Prairie State Wire

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined NAFSA: Association of International Educators for its annual conference to discuss his longstanding support for international education opportunities for Americans, as well as making an American education more accessible to international students seeking higher education.  Durbin delivered remarks at the conference, noting the importance of legislation like his bipartisan Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act, which would create a grant program at the State Department for institutions of higher education to encourage the expansion of study abroad opportunities to nontraditional locations for underrepresented American college students. 

Durbin also spoke about the immigration challenges Dreamers, as well as international students, face.  In addition to working toward a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, Durbin reiterated his support for helping student visa holders and international students stay in the U.S. after they graduate.  Durbin is the author of the Keep STEM Talent Act, which would exempt foreign students with advanced U.S. degrees in STEM fields from numerical limitations for green cards and allow students in STEM fields to maintain their status if sponsored for a green card.  

“I was honored to be a part of an exchange program for young elected officials that allowed me to visit Eastern Europe, including my mother’s birthplace of Lithuania, during the darkness of Soviet occupation.  Decades later, that experience still sticks with me.  American college students should have access to similar programs that widen their worldview and allows them to experience other cultures,” said Durbin. “I appreciated the opportunity to speak with NAFSA leaders today and thank them for their efforts to foster global education and support international students.” 

A photo of the event is available here.

Durbin is also the sponsor of the READ Act Reauthorization Act, which would reauthorize the Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development (READ) Act of 2017 for an additional five years to equitably expand access to basic education for children around the globe by responding to the needs of developing countries to achieve improvements to literacy; strengthening education systems and expanding access to safe learning; promoting education as a foundation for sustained economic growth; and monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness and quality of basic education programs in partner countries.

Original source can be found here.