[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 123 (Monday, July 30, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H8861-H8866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SHIRLEY A. CHISHOLM UNITED STATES-CARIBBEAN EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE ACT OF
2007
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 176) to authorize assistance to the countries of the
Caribbean to fund educational development and exchange programs, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows
H.R. 176
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Shirley A.
Chisholm United States-Caribbean Educational Exchange Act of
2007''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Sec. 3. Findings and statement of purpose.
Sec. 4. Shirley A. Chisholm United States-Caribbean Educational
Exchange Program.
Sec. 5. Program to provide educational development assistance for
CARICOM countries.
Sec. 6. Administrative provisions.
Sec. 7. Reporting requirements.
Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--Except as otherwise provided, the term
``Administrator'' means the Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development.
(2) 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.
(3) CARICOM country.--The term ``CARICOM country''--
(A) means a member country of the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM); but
(B) does not include--
(i) a country having observer status in CARICOM; or
(ii) a country the government of which the Secretary of
State has determined, for purposes of section 6(j) of the
Export Administration Act of 1979 (as continued in effect
pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act),
section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, section 620A of
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, or any other provision of
law, is a government that has repeatedly provided support for
acts of international terrorism.
(4) Secretary.--Except as otherwise provided, the term
``Secretary'' means the Secretary of State.
(5) United states cooperating agency.--The term ``United
States cooperating agency'' means--
(A) an accredited institution of higher education,
including, to the maximum extent practicable, an historically
Black college or university that is a part B institution (as
such term is defined in section 322(2) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2))) or an Hispanic-
serving institution (as such term is defined in section
502(5) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1101a(5)));
(B) a higher education association;
(C) a nongovernmental organization incorporated in the
United States; or
(D) a consortium consisting of two or more such
institutions, associations, or nongovernmental organizations.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States and CARICOM countries have enjoyed
long-standing friendly relations.
(2) As an important regional partner for trade and
democratic values, the Caribbean region constitutes a ``Third
Border'' of the United States.
(3) The decrease in tourism revenue in the aftermath of the
tragic terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, had an
adverse affect on the Caribbean region.
(4) According to a 2005 World Bank Report on the Caribbean
region, high rates of unemployment, particularly youth
unemployment, have had severe implications on poverty and
income distributions, as well as drug trafficking and
addiction.
(5) The 2005 World Bank Report also concludes that better
synchronization is needed between curricula in CARICOM
countries and the skills needed in evolving national and
regional job markets and economies.
(6) Caribbean leaders have highlighted the need for
increased educational opportunities for Caribbean students in
fields that will contribute to and support an increasingly
competitive regional economy.
(7) Enhancing United States cultural and educational
exchange programs in CARICOM countries will expand human
resources, provide opportunities that promote economic
growth, and improve regional security.
(8) Many Caribbean leaders studied at the undergraduate or
graduate level in the United States before returning to their
respective countries to contribute toward the strengthening
of democracy, the economy, or the provision of social
services.
(9) From 2003 through 2005, 217 Caribbean leaders
participated in exchange programs with the United States that
focused on good governance, combating drug trafficking, anti-
corruption, and other regional issues of concern.
(10) The Department of State currently administers public
outreach programs that include cultural, academic, and
citizen-exchange initiatives in CARICOM countries through the
public affairs sections at United States embassies with
support from the Office of Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of
Western Hemisphere Affairs.
(11) The Caribbean Center for Excellence in Teacher
Training (C-CETT), a Presidential Initiative funded by the
United States Agency for International Development and
implemented by the University of the West Indies, works to
improve the quality of reading instruction by training
classroom and student teachers in seven countries of the
English-speaking Caribbean. Belize, Jamaica, Grenada, St.
Lucia, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad
and Tobago have participated in the C-
[[Page H8862]]
CETT as a means to reducing illiteracy in the most
disadvantaged urban and remote rural areas.
(12) In Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas,
Barbados, Belize, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic,
Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and
Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname,
and Trinidad and Tobago, the Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs of the Department of State sponsors
educational advisors to promote study in the United States.
(13) In the 2004-2005 academic year, approximately 14,000
Caribbean students were enrolled in United States colleges
and universities.
