Outreach and Advocacy

In service to the University and to our students, the Office of Federal Relations identifies and addresses issues that are of interest to our multiple constituencies and to higher education in general. We provide outreach and advocacy whether it is mounting an effort to increase Pell Grants or protecting the Perkins Loan program, or providing testimony before Congressional Committees regarding aspects of the tax code important to the University. Recent formal communications with Congress and Federal Agencies include:

Statements of Support

  • DREAM act

  • University Endowment
    • Letter from Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) on University Endowments (February 25, 2008)
    • Supplemental materials to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) on University Endowments (February 25, 2008)

  • District of Columbia Voting Representation in the House
    • Letter from Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner urging favorable action on H. R. 328, District of Columbia Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2007. (February 13, 2007)

  • Higher Education Act Reauthorization
    • Letter from Assistant Vice President Scott Fleming to House Education and Labor Committee bipartisan leadership sharing views on upcoming Higher Education Act Reauthorization (April 17, 2007)
    • Letter from Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia commenting on key provisions of H. R. 609, College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005 (August 31, 2005)

  • International Education
    • Letter from President DeGioia responding to concerns of Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) regarding Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding (February 22, 2008)
    • Testimony in support of Title VI of the Higher Education Act by Dr. Angela Stent, Director Georgetown University Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Affairs, and Dr. Barbara Stowasser, Director, National Resource Center on the Middle East and Center on Contemporary Arab Studies, before hearing of House Select Committee on Education (June 19, 2003)

  • Support for Biomedical Research
    • Letter from GUMC Executive Vice President Howard Federoff to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-PA) in support of increased NIH funding in Senate's proposed Fiscal 2008 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Appropriations (October 9, 2007)
    • Testimony of GUMC Professor James Wilson, MD, before Seante Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia regarding the ISIS Center's Global Argus Program (October 4, 2007)

  • Increased Commitment to Scientific Research
    • Letter to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman John McCain (May 8, 2003)
    • Letter from Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia in support of H. R. 4664, National Science Foundation Authorization of 2002 (May 14, 2002)

  • Building on the Success of CASS and ECESP
    • Testimony by CIED Director Chantal Santelices before House State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Subcommittee (March 20, 2007)
    • Letter from Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) to Acting USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore urging her to continue the East Central European Scholarship Program in Albania and Macedonia (September 17, 2007)
    • FY2007 Testimony Before House Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee
    • FY2007 Testimony Before Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs

  • International Student Visas
    • Testimony by Executive Director of International Programs, Katherine Bellows Before Joint Hearing of House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight and House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness (June 29, 2007)
    • Statement Before Senate Foreign Relations Committee (October 6, 2004)
    • Letter to Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Maura Harty (May 28, 2004)
    • Letter to House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Chairman John Hostettler (May 7, 2003)
    • Statement Before House Committee on Education and the Workforce (October 31, 2001)

  • IRA Rollover for Charitable Purposes
    • Letter to Senate Committee Finance and House Committee on Ways and Means on Katrina Tax Relief/ Charitable IRA Rollover (September 5, 2005)
    • Letter to Senate Committee Finance Conferees on JOBS Bill (October 1, 2004)
    • Letter to Senate Committee on Finance and House Committee on Ways and Means (December 10, 2003)
    • Letter to Speaker Hastert and Minority Leader Pelosi (April 10, 2003)
    • Letter to House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman William M. Thomas (October 9, 2001)
    • Letter to Senate Committee on Finance Chairman Max Baucus (October 9, 2001)
    • Congressional Testimony (June 14, 2001)
    • Letter of Support (May 4, 2001)

  • Addressing Education Regulatory Issues
    • Letter to House Subcommittee on Twenty-First Century Competitiveness (July 20, 2001)

  • Maintaining Federal Support for Fuel Cell Bus Program
    • Letter to House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Harold Rogers (June 19, 2001)

  • Strengthening Federal Student Aid
    • Georgetown Student, Justin Lepscier, Speaks Out at Student Aid Alliance Session (June 28, 2007)
    • Statement by Luis A. Torres Before House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education (May 7, 2003)
    • Letter to Senators Kennedy and Feingold (April 3, 2001)

News and Related Testimony [Links to a newspaper article which may require registration or expire.]

  • Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton's tribute to 100 years of Hoya Basketball
  • Student Discusses Importance of Federal Student Financial Aid to His Education (October 11, 2004)
  • Representative Chris Van Hollen's Tribute to Dean Phyllis O'Callaghan and the Georgetown University Liberal Studies Degree Program (October 7, 2004)
  • Georgetown Student Lobbies on Capitol Hill for Increased Federal Financial Aid Funding (April 20, 2001)