[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9522]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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    SENATE RESOLUTION 504--RECOGNIZING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
                           FULBRIGHT PROGRAM

  Mr. BOOZMAN (for himself and Mr. Leahy) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 504

       Whereas August 1, 2016, marks the 70th anniversary of 
     President Harry S. Truman signing into law the Act of August 
     1, 1946 (60 Stat. 754, chapter 723) (commonly known as the 
     ``Fulbright Act of 1946'');
       Whereas the Fulbright Program was established by Senator 
     James William Fulbright of Arkansas for the ``promotion of 
     international good will through the exchange of students in 
     the fields of education, culture, and science'';
       Whereas the Fulbright Program is sponsored by the Bureau of 
     Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State;
       Whereas the Fulbright Program provides approximately 8,000 
     grants annually and, as of 2016, operates in more than 160 
     countries, including 50 that have established cost-sharing 
     binational commissions;
       Whereas approximately 1,300 institutions of higher 
     education in the United States, both public and private, host 
     students at home and send scholars abroad;
       Whereas current Fulbright students and scholars hail from 
     all 50 States and 2 United States territories, and 
     approximately a quarter are from minority or underrepresented 
     populations;
       Whereas more than 370,000 individuals from across the globe 
     have benefitted from this unique opportunity;
       Whereas alumni of the Fulbright Program include 54 Nobel 
     Prize laureates, 82 recipients of the Pulitzer Prize, 33 
     heads of state, 16 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, 
     8 members of the United States Congress, and a former 
     Secretary-General of the United Nations;
       Whereas, on April 21, 2016, an American Elm was planted on 
     the grounds of the United States Capitol in recognition of 
     the 70th anniversary of the Fulbright Program; and
       Whereas the Fulbright Program promotes United States higher 
     education abroad and remains a valuable diplomatic tool: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the 70th anniversary of the Fulbright 
     Program;
       (2) encourages the President and the Secretary of State to 
     work with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of 
     the Department of State to support the work of the Fulbright 
     Program;
       (3) congratulates all past and present recipients of 
     Fulbright awards; and
       (4) calls on students, scholars, and professionals around 
     the world to seek out opportunities to engage with each other 
     and promote international good will.

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today, along with Senator Leahy, I submit 
a resolution recognizing the 70th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program.
  On August 1, 1946, President Harry S. Truman signed into law 
legislation authored by Senator James William Fulbright of Arkansas, 
creating a program that used the proceeds from selling surplus war 
property to fund international exchanges between the United States and 
other countries. Senator Fulbright's program has gone on to become the 
largest education exchange program in history, and still works to 
``promote peace and mutual understanding'' around the world. Counted 
among its more than 370,000 alumni are 82 Pulitzer Prize recipients, 54 
Nobel Prize laureates, and 33 heads of states.
  In the aftermath of World War II, Senator Fulbright understood that 
individual exchanges and person to person interactions are the best way 
to build a deep abiding understanding of other cultures and to promote 
peace. Today, as violence and intolerance grow across the globe, I 
believe the Fulbright program remains a beacon of hope for a better 
future. The academic and cultural opportunities provided to 
participants in the program ensure that ``international good will 
through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture, 
and science'' continues to grow when it is so sorely needed.
  I believe that you change the world through personal relationships, 
and am very proud as an Arkansan and an American of the success of the 
Fulbright exchange. I would like to thank the Fulbright Program, the 
staff at the Institute of International Education who administer the 
program, the Fulbright Association, and the Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs at the State Department for their incredible work over 
the last 70 years.




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