Fulbright Under Fire

A few days ago, I received this disturbing email from the Fulbright Association:

ACTION ALERT - PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS IMMEDIATELY TO DEFEAT THE JOHNSON AMENDMENT
We have learned that Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) will likely offer an amendment to H.R. 5672* that would cut $10 million from the State Department's Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs account in order to increase funding to the Office of Justice Programs' Juvenile Justice Programs. This amendment may be brought to the House floor for consideration at any moment.
PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE RIGHT NOW TO ASK THEM TO VOTE AGAINST THIS AMENDMENT. To look up the name and phone number of your Representative, please go to http://capwiz.com/fulbright/dbq/officials/.

I can't believe that Congress wants to cut funding for educational programs like Fulbright in order to pump more money in to the criminal injustice system. What a stellar idea...instead of investing in kid's educational and intellectual future, let's build more prisons and juvey halls so we can really learn 'em!

I really think Fulbright and other similar programs are our only hope for building sound, sane and most importantly informed foreign policy. Cultural exchange is the most important item in our diplomatic toolbox! I know that sounds nerdy, but living overseas has made me realize the depth of our government's foreign policy miscalculations, not just on issues of war or economic liberalization, but in the lesser-publicized arenas like reproductive health and environmental policy.

I feel like that bald guy at the beginning of the Godfather. "I...believe...in Emerica." I do believe in America, and I believe in democracy. I called Michigan Representatives Stabenow and Ehlers from a sweaty phone booth in the middle of the street in Kolkata to voice my concern over this bungling bill. I hope you'll do the same. If you're a MI resident, I've included the Reps' information below.

Fulbright ain't perfect---its gatekeepers need to do a lot of work to further expand the opportunities it offers to a broader range of people (i.e. low income, Black, Latino, and Native students), but its worthy goals are worth saving from the shredder of the Congressional Budget Committee.

Michigan Representative Debbie Stabenow (D)
Lansing: (517) 203-1760
Washington: (202) 224-4822

Michigan Representative Vernon Ehlers (R)
Grand Rapids: (616) 451-8383
Washington: (202) 225-3831