(14) Shirley Anita Chisholm, who served as a member of the
United States House of Representatives from 1968 to 1983, had
family roots in the Caribbean nation of Barbados, was a
staunch advocate for educational opportunity and access, and
increased support for historically Black colleges and
universities and other minority-serving institutions in the
United States.
(b) Statement of Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to
establish--
(1) an educational exchange program between the United
States and CARICOM countries, to be known as the ``Shirley A.
Chisholm United States-Caribbean Educational Exchange
Program'', pursuant to section 4 of this Act to assist in
educating promising students and scholars from CARICOM
countries who will invest the knowledge and experiences they
gain in the United States back into the community of CARICOM
countries; and
(2) a program to provide educational development assistance
for CARICOM countries pursuant to section 5 of this Act.
SEC. 4. SHIRLEY A. CHISHOLM UNITED STATES-CARIBBEAN
EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM.
(a) Program Authorized.--The Secretary of State is
authorized to establish an educational exchange program
between the United States and CARICOM countries, to be known
as the ``Shirley A. Chisholm United States-Caribbean
Educational Exchange Program,'' under which--
(1) secondary school students from CARICOM countries will--
(A) attend a public or private secondary school in the
United States;
(B) participate in activities designed to promote a greater
understanding of the values and culture of the United States;
and
(C) have the option to live with a United States host
family and experience life in a United States host community;
and
(2) undergraduate students, graduate students, post-
graduate students, and scholars from CARICOM countries will--
(A) attend a public or private college or university,
including a community college, in the United States;
(B) participate in activities designed to promote a greater
understanding of the values and culture of the United States;
and
(C) have the option to live with a United States host
family and experience life in a United States host community
or live in an on-campus housing environment.
(b) Elements of Program.--The program authorized under
subsection (a) shall meet the following requirements:
(1) The program will offer scholarships to students and
scholars based on merit and need. It is the sense of Congress
that scholarships should be offered under the program to
students and scholars who evidence merit, achievement, and
strong potential for the studies such students and scholars
wish to undertake under the program and 40 percent of
scholarships offered under the program should be based on
financial need.
(2) The program will seek to achieve gender equality in
granting scholarships under the program.
(3) The program will limit participation to--
(A) two years of study for secondary school students;
(B) four years of study for undergraduate students;
(C) 30 months of study for graduate students; and
(D) one year of study for post-graduate students and
scholars.
(4) For a period of time equal to the period of time of
participation in the program, but not to exceed 2 years, the
program will require participants who are students and
scholars described in subsection (a)(2) to--
(A) agree to return to live in a CARICOM country and
maintain residence in such country, within 6 months of
completion of academic studies; or
(B) agree to obtain employment that directly benefits the
growth, progress, and development of one or more CARICOM
countries and the people of such countries.
(5) The Secretary of State shall have the discretion to
waive, shorten the duration, or otherwise alter the
requirements of paragraph (5) in limited circumstances of
hardship, humanitarian needs, for specific educational
purposes, or in furtherance of the national interests of the
United States.
(c) Role of United States Cooperating Agencies.--The
Secretary shall consult with United States cooperating
agencies in developing the program authorized under
subsection (a) and shall make grants to United States
cooperating agencies in carrying out the program authorized
under subsection (a).
(d) Monitoring and Evaluation of Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish and
implement a system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness
and efficiency of the program authorized under subsection
(a). In carrying out the system, the Secretary shall evaluate
the program's positive or negative effects on brain drain
from the participating CARICOM countries and suggest ways in
which the program may be improved to promote the basic goal
of alleviating brain-drain from the participating CARICOM
countries.
(2) Requirements.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall review on a regular basis--
(A) financial information relating to the program;
(B) budget plans for the program;
(C) adjustments to plans established for the program;
(D) graduation rates of participants in the program;
(E) the percentage of participants who are students
described in subsection (a)(1) who pursue higher education;
(F) the percentage of participants who return to their home
country or another CARICOM country;
(G) the types of careers pursued by participants in the
program and the extent to which such careers are linked to
the political, economic, and social development needs of
CARICOM countries; and
(H) the impact of gender, country of origin, financial need
of students, and other relevant factors on the data collected
under subparagraphs (D) through (G).
(e) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Secretary should seek to work with CARICOM countries to
establish an educational exchange program under which--
(1) secondary school students from the United States will
attend a public or private equivalent school in CARICOM
countries; and
(2) undergraduate students, graduate students, post-
graduate students, and scholars from the United States will
attend a public or private college or university in CARICOM
countries.
