On the recordMay 12, 2011
I want to begin by thanking Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Ruppersberger for their hard work on this important legislation. We face a diverse and growing array of threats around the globe, and we need an intelligence community as diverse as the threats we face. My amendment directs the national intelligence director to create a pilot program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities to help develop critical language curricula and study abroad programs. Our defenses have to be as advanced as the means used by our enemies. That means that our human assets have to be as diverse as our enemies. Cultural, language, and educational barriers affect the quality of intelligence we can gather; and it's critical that we have the human assets to overcome these barriers. The area of Georgia I represent is home to several HBCUs with specific expertise in critical languages. Engaging centers of academic excellence such as these will help the intelligence community meet our strategic security goals and will produce more sophisticated intelligence officers. This, in turn, will make our country more secure. I, therefore, urge my colleagues to support this amendment and support passage of the bill. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
