Political Quotes

“Since 1983, tens of thousands of students have participated in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange, or CBYX, program with Germany. This program allows young professionals from both the United States and Germany to spend a year abroad to intern and study a different culture while living with a host family. During their experience, students from both countries develop a better understanding of foreign cultures and expand their knowledge and leadership potential exponentially. This fellowship provides extensive language training, strong courses of study at foreign universities, and the opportunity to be fully immersed in another culture, thereby culminating in a very unique experience. Members of the German-Bundestag hold this program in especially high esteem as they hand select their nominees and build very strong personal relationships with them. While Members of the United States Congress are not as involved in the selection process of American participants, the American equivalent would include the prestige that congressional nominations for military academies carry. Over the years, this program has shown tremendous success in fostering a stronger relationship between the United States and Germany, which is why I was particularly disappointed to see the Department of State cut its funding by half in 2015. These reductions of CBYX came despite Congress' continued bipartisan support over this program for decades.…”