[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 5, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H5944-H5948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATOR PAUL SIMON STUDY ABROAD FOUNDATION ACT OF 2007
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1469) to establish the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad
Foundation under the authorities of the Mutual Educational and Cultural
Exchange Act of 1961, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1469
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Senator Paul Simon Study
Abroad Foundation Act of 2007''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) According to President George W. Bush, ``America's
leadership and national security rest on our commitment to
educate and prepare our youth for active engagement in the
international community.''.
(2) According to former President William J. Clinton,
``Today, the defense of United States interests, the
effective management of global issues, and even an
understanding of our Nation's diversity require ever-greater
contact with, and understanding of, people and cultures
beyond our borders.''.
(3) Congress authorized the establishment of the Commission
on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program
pursuant to section 104 of the Miscellaneous Appropriations
and Offsets Act, 2004 (division H of Public Law 108-199).
Pursuant to its mandate, the Lincoln Commission has submitted
to Congress and the President a report of its recommendations
for greatly expanding the opportunity for students at
institutions of higher education in the United States to
study abroad, with special emphasis on studying in developing
nations.
(4) According to the Lincoln Commission, ``[s]tudy abroad
is one of the major means of producing foreign language
speakers and enhancing foreign language learning'' and, for
that reason, ``is simply essential to the [N]ation's
security''.
(5) Studies consistently show that United States students
score below their counterparts in other advanced countries on
indicators of international knowledge. This lack of global
literacy is a national liability in an age of global trade
and business, global interdependence, and global terror.
(6) Americans believe that it is important for their
children to learn other languages, study abroad, attend a
college where they can interact with international students,
learn about other countries and cultures, and generally be
prepared for the global age.
(7) In today's world, it is more important than ever for
the United States to be a responsible, constructive leader
that other countries are willing to follow. Such leadership
cannot be sustained without an informed citizenry with
significant knowledge and awareness of the world.
(8) Study abroad has proven to be a very effective means of
imparting international and foreign-language competency to
students.
(9) In any given year, only approximately one percent of
all students enrolled in United States institutions of higher
education study abroad.
(10) Less than 10 percent of the students who graduate from
United States institutions of higher education with bachelors
degrees have studied abroad.
(11) Far more study abroad must take place in developing
countries. Ninety-five percent of the world's population
growth over the next 50 years will occur outside of Europe.
Yet in the academic year 2004-2005, 60 percent of United
States students studying abroad studied in Europe, and 45
percent studied in four countries--the United Kingdom, Italy,
Spain, and France--according to the Institute of
International Education.
(12) The Final Report of the National Commission on
Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (The 9/11 Commission
Report) recommended that the United States increase support
for ``scholarship, exchange, and library programs''. The 9/11
Public Discourse Project, successor to the 9/11 Commission,
noted in its November 14, 2005, status report that this
recommendation was ``unfulfilled,'' and stated that ``The
U.S. should increase support for scholarship and exchange
programs, our most powerful tool to shape attitudes over the
course of a generation.''. In its December 5, 2005, Final
Report on the 9/11 Commission Recommendations, the 9/11
Public Discourse Project gave the government a grade of ``D''
for its implementation of this recommendation.
(13) Investing in a national study abroad program would
help turn a grade of ``D'' into an ``A'' by equipping United
States students to communicate United States values and way
of life through the unique dialogue that takes place among
citizens from around the world when individuals study abroad.
(14) An enhanced national study abroad program could help
further the goals of other United States Government
initiatives to promote educational, social, and political
reform and the status of women in developing and reforming
societies around the world, such as the Middle East
Partnership Initiative.
(15) To complement such worthwhile Federal programs and
initiatives as the Benjamin A. Gilman International
Scholarship Program, the National Security Education Program,
and the National Security Language Initiative, a broad-based
undergraduate study abroad program is needed that will make
many more study abroad opportunities accessible to all
undergraduate students, regardless of their field of study,
ethnicity, socio-economic status, or gender.
