FULBRIGHT FUNDING FOR FY2006... CALL TO ACTION

With reluctance I'm posting this to see if there are any alumni or supporters of the Fulbright program that want to help the Fulbright Association in their push before Congress. Christine was a Fulbright and it paid for her graduate studies and more which is great, but it bothers me everytime I read their internal emails and posts that she forwards me since the vast majority of them bash President Bush. Actually, Christine is not a fan of President Bush, which creates some minor tension in our household... but she will leave the Darkside soon:)

ACTION REQUESTED:
Please contact your members of Congress today to ask them to support funding of $440.2 million for State Department-administered educational and cultural exchange programs for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006. This funding level, included in legislation passed in July by the Senate, would provide an increase of $79.45 million over current spending levels for these programs. It would help strengthen the Fulbright and other flagship exchange programs and build strong exchange initiatives.

Contact Your Senators! Contact Your Representative!

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In February, President Bush requested $430.4 million for educational and cultural exchange programs administered by the Department of State in his FY 2006 budget. In June, the House of Representatives passed its version of appropriations legislation, which includes $410.4 million for these programs. In July, the Senate approved legislation that would appropriate $440.2 million for State Department-administered educational and cultural exchange programs, including Fulbright exchanges. Senate and House members and their staffs will soon be meeting to negotiate the differences between the two bills. Since subcommittees were reconfigured at the beginning of the 109th Congress and the jurisdiction of the relevant subcommittee in each chamber is no longer identical, members of Congress will also have to work out jurisdictional differences in the two bills. In the Senate, State Department programs are included in the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations legislation, while in the House they are included in the Science, State, Justice and Commerce Appropriations legislation. (more here)