Public Policy
Representative Lantos' Remarks on the Simon Study Abroad Bill
Congressional Record: (House of Representatives)
Page: H5947
June 5, 2007
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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.
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.
Page: H5947
June 5, 2007
----------------------------------------------------------
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.
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.