SEC. 3. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to significantly enhance the global competitiveness and
international knowledge base of the United States by ensuring
that more United States students have the opportunity to
acquire foreign language skills and international knowledge
through significantly expanded study abroad;
(2) to enhance the foreign policy capacity of the United
States by significantly expanding and diversifying the talent
pool of individuals with non-traditional foreign language
skills and cultural knowledge in the United States who are
available for recruitment by United States foreign affairs
agencies, legislative branch agencies, and nongovernmental
organizations involved in foreign affairs activities;
(3) to ensure that an increasing portion of study abroad by
United States students will take place in nontraditional
study abroad destinations such as the People's Republic of
China, countries of the Middle East region, and developing
countries; and
(4) to create greater cultural understanding of the United
States by exposing foreign students and their families to
United States students in countries that have not
traditionally hosted large numbers of United States students.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate.
(2) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Board of Directors
of the Foundation established pursuant to section 5(d).
(3) Chief executive officer.--The term ``Chief Executive
Officer'' means the chief executive officer of the Foundation
appointed pursuant to section 5(c).
(4) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the Senator
Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation established by section
5(a).
(5) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(6) Nontraditional study abroad destination.--The term
``nontraditional study abroad destination'' means a location
that is determined by the Foundation to be a less common
destination for United States students who study abroad.
(7) Study abroad.--The term ``study abroad'' means an
educational program of study, work, research, internship, or
combination thereof that is conducted outside the United
States and that carries academic credit toward fulfilling the
participating student's degree requirements.
(8) United states.--The term ``United States'' means any of
the several States, the
[[Page H5945]]
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana
Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and any
other territory or possession of the United States.
(9) United states student.--The term ``United States
student'' means a national of the United States who is
enrolled at an institution of higher education located within
the United States.
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF THE SENATOR PAUL
SIMON STUDY ABROAD FOUNDATION.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--There is established in the executive
branch a corporation to be known as the ``Senator Paul Simon
Study Abroad Foundation'' that shall be responsible for
carrying out this Act under the authorities of the Mutual
Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451
et seq.). The Foundation shall be a government corporation,
as defined in section 103 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Board of directors.--The Foundation shall be governed
by a Board of Directors chaired by the Secretary of State (or
the Secretary's designee) in accordance with subsection (d).
(3) Intent of congress.--It is the intent of Congress in
establishing the structure of the Foundation set forth in
this subsection to create an entity that will administer a
study abroad program that--
(A) serves the long-term foreign policy and national
security needs of the United States; but
(B) operates independently of short-term political and
foreign policy considerations.
(b) Mandate of Foundation.--In administering the program
referred to in subsection (a)(3), the Foundation shall--
(1) promote the objectives and purposes of this Act;
(2) through responsive, flexible grant-making, promote
access to study abroad opportunities by United States
students at diverse institutions of higher education,
including two-year institutions, minority-serving
institutions, and institutions that serve nontraditional
students;
(3) through creative grant-making, promote access to study
abroad opportunities by diverse United States students,
including minority students, students of limited financial
means, and nontraditional students;
(4) raise funds from the private sector to supplement funds
made available under this Act; and
(5) be committed to minimizing administrative costs and to
maximizing the availability of funds for grants under this
Act.
(c) Chief Executive Officer.--
(1) In general.--There shall be in the Foundation a Chief
Executive Officer who shall be responsible for the management
of the Foundation.
(2) Appointment.--The Chief Executive Officer shall be
appointed by the Board and shall be a recognized leader in
higher education, business, or foreign policy, chosen on the
basis of a rigorous search.
(3) Relationship to board.--The Chief Executive Officer
shall report to and be under the direct authority of the
Board.
(4) Compensation and rank.--
(A) In general.--The Chief Executive Officer shall be
compensated at the rate provided for level III of the
Executive Schedule under section 5314 of title 5, United
States Code.
(B) Amendment.--Section 5314 of title 5, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Chief Executive Officer, Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad
Foundation.''.
(5) Authorities and duties.--The Chief Executive Officer
shall be responsible for the management of the Foundation and
shall exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the
Foundation.
(6) Authority to appoint officers.--In consultation and
with approval of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer shall
appoint all officers of the Foundation.