SEC. 5. PROGRAM TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
FOR CARICOM COUNTRIES.
(a) Program Authorized.--The Secretary of State, acting
through the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, is authorized to establish a
program to provide educational development assistance for
CARICOM countries.
(b) Purpose of Program.--The purpose of the program
authorized under subsection (a) is to improve primary and
secondary education in CARICOM countries by enhancing teacher
training, strengthening curriculum and instructional
materials, and assisting improvements in school management
and public administration of education.
(c) Elements of Program.--The program authorized under
subsection (a) shall extend and expand upon existing primary
and secondary school programs in CARICOM countries to
provide--
(1) teacher-training methods and training in subject area
studies;
(2) classroom and school management;
(3) development and modernization of curriculum and
instructional materials;
(4) increased community involvement in school activities;
and
(5) local, regional, and national government policy
planning on the elements described in paragraphs (1) through
(4).
(d) Role of United States Cooperating Agencies.--The
Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of Education and
United States cooperating agencies in developing the program
authorized under subsection (a) and shall make grants to
United States cooperating agencies in carrying out the
program authorized under subsection (a).
(e) Monitoring and Evaluation of Program.--The Secretary
shall establish and implement a system to monitor and
evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the program
authorized under subsection (a).
(f) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Secretary should seek to work with CARICOM countries to
establish an educational development program under which
education in the CARICOM countries is improved and access to
quality education for children in CARICOM countries is
increased.
SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.
(a) Funding From Private Sources and Partnerships With
Other Appropriate Entities.--To the maximum extent
practicable, the Secretary of State and the Administrator of
the United States Agency for International Development should
implement the programs authorized under sections 4 and 5 of
this Act through utilization of funding from private sources
to maximize the impact of United States funds under this Act,
and through partnerships with appropriate United States
organizations, institutions, and corporations.
(b) Avoidance of Duplication.--The Secretary and the
Administrator shall consult with the Secretary of Education
to ensure that--
(1) activities under the programs authorized under sections
4 and 5 of this Act are not duplicative of other United
States educational programs for CARICOM countries; and
(2) United States cooperating agencies and partner
institutions in CARICOM countries are accredited by national
or regional accrediting bodies.
(c) Reporting Under SEVIS.--To the extent necessary, the
Secretary shall provide support to United States cooperating
agencies that are participating in the program authorized
under section 4 of this Act in order to fulfill the
requirements for student data reporting under the Student and
Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
SEC. 7. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Report Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act,
[[Page H8863]]
the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on plans to implement the
programs authorized under sections 4 and 5 of this Act.
(b) Matters To Be Included.--The report required by
subsection (a) shall include--
(1) with respect to implementation of the program
authorized under section 4--
(A) a plan for selecting participants in the program,
including an estimate of the number of secondary school
students, undergraduate students, graduate students, post-
graduate students, and scholars from each country, by
educational level, who will be selected as participants in
the program for each fiscal year;
(B) a timeline for selecting United States cooperating
agencies that will assist in implementing the program;
(C) a financial plan that--
(i) identifies budget plans for each educational level
under the program; and
(ii) identifies plans or systems to ensure that the costs
to public school, college, and university education under the
program and the costs to private school, college, and
university education under the program are reasonably
allocated; and
(D) a plan to provide outreach to and linkages with
schools, colleges and universities, and nongovernmental
organizations in both the United States and CARICOM countries
for implementation of the program; and
(2) a plan outlining implementation of the program
authorized under section 5, identifying the initial countries
in which the program will be implemented and a timeline for
implementation.
(c) Updates of Report.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees updates of the report
required by subsection (a) for each fiscal year for which
amounts are appropriated pursuant to the authorization of
appropriations under section 8 of this Act.
(2) Matters to be included.--Such updates shall include the
following:
(A) Information on United States cooperating agencies that
are selected to assist in implementing the programs
authorized under sections 4 and 5 of this Act.
(B) An analysis of the positive and negative impacts the
program authorized under section 4 will have or is having on
brain drain from the participating CARICOM countries.
(C) A description of efforts made by the Secretary of
State, acting through the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development, to implement the
program authorized under section 5.
