[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
[December 20, 1994]
[Page 2192]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting the Report on International 
Exchange Programs
December 20, 1994

Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. Chairman:)
    As required by section 229(a) of the Foreign Relations Authorization 
Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (Public Law 103-236), I am submitting 
the enclosed final part of my report on the extent to which federally 
funded international exchange programs share similar objectives.
    As I observed in my letter of July 28, 1994, United States 
Government educational, cultural, scientific, and professional exchange 
programs enhance communication and understanding between the United 
States and other societies. These programs are among our more effective 
tools for achieving long and intermediate range objectives of U.S. 
foreign policy.
    The initial findings of the United States Information Agency (USIA) 
review of government-wide exchange programs concerned activities with 
foreign language and area studies dimensions. This analysis focuses on 
exchanges related to the encouragement of democratic processes abroad.
    Strengthening democratic development and the intellectual 
foundations of democracy through the exchange of people and practical 
information is a vital complement to economic assistance to countries 
seeking to build democratic institutions and entrepreneurial cultures.
    Programs that share similar objectives related to support of 
democratic development abroad are sponsored primarily by the Department 
of State, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, the 
Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, the Inter-American 
Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Peace Corps, the 
U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Institute of Peace, 
the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and USIA. These 
programs are described in the enclosure to this letter.
    As always, my Administration will continue to work closely with the 
Congress to realize our shared goals of improving efficiency and 
reducing costs.
    Sincerely,

                                                      William J. Clinton

Note: Identical letters were sent to Thomas S. Foley, Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, and Claiborne Pell, chairman of the Senate 
Committee on Foreign Relations.