(d) Board of Directors.--
(1) Establishment.--There shall be in the Foundation a
Board of Directors.
(2) Duties.--The Board shall perform the functions
specified to be carried out by the Board in this Act and may
prescribe, amend, and repeal bylaws, rules, regulations, and
procedures governing the manner in which the business of the
Foundation may be conducted and in which the powers granted
to it by law may be exercised.
(3) Membership.--The Board shall consist of--
(A) the Secretary of State (or the Secretary's designee),
the Secretary of Education (or the Secretary's designee), the
Secretary of Defense (or the Secretary's designee), and the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development (or the Administrator's designee); and
(B) five other individuals with relevant experience in
matters relating to study abroad (such as individuals who
represent institutions of higher education, business
organizations, foreign policy organizations, or other
relevant organizations) who shall be appointed by the
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,
of which--
(i) one individual shall be appointed from among a list of
individuals submitted by the majority leader of the House of
Representatives;
(ii) one individual shall be appointed from among a list of
individuals submitted by the minority leader of the House of
Representatives;
(iii) one individual shall be appointed from among a list
of individuals submitted by the majority leader of the
Senate; and
(iv) one individual shall be appointed from among a list of
individuals submitted by the minority leader of the Senate.
(4) Chief executive officer.--The Chief Executive Officer
of the Foundation shall serve as a nonvoting, ex officio
member of the Board.
(5) Terms.--
(A) Officers of the federal government.--Each member of the
Board described in paragraph (3)(A) shall serve for a term
that is concurrent with the term of service of the
individual's position as an officer within the other Federal
department or agency.
(B) Other members.--Each member of the Board described in
paragraph (3)(B) shall be appointed for a term of 3 years and
may be reappointed for a term of an additional 3 years.
(C) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Board shall be filled in
the manner in which the original appointment was made.
(6) Chairperson.--There shall be a Chairperson of the
Board. The Secretary of State (or the Secretary's designee)
shall serve as the Chairperson.
(7) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Board
described in paragraph (3) shall constitute a quorum, which,
except with respect to a meeting of the Board during the 135-
day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this
Act, shall include at least one member of the Board described
in paragraph (3)(B).
(8) Meetings.--The Board shall meet at the call of the
Chairperson.
(9) Compensation.--
(A) Officers of the federal government.--
(i) In general.--A member of the Board described in
paragraph (3)(A) may not receive additional pay, allowances,
or benefits by reason of the member's service on the Board.
(ii) Travel expenses.--Each such member of the Board shall
receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions under
subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
(B) Other members.--
(i) In general.--Except as provided in clause (ii), a
member of the Board described in paragraph (3)(B) while away
from the member's home or regular place of business on
necessary travel in the actual performance of duties as a
member of the Board, shall be paid per diem, travel, and
transportation expenses in the same manner as is provided
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code.
(ii) Limitation.--A member of the Board may not be paid
compensation under clause (i) for more than 90 days in any
calendar year.
SEC. 6. ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment of the Program.--There is hereby
established a program, which shall--
(1) be administered by the Foundation; and
(2) award grants to--
(A) United States students for study abroad;
(B) nongovernmental institutions that provide and promote
study abroad opportunities for United States students, in
consortium with institutions described in subparagraph (C);
and
(C) institutions of higher education, individually or in
consortium,
in order to accomplish the objectives set forth in subsection
(b).
(b) Objectives.--The objectives of the program established
under subsection (a) are that, within 10 years of the date of
the enactment of this Act--
(1) not less than one million undergraduate United States
students will study abroad annually for credit;
(2) the demographics of study-abroad participation will
reflect the demographics of the United States undergraduate
population, including students enrolled in community
colleges, minority-serving institutions, and institutions
serving large numbers of low-income and first-generation
students; and
(3) an increasing portion of study abroad will take place
in nontraditional study abroad destinations, with a
substantial portion of such increases taking place in
developing countries.
(c) Mandate of the Program.--In order to accomplish the
objectives set forth in subsection (b), the Foundation shall,
in administering the program established under subsection
(a), take fully into account the recommendations of the
Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship
Program (established pursuant to section 104 of the
Miscellaneous Appropriations and Offsets Act, 2004 (division
H of Public Law 108-199)).
