[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 24, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S1062]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LUGAR:
  S. 377. A bill to establish a United States-Poland parliamentary 
youth exchange program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations.
  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I rise today to offer legislation urging 
the Administration to develop a United States-Poland Parliamentary 
Youth Exchange Program. I am pleased that my colleague from Indiana, 
Congressman Pete Visclosky, has agreed to again introduce this 
important legislation in the House of Representatives. I appreciate his 
strong leadership in our continued joint efforts in this and many other 
areas.
  The purpose of this exchange program is to demonstrate to the youth 
of the United States and Poland the benefits of friendly cooperation 
between the U.S. and Poland based on common political and cultural 
values. I have long been an active supporter of the Congress-Bundestag 
Exchange program and am hopeful that this new endeavor will make 
similarly important lasting contributions to the U.S.-Polish 
relationship.
  As a Rhodes Scholar, I had the opportunity to discover international 
education at Pembroke College--my first trip outside of the United 
States. The parameters of my imagination expanded enormously during 
this time, as I gained a sense of how large the world was, how many 
talented people there were, and how many opportunities one could 
embrace. Student exchange programs do more than benefit individual 
scholars and advance human knowledge. Such programs expand ties between 
nations, improve international commerce, encourage cooperative 
solutions to global problems, prevent war, and give participants a 
chance to develop a sense of global service and responsibility.
  Funding a great foreign exchange program is a sign of both national 
pride and national humility. Implicit in such a program is the view 
that people from other nations view one's country and educational 
system as a beacon of knowledge--as a place where international 
scholars would want to study and live. But it is also an admission that 
a nation does not have all the answers--that our national understanding 
of the world is incomplete. It is an admission that we are just a part 
of a much larger world that has intellectual, scientific, and moral 
wisdom that we need to learn.
  The United States and Poland have enjoyed close bilateral relations 
since the end of the Cold War. Most recently, Poland has been a strong 
supporter of efforts led by the United States to combat global 
terrorism, and has contributed troops to and led coalitions in both 
Afghanistan and Iraq. Poland also cooperates closely with the United 
States on such issues as democratization, human rights, regional 
cooperation in Eastern Europe, and reform of the United Nations. As a 
member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the 
European Union (EU), Poland has demonstrated its commitment to 
democratic values and is a role model in its region.
  I believe that it is important to invest in the youth of the United 
States and Poland in order to strengthen long-lasting ties between both 
societies. After receiving for many years international and U.S. 
financial assistance, Poland is now determined to invest its own 
resources toward funding a U.S.-Poland exchange program. To this end 
the Polish Foreign Minister unambiguously stated that Poland welcomed 
the opportunity to be an equal partner in funding important efforts.
  Last year the Senate approved a similar version of this legislation 
by unanimous consent. I ask my colleagues to again support this 
resolution.
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