(D) A description of the programs established in each
CARICOM country receiving assistance under the program
authorized under section 5 that provides a detailed
explanation of the extent to which the program and the
assistance provided are contributing to the purpose of the
program described in section 5(b) in the CARICOM country.
(E) An evaluation of additional educational development
goals in CARICOM countries, identifying those goals that
could be maximized or achieved with United States assistance
through the program authorized under section 5. In addition
to standard or necessary areas of education review, the
evaluation should give attention to factors affecting
academic achievement, attrition, and graduation rates in
CARICOM countries. The evaluation should suggest ways in
which United States assistance can maximize success factors
and address factors contributing to poor achievement.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
To carry out this Act, there are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of the
fiscal years 2008 through 2012. Amounts appropriated pursuant
to the authorization of appropriations under this section are
in addition to amounts otherwise available for such purposes.
Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to authorize the
establishment of educational exchange and development
programs for member countries of the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM).''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms.
Ros-Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from American Samoa.
General Leave
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. 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 American Samoa?
There was no objection.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution.
I would first like to thank my colleague, the distinguished
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), for introducing this important
legislation and garnering the bipartisanship sponsors that it deserves.
And certainly I want to thank the chairman of the Western Hemisphere
Subcommittee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), for his tireless
efforts in pushing forward this initiative.
Mr. Speaker, nearly four decades ago, history was made in the voting
booths of New York City. A young lady by the name of Shirley Chisholm
became the first African American woman elected to the U.S. House of
Representatives in the history of our great land. With her election,
Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm broke the ground for African Americans,
to be sure. Congresswoman Chisholm was also the child of immigrants
from the Caribbean area, and today she remains a great heroine for
Caribbean Americans throughout our Nation.
During her tenure in Congress, Congresswoman Chisholm was a staunch
advocate for educational opportunity and access. She increased support
for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other institutions
in the United States that serve minorities.
It is, therefore, entirely appropriate and fitting that the
legislation before the House today is named after the late
Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm from the great City of New York. This
bill establishes a new and important educational exchange program
between the United States and our friends in the Caribbean region.
This effort builds on a priority I have long promoted: fostering
better educational and cultural ties between the United States and
different regions of the world. Today's bill follows our recent
historic passage of the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act
of 2007, a bill to vastly expand study abroad programs that
overwhelmingly passed this House in a great example of bipartisan
cooperation.
The United States and nations of the Caribbean have long enjoyed
friendly relations. As an important regional partner for trade and a
bastion of democratic values, our friends in the Caribbean region have
been called the ``third border'' of the United States.
In talks with Members of Congress, Caribbean leaders have highlighted
the need for educational opportunities for Caribbean students in fields
that will allow them to contribute to an increasingly competitive
regional economy. We aim to deliver on that request today.
Enhancing our cultural and educational exchange programs in the
Caribbean will promote economic growth, improve regional security, and
expand opportunities for the hardworking citizens of this region. This
educational exchange program will enable secondary school,
undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate scholars from the Caribbean
to attend schools, colleges, and universities in the United States. It
will allow them to participate in activities designed to promote a
greater understanding of the values and culture of the United States.
And it will grant them the option either to live in the United States
with a host family, enriching them with community and town life here,
or to live in an on-campus housing environment.
Mr. Speaker, the late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm was a great
American leader who has inspired generations of African Americans and
Caribbean Americans. With passage of this legislation, we honor her
memory and ensure that a new generation of Caribbeans can play an even
more constructive role in the political and economic developments not
only of this region but to continue our friendly relations with this
region.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize my good friend from
California, Ms. Barbara Lee, for her leadership in introducing this
bill, which is intended to deepen our educational cooperation with our
neighbors in the Caribbean.
H.R. 176 authorizes the creation of the Shirley A. Chisholm U.S.-
Caribbean Educational Exchange Program to help provide U.S. educational
opportunities to qualified students from the countries of the Caribbean
community.
{time} 1400
It also authorizes State and USAID to expand existing primary and
secondary school initiatives in the Caribbean to provide programs on
teacher training methods, school management,
[[Page H8864]]
curriculum development, and increase community involvement in school
activities.
Increasing the quality of educational opportunities available to our
good neighbors in the Caribbean serves the interests of our entire
region, and deepens the goodwill that already exists between the people
of our countries.