(d) Structure of Grants.--In accordance with the
recommendations of the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln
Study Abroad Fellowship Program, grants awarded under the
program established under subsection (a) shall be structured
to the maximum extent practicable to promote appropriate
reforms in institutions of higher education in order to
remove barriers to participation by students in study abroad.
(e) Balance of Long-Term and Short-Term Study Abroad
Programs.--In administering the program established under
subsection (a), the Foundation shall seek an appropriate
balance between--
(1) longer-term study abroad programs, which maximize
foreign-language learning and intercultural understanding;
and
[[Page H5946]]
(2) shorter-term study abroad programs, which maximize the
accessibility of study abroad to nontraditional students.
(f) Quality and Safety in Study Abroad.--In administering
the program established under subsection (a), the Foundation
shall require that institutions receiving grants demonstrate
that--
(1) the study abroad programs for which students receive
grant funds are for academic credit; and
(2) the programs have established health and safety
guidelines and procedures.
SEC. 7. ANNUAL REPORT.
(a) Report Required.--Not later than March 31, 2008, and
each March 31 thereafter, the Foundation shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report on the
implementation of this Act during the prior fiscal year.
(b) Contents.--The report required by subsection (a) shall
include--
(1) the total financial resources available to the
Foundation during the year, including appropriated funds, the
value and source of any gifts or donations accepted pursuant
to section 8(a)(6), and any other resources;
(2) a description of the Board's policy priorities for the
year and the bases upon which competitive grant proposals
were solicited and awarded to institutions of higher
education, nongovernmental institutions, and consortiums
pursuant to section 6(a)(2)(B) and 6(a)(2)(C);
(3) a list of grants made to institutions of higher
education, nongovernmental institutions, and consortiums
pursuant to section 6(a)(2)(B) and 6(a)(2)(C) that includes
the identity of the institutional recipient, the dollar
amount, and the estimated number of study abroad
opportunities provided to United States students by each
grant;
(4) a description of the bases upon which the Foundation
made grants directly to United States students pursuant to
section 6(a)(2)(A);
(5) the number and total dollar amount of grants made
directly to United States students by the Foundation pursuant
to section 6(a)(2)(A); and
(6) the total administrative and operating expenses of the
Foundation for the year, as well as specific information on--
(A) the number of Foundation employees and the cost of
compensation for Board members, Foundation employees, and
personal service contractors;
(B) costs associated with securing the use of real property
for carrying out the functions of the Foundation;
(C) total travel expenses incurred by Board members and
Foundation employees in connection with Foundation
activities; and
(D) total representational expenses.
SEC. 8. POWERS OF THE FOUNDATION; RELATED PROVISIONS.
(a) Powers.--The Foundation--
(1) shall have perpetual succession unless dissolved by a
law enacted after the date of the enactment of this Act;
(2) may adopt, alter, and use a seal, which shall be
judicially noticed;
(3) may make and perform such contracts, grants, and other
agreements with any person or government however designated
and wherever situated, as may be necessary for carrying out
the functions of the Foundation;
(4) may determine and prescribe the manner in which its
obligations shall be incurred and its expenses allowed and
paid, including expenses for representation;
(5) may lease, purchase, or otherwise acquire, improve, and
use such real property wherever situated, as may be necessary
for carrying out the functions of the Foundation;
(6) may accept cash gifts or donations of services or of
property (real, personal, or mixed), tangible or intangible,
for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act;
(7) may use the United States mails in the same manner and
on the same conditions as the executive departments;
(8) may contract with individuals for personal services,
who shall not be considered Federal employees for any
provision of law administered by the Office of Personnel
Management;
(9) may hire or obtain passenger motor vehicles; and
(10) shall have such other powers as may be necessary and
incident to carrying out this Act.
(b) Principal Office.--The Foundation shall maintain its
principal office in the metropolitan area of Washington,
District of Columbia.
