The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“BUNDESRAT EXCHANGE” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E813 on June 21, 2019.
The State Department is responsibly for international relations with a budget of more than $50 billion. Tenure at the State Dept. is increasingly tenuous and it's seen as an extension of the President's will, ambitions and flaws.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 2019 CONGRESS-BUNDESTAG/BUNDESRAT EXCHANGE
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HON. NANCY PELOSI
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, June 21, 2019
Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, since 1983, the U.S. Congress House and Senate and the German Bundestag and Bundesrat have conducted an annual exchange program for staff members from both countries. The program gives professional staff the opportunity to observe and learn about each other's political institutions and interact on issues of mutual interest.
A staff delegation from the U.S. Congress will be selected to visit Germany from Friday, November 1 to Sunday, November 10, 2019. During this exchange, the delegation will attend meetings with Bundestag/
Bundesrat party staff members, and representatives of numerous political, business, academic and media agencies.
A comparable delegation of German staff members will visit the United States from Saturday, September 14 to Sunday, September 22, 2019. They will attend similar meetings in Washington.
The Congress-Bundestag/Bundesrat Exchange is highly regarded in Germany and the United States and is one of several exchange programs sponsored by public and private institutions in the United States and Germany to foster better understanding of the politics and policies of both countries. This exchange is funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The U.S. delegation should consist of experienced and accomplished Hill staff who can contribute to the success of the exchange on both sides of the Atlantic. The Bundestag reciprocates by sending senior staff professionals to the United States.
Applicants should have a demonstrable interest in events in Europe. Applicants need not be working in the field of foreign affairs, although such a background can be helpful. The composite U.S. delegation should exhibit a range of expertise in issues of mutual concern to the United States and Germany such as, but not limited to, trade, security, the environment, economic development, health care, and other social policy issues. This year's delegation should be familiar with transatlantic relations within the context of recent world events.
Please note that the U.S. participants are expected to plan and implement the meetings and programs for the Bundestag/Bundesrat staff members when they visit the United States.
Participants are selected by a bipartisan committee.
Members of the House and Senate who would like a member of their staff to apply for participation in this year's program should direct them to submit a resume and cover letter in which they state their qualifications, the contributions they can make to a successful program and some assurances of their ability to participate during the time stated.
Applications should be sent to the Office of Interparliamentary Affairs, HC-4, the Capitol, by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019.
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