I want to thank Congresswoman Lee and Chairman Lantos for working
with me at the committee level to incorporate language ensuring that
state sponsors of terrorism do not receive the benefits provided under
this bill. The committee also amended the text to authorize such sums
as may be necessary rather than a sum certain for the new programs.
This will help ensure that any new activities under the act will not
disrupt those educational and exchange programs already being
implemented in the region by the State Department and USAID.
Again, I thank my colleagues for their cooperation in preparing this
bill for floor consideration.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds just to
offer my compliments to my dear friend, the senior ranking member of
the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, for her support
and leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor
Mr. Speaker, it is my honor now to give 5 minutes to my good friend
and colleague, the prime sponsor of this legislation, the gentlelady
from California (Ms. Lee) for her statement.
Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, first let me just say today is a good day. I'm
very delighted to be able to rise in support of H.R. 176, the Shirley
Chisholm U.S.-Caribbean Educational Exchange Act of 2007.
I would like to thank Congressman Faleomavaega from the American
Samoa, the distinguished chairman of the subcommittee on Asia, the
Pacific and the Global Environment, for yielding to me, for managing
this bill on the floor, and for your assistance and for your
leadership.
Also, to our ranking member, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, thank
you so much for your diligence and hard work and understanding and
clarity of what we wanted to do and making sure that this was done in a
bipartisan way. We appreciate so much your leadership.
I am very pleased, as I said, that the House will have an opportunity
to discuss this bill today. I want to thank everyone who has helped
with this very important piece of legislation. I would also like to
thank my good friend, Congressman Eliot Engel, who is the Chair of the
Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, and my colleague, the distinguished
chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Congressman Tom Lantos.
Also, we couldn't have done with this without our staff, who have put
in so many hours to ensure that this bill would have the most impact.
Particularly, I would like to thank Jason Steinbaum of Mr. Engel's
staff and Kristen Wells and Peter Quilter of Mr. Lantos' staff. And let
me acknowledge Miguel Ayala from my office for his very, very excellent
work on this bill, and Jamila Thompson, formerly of my staff, who
really initially worked on this legislation as well as the designation
of June as Caribbean-American Heritage Month.
This legislation is so important because our neighbors in the
Caribbean, sometimes called the ``Third Border,'' they're often
neglected when we consider matters that affect our hemisphere. My bill
creates an educational exchange program whereby students in the
Caribbean, including secondary school, undergraduate, graduate,
postgraduate students and scholars can come abroad to study at United
States institutions of higher education. These important programs will
not only encourage diplomacy between our Nation and those in the
Caribbean, but it will also prepare these students to return home to
the Caribbean with the tools and the education they need to move their
nations forward in the 21st century.
This legislation also encourages academic partnerships with
Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-serving
institutions, when possible, and will ensure parity between males and
females in the program. Furthermore, both merit and financial need will
be considered for those exchange programs which we are authorizing
today.
This bill also creates and provides educational development
assistance for CARICOM nations. It will address the lack of access and
the lack of quality education in some areas of the Caribbean by
improving primary and secondary education through teacher training,
strengthening curriculum, and improving administration and management
of schools.
This bill is named after our former colleague, my dear friend, my
mentor, the late Congresswoman Shirley Anita Chisholm, who I dearly
loved and learned much from and who I deeply miss. She served in
Congress from 1969 to 1983 and was of Caribbean descent. Her mother was
from Barbados and her father was from Guyana. She represented the 12th
District of New York, which to this day continues to have a significant
Caribbean-American population.
Congresswoman Chisholm would have been so proud to know that this
program will address the very disparities in education that the leaders
of the CARICOM nations raised during the conference last month here in
Washington, D.C. They met with the President, the Secretary of State,
Speaker Pelosi, and also with our colleagues on the House Ways and
Means Committee, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the
Congressional Black Caucus. And during those meetings with the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs, many Members here in our own body heard
about the lack of opportunities for students from the Caribbean to
study in the United States.
It is clear to me that we need to do more to help our friends and
neighbors in the Caribbean, and I hope this bill is just one step with
regard to the many that we're looking at that will come forward to move
us forward with closer ties to our regions.
Again, I would like to thank everyone who helped me make this bill
come to fruition. It has taken a while. It has taken a long time,
actually. I am delighted that we, today, will be sending a very clear
message to our friends in the Caribbean that we are truly supportive.
You know, when you see other countries in the region providing
scholarships for students from the Caribbean, such as Cuba, I think it
is now up to the United States to step up to the plate and say we, too,
can make sure that students from the Caribbean benefit from the
wonderful educational opportunities present in the United States.
Thank you, again, Mr. Faleomavaega.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I thank the gentlelady for a most eloquent
statement.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``aye''
on this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady
from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee)
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Let me thank the chairman of the
subcommittee and the manager of the bill. And let me thank the
Honorable Barbara Lee for her leadership and the ranking member for
theirs.
Very quickly, it is my pleasure to rise and support this legislation,
having had the opportunity to be associated with the Honorable Shirley
Chisholm in New York and to see her enormous and challenging
leadership. But the crux of this bill is an answer in response to our
friends in the Caribbean. Through CARICOM and the leaders and heads of
State, they represent the third border of the United States. They
provide additional security through their homeland security efforts.
This opportunity for their skilled and talented young people to have
an exchange program, to then go back to their own countries and provide
the friendship, the alliance, and the security that we will need in the
future is a key element of this legislation.
I ask my colleagues to support this legislation, and I congratulate
all those responsible for it, and again, acknowledge the leadership of
Shirley Chisholm
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 176,
the Shirley A. Chisholm-U.S. Caribbean Educational Exchange Act of 2007
and urge my colleagues
[[Page H8865]]
to support its adoption. As an original cosponsor of this important
bill, I want to congratulate my friend and colleague, the Honorable
Barbara Lee for her hard work in getting the bill to the floor today.
Mr. Speaker, U.S.-Caribbean educational exchanges have been on the
forefront of multilateral discussions in recent years. Many believe
that education exchanges are an excellent means to developing and
protecting democratic values. And while the U.S. has not particularly
focused on educational advancement in the Caribbean, other nations
have. Thousands of Caribbean students participate in exchange programs
to distant parts of the globe, yet the U.S. has no specific exchange
program for Caribbean scholars.
This legislation would establish in the State Department's Office of
Public Diplomacy a U.S.-Caribbean educational exchange program for high
school, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as scholars.
It would also enable the U.S. Agency for International Development to
develop a regional strategy to expand existing early education
initiatives. And the legislation would allow both State Department and
USAID to use public-private partnerships to implement the program.
The State Department has repeatedly advocated educational exchanges
as one of the best means of public diplomacy. For decades, the
Caribbean, our ``Third Border,'' has been one of the U.S. staunchest
allies with strong democratic traditions. We've seen how critical the
adherence to these democratic ideals has been given how quickly the
governments of the region were able to maintain order and rebuild in
the wake of the recent devastating hurricane seasons. Furthermore, the
leadership in these affected countries was cultivated right here in the
U.S.
In fact many of today's Caribbean leaders have received post-
secondary education in the United States, and have used their different
fields of training to strengthen Caribbean democracy and community
involvement. From 2003-2005, 217 Caribbean leaders participated in U.S.
exchange programs that centered on innovative ways to fight drug
trafficking, anticorruption and good governance policies. We should
continue these efforts and expand them to include the future leaders of
the Caribbean.
As the only member in Congress whose district is in the English
speaking Caribbean, I am well aware of the exciting possibilities that
H.R. 176 holds.
Mr. Speaker, our Caribbean neighbors are among the most stable
democracies in the world and some of our oldest friends. Too often we
take them for granted though and don't give to them as much as we
demand from them. While it will not solve all of the problems with our
relationship of late, H.R. 176 will serve as a meaningful gesture of
good faith and friendship going forward. I urge my colleagues to
support passage of H.R. 176.
Mr. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 176; the Shirley A.
Chisholm U.S.-Caribbean Educational Exchange Act. I am proud to be a
cosponsor of this bill.
The Shirley A. Chisholm U.S.-Caribbean Educational Exchange Act
creates an educational exchange program to enable students from the
countries of the Caribbean Community to come to the U.S. and study at
an American college or university. The bill requires program
participants to return to a Caribbean country or work for the growth,
progress and development of the Caribbean Community after they complete
their studies. The bill also creates a program to improve primary and
secondary education in the Caribbean Community through teacher
training, strengthening curriculum, and improving administration and
management of schools.