(c) Applicability of Government Corporation Control Act.--
(1) In general.--The Foundation shall be subject to chapter
91 of subtitle VI of title 31, United States Code, except
that the Foundation shall not be authorized to issue
obligations or offer obligations to the public.
(2) Conforming amendment.--Section 9101(3) of title 31,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(R) the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation.''.
(d) Inspector General.--
(1) In general.--The Inspector General of the Department of
State shall serve as Inspector General of the Foundation,
and, in acting in such capacity, may conduct reviews,
investigations, and inspections of all aspects of the
operations and activities of the Foundation.
(2) Authority of the board.--In carrying out the
responsibilities under this subsection, the Inspector General
shall report to and be under the general supervision of the
Board.
(3) Reimbursement and authorization of services.--
(A) Reimbursement.--The Foundation shall reimburse the
Department of State for all expenses incurred by the
Inspector General in connection with the Inspector General's
responsibilities under this subsection.
(B) Authorization for services.--Of the amount authorized
to be appropriated under section 10(a) for a fiscal year, up
to $2,000,000 is authorized to be made available to the
Inspector General of the Department of State to conduct
reviews, investigations, and inspections of operations and
activities of the Foundation.
SEC. 9. GENERAL PERSONNEL AUTHORITIES.
(a) Detail of Personnel.--Upon request of the Chief
Executive Officer, the head of an agency may detail any
employee of such agency to the Foundation on a reimbursable
basis. Any employee so detailed remains, for the purpose of
preserving such employee's allowances, privileges, rights,
seniority, and other benefits, an employee of the agency from
which detailed.
(b) Reemployment Rights.--
(1) In general.--An employee of an agency who is serving
under a career or career conditional appointment (or the
equivalent), and who, with the consent of the head of such
agency, transfers to the Foundation, is entitled to be
reemployed in such employee's former position or a position
of like seniority, status, and pay in such agency, if such
employee--
(A) is separated from the Foundation for any reason, other
than misconduct, neglect of duty, or malfeasance; and
(B) applies for reemployment not later than 90 days after
the date of separation from the Foundation.
(2) Specific rights.--An employee who satisfies paragraph
(1) is entitled to be reemployed (in accordance with such
paragraph) within 30 days after applying for reemployment
and, on reemployment, is entitled to at least the rate of
basic pay to which such employee would have been entitled had
such employee never transferred.
(c) Hiring Authority.--Of persons employed by the
Foundation, not to exceed 30 persons may be appointed,
compensated, or removed without regard to the civil service
laws and regulations.
(d) Basic Pay.--The Chief Executive Officer may fix the
rate of basic pay of employees of the Foundation without
regard to the provisions of chapter 51 of title 5, United
States Code (relating to the classification of positions),
subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title (relating to
General Schedule pay rates), except that no employee of the
Foundation may receive a rate of basic pay that exceeds the
rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section
5315 of such title.
(e) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) the term ``agency'' means an executive agency, as
defined by section 105 of title 5, United States Code; and
(2) the term ``detail'' means the assignment or loan of an
employee, without a change of position, from the agency by
which such employee is employed to the Foundation.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this Act $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and each
subsequent fiscal year.
(2) Amounts in addition to other available amounts.--
Amounts authorized to be appropriated by paragraph (1) are in
addition to amounts authorized to be appropriated or
otherwise made available for educational exchange programs,
including the J. William Fulbright Educational Exchange
Program and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
Program, administered by the Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs of the Department of State.
(b) Allocation of Funds.--
(1) In general.--The Foundation may allocate or transfer to
any agency of the United States Government any of the funds
available for carrying out this Act. Such funds shall be
available for obligation and expenditure for the purposes for
which the funds were authorized, in accordance with authority
granted in this Act or under authority governing the
activities of the United States Government agency to which
such funds are allocated or transferred.
(2) Notification.--The Foundation shall notify the
appropriate congressional committees not less than 15 days
prior to an allocation or transfer of funds pursuant to
paragraph (1).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
[[Page H5947]]
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution
and yield myself such time as I might consume.
Mr. Speaker, this is a singularly important piece of legislation
which I bring to my colleagues with great personal enthusiasm and some
fond memories.
