director of business public policy 
     and government affairs for KPMG, was motivated to start the 
     program after traveling and lecturing in Australia. He runs 
     the program on a pro bono basis with professor Don DeBats of 
     Flinders' American studies department. ``The idea is to put 
     good people in good places with good people,'' Federing says 
     of his organizational philosophy. ``[The students] learn 
     stuff by being here that they couldn't possibly know 
     otherwise . . . and some have parlayed this experience into 
     good jobs in the Australian government.''
       Accompanying Harvey-Mutton are Joshua Balfour of Adelaide 
     in Rep. Jerrold Nadler's (D-N.Y.) office; Alison Cupper of 
     Mildura in Rep. James Clyburn's (D-S.C.) office; Tamera Gale 
     of Yacka in Rep. Alcee Hastings' (D-Fla.) office; and Briony 
     Whitehouse of Adelaide in Sen. Chris Dodd's (D-Conn.) office. 
     Their internships will last until Feb. 14, with a reception 
     in their honor at the Australian Embassy on Feb. 5.
       The program is as much about bridging the cultural gap 
     between the United States and Australia as it is about 
     politics, says Federing. Although the countries are very 
     similar in some ways, he says what the Australians call ``the 
     tyranny of distance'' encourages a mutual ignorance.
       The students haven't been here long--arriving on Christmas 
     Day--but they already have interesting tidbits to share about 
     the differences in political culture.
       ``I was surprised at how polite the Members are to each 
     other [in the chamber ],'' said Balfour. Members of 
     parliament in Australia are much more ``irreverent'' when 
     they address one another, Federing explained, and their 
     remarks are generally ``less scripted.''
       Gale said one of the most interesting things she has 
     noticed is the seating arrangement on the House floor. In 
     Australia the two main parties literally ``face off'' in 
     opposing rows, so it was odd for her to see the Members all 
     facing the Speaker.
       Cupper, who studies law as well as international relations, 
     said she was surprised to see how individualism manifests 
     itself in U.S. culture and to observe the comparative 
     weakness of organized labor movements. In Australia, one of 
     the two main parties is called the Labor Party.
       The program has garnered high praise from its start. In 
     March 2000, after the first students left, Rep. Loretta 
     Sanchez (D-Calif.) submitted remarks for the Congressional 
     Record praising the program and her intern, Estee Fiebiger, 
     who, among other things, helped Sanchez's office analyze 
     human rights in Vietnam. Back in Australia, Fiebiger was 
     inspired by her experience to start an internship program of 
     her own in the Labor Party.
       According to Federing, at least twice as many Congressional 
     offices have expressed interest in hosting the interns than 
     are available. He is considering expanding the program, but 
     despite growing interest among Flinders students--in part 
     because even domestic political internships are uncommon in 
     Australia--few students actually qualify so far.
       The students must major either in American studies or 
     political science, but it's the program's cost that really 
     narrows the field. The students' airfare and housing is 
     subsidized, but their out-of-pocket expenses add up to about 
     8,000 Australian dollars, which translates into $4,500 for 
     the six-week program.
       ``Interns would be beating down your door,'' Harvey-Mutton 
     said, ``if it weren't for the cost.''

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