Recognizing the 40th Anniversary of the White House Fellows Program

RECOGNIZING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WHITE HOUSE FELLOWS PROGRAM -- (House of Representatives - October 25, 2005)

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 269) recognizing the 40th anniversary of the White House Fellows Program.

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Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 269. This resolution, introduced by my distinguished colleague from Texas (Mr. Barton), honors the 40th class of Fellows participating in the White House Fellows Association. The program was founded in 1964 by President Lyndon Baines Johnson and is considered one of the most prestigious opportunities for leadership and public service today.

Offered strictly on a nonpartisan basis, White House Fellowships offer exceptional young people firsthand experience in working at the highest levels of Federal Government. White House Fellows spend a year assisting full-time senior White House staff, the Vice President, Cabinet secretaries and other senior officials. Fellows are also invited to take part in educational travel in order to examine United States domestic and international policy in action. Finally, the education program offers roundtable discussions including leaders from both the private and public sectors.

The purpose of the White House Fellows program is to shape young minds into having an understanding of the challenges faced by the Federal Government. The leadership and public affairs development offered by the program is crucial to the functioning of our system in that it provides us with exceptional young professionals in our nongovernmental sector.

President Johnson's idea for the program was clear when he said, ``I want to give the Fellows firsthand high-level experience in the workings of the Federal Government and to increase their sense of participation in national affairs.'' President Johnson's hope was that those who were given this extraordinary opportunity would ``continue their work as private citizens on their public agendas.''

In Congress today, both the sponsor of this resolution, Congressman Joe Barton, and Senator Sam Brownback are former White House Fellows. I hope that my colleagues will join me in recognizing this exceptional program through the adoption of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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