Let me first pay tribute to our late colleague, Senator Paul Simon,
after whom this legislation is named. Paul was a firm champion not only
of education, higher education, but also education abroad, this
incredibly important aspect in a growingly interdependent world. It is
appropriate that this piece of legislation be named after our great
late colleague, Paul Simon.
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, first I established and then I had the
privilege of directing the Study Abroad Program of the California State
University and College System. When I established that program, it was
a path-breaking enterprise because historically study abroad was the
privilege of only the wealthy and those who attended uniquely elite
institutions.
Our legislation expands the opportunity for study abroad that
hopefully will involve annually about a million of our college and
university students.
Not too many years ago, study abroad was the opportunity for some
wealthy college students to spend some time in France or Italy or maybe
in Germany. But in an increasingly globalized world, our need to have
young men and women who are conversant in the languages of many
countries and who are familiar with the cultures of many countries is
an absolute necessity for our national security and our national well-
being.
This historic piece of legislation will democratize the program of
Study Abroad, which used to be the privilege of a very thin layer of
our society. It opens up for every American college student,
irrespective of his or her socioeconomic status, the opportunity of
spending a year or more involved in serious language and area study all
over the world.
{time} 1510
At a time when new languages are required by vast numbers of our
young people, Chinese, Indian, Arabic and others, this will provide a
dramatic upgrading of our ability to interact with the rest of the
globe. I strongly urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation
which will usher in a new era for American higher education for college
students all over the United States.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that an exchange of letters between the Committee
of Foreign Affairs and the Committee of Oversight and Government Reform
be included in the Record at this time.
House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform,
Washington, DC, June 5, 2007.
Hon. Tom Lantos,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Rayburn House Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Lantos: I am writing about H.R. 1469, a bill
to establish the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs reported this legislation to
the House on May 9, 2007.
I appreciate your effort to consult with the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform regarding those provisions of
H.R. 1469 that fall within the Oversight Committee's
jurisdiction. These provisions address issues related to the
Federal civil service, Federal property management, and the
duties of inspectors general.
In the interest of expediting consideration of H.R. 1469,
the Oversight Committee will not request a sequential
referral of this bill. I would, however, request your support
for the appointment of conferees from the Oversight Committee
should H.R. 1469 or a similar Senate bill be considered in
conference with the Senate. Moreover, this letter should not
be construed as a waiver of the Oversight Committee's
legislative jurisdiction over subjects addressed in H.R. 1469
that fall within the jurisdiction of the Oversight Committee.
Please include our exchange of letters on this matter in
the Congressional Record during consideration of this
legislation on the House floor.
Again, I appreciate your willingness to consult the
Committee on these matters.
Sincerely,
Henry A. Waxman,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, June 5, 2007.
Hon. Henry Waxman,
Chairman, Committee Oversight and Government Reform,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R.
1469, the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act of
2007.
I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this
legislation. I recognize that the bill contains provisions
that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform. I acknowledge that the
Committee will not seek a sequential referral of the bill and
agree that the inaction of your Committee with respect to the
bill does not in any way serve as a jurisdictional precedent
as to our two committees.
Further, as to any House-Senate conference on the bill, I
understand that your Committee reserves the right to seek the
appointment of conferees for consideration of portions of the
bill that are within the Committee's jurisdiction, and I
agree to support a request by the Committee with respect to
serving as conferees on the bill, consistent with the
Speaker's practice in this regard.
I will ensure that our exchange of letters are included in
the Congressional Record and I look forward to working with
you on this important legislation. If you wish to discuss
this matter further, please contact me or have your staff
contact my staff.
Cordially,
Tom Lantos,
Chairman.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I am very proud to join Chairman Lantos in introducing his bill, H.R.
1469, the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act of 2007. The
Act gives effect to key recommendations of the bipartisan,
congressionally mandated report of the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad
Commission as well as the 9/11 Commission report.
