Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, whatever priority or alternative use of these funds is being proposed, I can't imagine that it would compete with where this money is being taken away from. The $30 million that has been identified would be taken away from the Fulbright Program, which is one of the most effective programs of public diplomacy the United States has ever produced. Authored by William Fulbright, it has established cultural exchange for decades between the United States and countries around the world and done so much good in terms of projecting American values abroad and inviting people from other countries to come here to the United States to learn about our Nation and what we stand for. I admit that I am biased. I had the privilege and honor, back in 1984, to go to Greece on a Fulbright scholarship, and I saw firsthand the benefits of that program. There are 37 current and former heads of state or government and 57 Nobel laureates who are alumni of the Fulbright Program. The various programs of international cultural exchange are a signature of international exchange that we have in this country. It is really the crown jewel of those programs, and to take any money away from the program, I think, is a very serious mistake. I would also add that investment in the Fulbright Program leverages a tremendous amount of additional resources when you look at what other countries have put into the equation.…”