From Capitol Hill: Additional Legislative News

Federal Funding Updates

With the 2011 federal budget resolved, Congress will now begin serious debates over the FY2012 budget; and while the FY2011 budget has been approved, many House Republicans continue to express their disapproval of the bill, claiming that cuts were too few and that much deeper cuts will be necessary in 2012. President Obama has requested $637.1 million for State exchange programs for FY2012, a $37.1 million increase over the enacted FY2011 resolution. While this increase in funding is essential for maintaining exchanges, it will be challenging ensuring that Congress understands the importance of exchanges and retains funding levels for organizations like Sister Cities International. If you would like to advocate on Sister Cities International’s behalf, please contact Jennelle Root at (202) 347-8630 or by email at jroot@sister-cities.org.

April 2011— Congress Passes 2011 Appropriations Bill

On April 14 Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government until September 30, 2011. In this bill, Department of State international exchange programs will receive $600 million for the remainder of FY 2011, a cut of $35 million or 5.5 per cent, from the FY 2010 enacted level of $635 million. According to the House Appropriations Committee, all non-defense accounts are slated to receive an additional 0.2 per cent across-the-board cut, however it is still unclear how this will affect Sister Cities International prog

Archived Federal News:

June 2010 — House subcommittee provides $635 million for exchanges in FY 2011

January 2010 — S.2971.IS Senate Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011

January 2010 — S.2971.IS Senate Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011

July 2009 — H.R.2410.IH House Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011

June 2009 —H.R.111-187 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, 2010

June 2009 — S.SR.111-44 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, 2010

Additional Online Advocacy Resources

Along with our own advocacy efforts, Sister Cities International also supports the Alliance for International Education and Cultural Exchanges, a coalition that represents 78 educational and cultural exchange organizations. Since its creation in 1993, the Alliance has also worked with Sister Cities International to increase the visibility of exchange organizations on Capitol Hill. In 2009, this successful advocacy campaign resulted in millions more federal dollars that were designated for the Department of State and exchange community.

The Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchanges: Visit the Alliance’s webpage for more information on recent legislative developments, events, and political advances relating to the exchange field.

Congress.org: Visit this website to get more information on your state’s Congressional delegation and see what issues they are working on. The search engine will guide you to each member’s personal pages where you will find their contact information and their legislative updates.

Thomas.gov: This website is a direct link to the Library of Congress where you will be able to search for any type of legislation that has been introduced on the floor. You will be able to get the text of the legislation, the voting breakdown, and the date that it was officially passed or voted on.

Visa Resources: Are you having visitors from your Sister City coming for an exchange? Do you need help getting them the appropriate visa? Visit the Visa Resources Page to find out more information on the US visa application process, see what countries require visas, and get some helpful tips on having a successful US Consulate interview. There are also tips on applying for visas for US citizens traveling abroad.

Senate and House Committee Websites:

Senate Appropriations Committee

Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs

House Appropriations Committee

Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs

U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

House Committee on Foreign Affairs