The United States has an increasing need for foreign language
expertise, cultural knowledge and better people-to-people diplomacy. We
saw a dramatic example of this need, lamentably, after the events of 9/
11 when we faced a sudden shortage of qualified speakers of Arabic,
Farsi and other strategic languages. A study released last August by
the Government Accountability Office indicated that serious language
gaps remain within the State Department that can adversely impact
State's ability to communicate with foreign audiences and execute
critical duties. Study abroad by more American students in places other
than traditional destinations in western Europe is essential to our
Nation's security and future leadership in the world.
For these reasons, the gentleman from California's bill, H.R. 1469,
aims to increase the number and diversity of American students studying
abroad with an eventual goal of 1 million per year. It ensures that
most of the increase occurs in nontraditional and strategically
important destinations, such as China, the Middle East and the
developing world.
This Act will establish the Simon Study Abroad Foundation, an
independent U.S. Government corporation that can raise private sector
funds to promote its work, freed from the large bureaucracies and
short-term agendas of other U.S. agencies. By offering competitive
grants to universities and educational consortiums based on its
priorities, the Foundation will generate broader interest among
American schools in study abroad programs, leveraging an impact far
greater than a mere direct grant program for students.
To ensure maximum transparency and efficiency, the Foundation will be
subject to oversight by an Inspector General and annual congressional
reporting requirements.
I appreciate Chairman Lantos incorporating my proposals for those
oversight mechanisms in the introduced text of the bill.
I also was pleased to consult with him regarding the small changes
made to the bill after committee consideration. Three minor changes
make explicit what was already implicit in the bill: Two of them
confirm that the Foundation is a new and different approach not
intended to supplant other exchange and direct-grant programs currently
run by the State Department. The third makes clear that the Foundation
should take care to fund only safe, high-quality study abroad programs.
A fourth, substantive change aims to make the Foundation more
[[Page H5948]]
cost-effective by eliminating the compensation for board members that
was part of the originally introduced text.
In sum, this Act, Mr. Speaker, represents a creative, forward-
thinking initiative to protect American leadership and security in a
fast-changing world. H.R. 1469 deserves our enthusiastic support.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in
support of H.R. 1469, the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Act of 2007.
This important piece of legislation seeks to enhance the enrollment,
diversity, and range of countries relating to U.S. college study abroad
programs.
The United States is failing to take full advantage of a valuable
tool that should be used to enhance our standing in the world and to
improve our national security. Opportunities for students to study
abroad is integral to creating intercultural awareness, a globally
competent workforce, ensuring America's economic competitiveness, and
protecting national security. Students can be powerfully effective
diplomats for American culture, democratic values, and foreign policy.
H.R. 1469 aims to improve the diversity, the range of countries, and
number of students that study abroad while in college. Only about 1
percent of all U.S. college students study abroad, and the vast
majority study in Europe. Just 9 percent of those students are minority
students, even though African American, Native American, and Hispanic
students make up 30 percent of the total U.S. college enrollment.
Inspired by the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and the
congressionally chartered Lincoln Commission, the Senator Paul Simon
Act will create a new government corporation charged with democratizing
study abroad for American students the way that the GI Bill
democratized higher education.
The Simon Foundation Act is visionary legislation sponsored by
Senators Richard Durbin and Norm Coleman, and the chairman and ranking
member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Lantos and Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen. The legislation authorizes $80 million annually for 10 years
in order to assist 1 million American students study abroad each year
by 2018. This funding from the Department of State budget will directly
support student scholarships and organizations like Bardoli Global
around the Nation.
Bardoli Global is an organization that originated in my congressional
district. It exists to provide greater access to study abroad
opportunities for outstanding African American, Native American, and
Hispanic American student leaders and to make those students globally
competent change agents for their communities. The organization's
Houston pilot program will soon expand to five other cities across the
Nation in 2008.
Mr. Speaker, we must act now to enact the vision of the late Senator
Paul Simon from Illinois who worked tirelessly to promote a public-
private partnership to democratize study abroad. We must act quickly to
achieve equity and diversity in study abroad, especially targeting
traditionally underrepresented students. I strongly urge my colleagues
to support this bill.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, as always, it's a pleasure to work
with Chairman Lantos.
I have no further requests for speakers, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1469, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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