Public Policy
House Approves Significant Increase for International Education, Exchanges
On June 16, the House of Representatives approved by a vote of 418-7
the FY 2006 Science-State-Justice-Commerce (SSJC) Appropriations bill,
HR 2862, providing $410.4 million in funding for the State Department’s
Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. This is $54.4 million more
than the amount Congress approved for FY 2005, but $20 million less
than the $430.4 million requested by the Bush Administration for FY
2006. The report language accompanying the bill, drafted by the SSJC
Appropriations Subcommittee, did not specify funding levels for
individual programs, however, it did outline priorities for funding,
namely that "to the maximum extent possible, the Committee urges that
the following programs be supported: the Congress-Bundestag youth
exchange program; the disability exchange clearinghouse; foreign study
grants for U.S. undergraduates; Future leaders exchange programs;
Teaching Excellence Awards and Partnerships in Education; Educational
advising in Eurasia; Muskie Graduate and Ph.D. Fellowships; Youth
Exchange and Excellence Award programs; the Junior Faculty Development
program; educational advising and counseling; citizen exchange
programs; interparliamentary exchanges; youth science leadership
exchanges; American overseas research centers; Mitchell Scholarships;
and exchanges with Tibet, the South Pacific, and Timor Leste." The
Senate is expected to take up its version of the legislation before the
July 4th recess.
