Dick Lugar: “I would like to hear his thoughts about German-American student exchanges and the reasons why the bill before us does…”

“I would like to hear his thoughts about German-American student exchanges and the reasons why the bill before us does not include any appropriation for these important exchanges. Let me assert first of all that I am a strong and enthusiastic supporter of the CBYX program that has been in existence now for 15 years. I recall the enthusiasm in the Senate when, in 1983, the late Senator Heinz introduced the bill authorizing this exchange program. Many of us rose to endorse it and the legislation received unanimous support. The legislation was inspired by the events surrounding the critical decision by the German Government to deploy United States Pershing-II missiles in Germany--a decision which, in my judgment accelerated the end of the Cold War. At the time, it became evident that there were fundamental misunderstandings within Germany of United States intentions and equally shallow perceptions about Germany in the United States. The German Government felt the need for correcting misperceptions about the United States most acutely and initiated a process to establish and fund a youth exchange program with the United States. The Congress-Bundestag exchange program that emerged from those efforts was not just another bilateral exchange program. Rather, it has become an essential component of American foreign policy.”