Members of Congress Call for Increased FY 2016 Funding for NSF, International Education
In a March 24 letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, 136 members of the House of Representatives called for $7.724 billion in funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF) for fiscal year (FY) 2016, a funding level COSSA supports. The letter, which was organized by Reps. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) and David McKinley (R-WV), states, “As our competitors across the globe invest in developing modern and inventive labor forces, our country will fall short if we fail to invest in research now. We must commit to strengthening our research capacities and prepare future generations to help our nation remain a world economic leader… We feel this amount is the minimum level of funding needed to ensure we have the resources to remain globally competitive.”
Similarly, a March 25 Dear Colleague letter to the House Appropriations leadership expressed support for robust FY 2016 funding for the Title VI/Fulbright-Hays international education and foreign language programs. Sponsored by Reps. David Price (D-NC), Don Young (R-AK), and Joe Crowley (D-NY), the letter had a total of 46 signatures from members of the House. The letter notes, “Title VI/Fulbright-Hays programs have had a tremendous impact on our nation over the years by developing a strong foundation in international education, research, and foreign language studies, especially in the less-commonly taught languages of U.S. strategic interest.”