Many Caribbean leaders have received post-secondary education in the
U.S. and have used their education to strengthen Caribbean democracy
and benefit Caribbean people. For example, from 2003 through 2005, a
total of 217 Caribbean leaders participated in U.S. exchange programs
dealing with counter-narcotics, anticorruption and good governance
policies. The Shirley A. Chisholm U.S.-Caribbean Educational Exchange
Act would expand these efforts to include future Caribbean leaders.
It is entirely appropriate that this legislation is named after our
former colleague, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. Congresswoman
Chisholm was of Caribbean heritage and was a strong advocate for
quality education. She graduated from Brooklyn College in 1946,
received a Masters in Elementary Education from the Teachers College at
Columbia University in 1952, and went on to work as a teacher. In 1968,
she became the first African-American woman elected to Congress, where
she served with distinction from 1969 to 1983. In 1972, Congresswoman
Shirley Chisholm ran for president in the Democratic primaries. As a
Member of Congress, Shirley Chisholm served on the influential
Education and Labor Committee and rose to be its third-highest ranking
member.
I urge all of my colleagues to honor Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm
and support educational exchange opportunities for Caribbean students
by voting in favor of the Shirley A. Chisholm U.S.-Caribbean
Educational Exchange Act.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in
strong support of the Shirley Chisholm U.S.-Caribbean Educational
Exchange Act of 2007. I would like to thank Congresswoman Barbara Lee
and her continued commitment to the Caribbean and education. This
legislation helps bridge the educational gap in the Caribbean by
creating an educational exchange program for Caribbean students to
study in the United States.
Caribbean Nations suffer from high poverty rates, high unemployment
rates, and low literacy rates. These conditions have left most
Caribbean students faced with the hard choice of education or work; and
most are forced to choose work in order to provide for themselves and
their families. Educational exchange programs allow Caribbean students
to provide opportunities to learn necessary skills for leadership and
career success, explore cultural issues, and promotes dialogue of
community and/or social relevance. Education is the building block that
creates a sound foundation for success and develops strong democratic
values. These exchange programs allow students to return to their
native homes to contribute to the success of their nation.
This bill also creates new programs to improve primary and secondary
education through teacher training. Teacher preparedness and education
management is vital to any education system. Providing high quality
teachers in critical subject areas is the most important components in
building a strong educational structure.
Many Caribbean leaders have received education in the United States,
and have used their education to strengthen Caribbean democracy and
community involvement. This legislation will help to continue
strengthen U.S.-Caribbean relations, I strongly urge my colleagues
support in passage this bill.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 176, the
Shirley A. Chisholm United States-Caribbean Education Exchange Program.
I would like to pay tribute to our colleague, Barbara Lee, for
introducing this excellent legislation and for the work of Chairman
Lantos in moving H.R. 176 forward.
Representative Lee and I have traveled to the Caribbean together, and
we have seen through our site visits, including to St. George's
University in Grenada and an education program at an orphanage in
Haiti, the tremendous need for expanded educational cooperation between
the United States and the Caribbean. In fact, Prime Minister Keith
Mitchell of Grenada listed cooperation on education as among the most
important issues for his country's citizens.
As such, H.R. 176 creates an educational exchange program between the
United States and CARICOM countries, called the Shirley A. Chisholm
United States-Caribbean Educational Exchange Program, and provides
educational-related assistance for the nations in the CARICOM region.
Education is an area in which the United States has a clear advantage--
one which we should use to help our neighbors in the Caribbean.
As chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western
Hemisphere, it has been a priority of mine to help promote good
relations between the United States and CARICOM countries. Just last
month, the Presidents and Prime Ministers of 14 Caribbean countries met
with members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as part of the
historic Conference on the Caribbean and discussed how we could expand
relations. During our meeting, I told the Caribbean leaders that we
would pass a U.S.-Caribbean Education Exchange Act soon and hold a
hearing on deportees. With today's passage of the Caribbean education
legislation and last week's hearing, I am proud to say that we have
lived up to our promises.
Mr. Speaker, this bill is aptly named for Shirley Anita Chisholm, a
former member of the United States House of Representatives from 1968
to 1983 who had family roots in the Caribbean nation of Barbados. I am
glad that we honor her service with this important educational exchange
program, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 176.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) that the House suspend
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 176, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
[[Page H8866]]
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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