[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 14, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CELEBRATING THE CBYX 40TH EXCHANGE COHORT

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about 
the CBYX program and to thank Linus Wullner, a current participant and 
intern in my office.
  As the chair of the bipartisan German-American Caucus and a 
Congressman for the 15th District for Pennsylvania, a State with a 
history of German heritage, I have supported the CBYX program for many 
years.
  Established in 1983, the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program 
celebrates its 40th exchange cohort this year and is jointly funded by 
the U.S. Congress and the German Congress.
  Every year, this unique program offers 75 young Germans and 75 young 
Americans the opportunity to study, work, and volunteer in Germany and 
the United States.
  Participants fully immerse themselves into the other culture, 
attending university, interning, and living with host families all 
across the USA and Germany.
  Linus was first placed with the welcoming host family of Patricia 
Vazquez in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he worked in the hospitality 
industry while studying political science at Southern Nevada 
University.
  Now he is living with a host family in Burke, Virginia, and 
experiences everyday working life within my office.
  Mr. Speaker, I emphasize the importance of cultural exchange 
programs. The American-German friendships don't stop after participants 
like Linus return to Germany and his hometown of Hinnenkamp.
  The cultural exchange continues. American friends will visit Germany, 
Linus will visit the United States, and he will continue to share his 
experiences in the United States with his family, neighbors, and 
coworkers in Germany.
  It is through citizen diplomacy that we expand cultural knowledge 
across the globe.

                          ____________________