Federal Budget and Foreign Language Education

The House of Representatives continues to consider H.R.1, the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act for FY 2011.  This legislation, introduced by Chair of the Appropriations Committee Hal Rogers (R-KY), originally would have reduced this fiscal year’s federal spending by $74 Billion.  Newly-elected tea party Representatives forced the Committee to go back and find further cuts totaling $100 Billion.  The legislation literally addresses every government agency’s budget line-by-line. While program eliminations are still influx, in the Education Department H.R.1 would eliminate the Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) and other small programs dealing with foreign languages.