Department of State educational and cultural exchange programs received $598.8 million for FY 2012 in the “megabus” spending package passed by Congress on Friday and Saturday. This funding level is exactly even with the final FY 2011 appropriation for exchanges, and falls $38.9 million below the President’s FY12 request.

While Congress passed the first of its overdue FY 2012 appropriations bills in the form of a three-bill “minibus” (Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, and Transportation-HUD), it seems unlikely to do the same with the remaining nine bills. Thus, Congress is likely to wrap the remaining funding measures, including the State-Foreign Operations bill (which funds Department of State exchanges), into one “bulky” omnibus package, CQ.com reports.

We urgently need your help.  

We understand that a Senate floor battle is looming on foreign affairs spending.  The State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill, in which exchanges are funded, is expected to come to the Senate floor in the next few days.  As you know, the Senate appropriation for Department of State exchange programs in FY 2012 ($612 million) is far higher than that of the House ($538 million). Successful amendments that strip funds from the bill will put Senate appropriators at a lower starting point in their negotiations with House appropriators in the final draft of the legislation.

While it remains unclear how much U.S. government money will be appropriated in FY 2012 for international exchange programs, including the Fulbright Program, other countries have been “steadily raising their financial commitment to [Fulbright]—a sign of international interest in academic ties despite the tough economic times,” the Chronicle of Higher Education reports: