May 2008
The House of Representatives yesterday passed legislation that would extend a waiver allowing foreign medical students to remain and work in the United States after graduation for five years.
The House last week adopted an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2009 that would require the President to develop a comprehensive interagency strategy for strategic communication and public diplomacy by the end of 2009. According to the amendment text, the strategy would “build upon the strategy outlined by the Strategic Communication and Public Diplomacy Coordinating Committee in the publication titled ‘U.S. National Strategy for Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communication’ (June, 2007).” The Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC) on Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communication was an interagency effort led by then-Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes.
Expressing his “unequivocal support for continuing and expanding” the Visa Waiver program (VWP), Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, sought an update on the status of the program from government officials at a hearing yesterday.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday approved the nomination of Janice L. Jacobs to be Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs. Her nomination, which will next be considered by the full Senate, was approved by unanimous consent of the Committee. Jacobs will replace Maura Harty.
