Congress Bundestag-Bundesrat Staff Exchange Program 2024

This year, Meridian welcomed 10 German staffers to Washington, DC to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the Congress Bundestag-Bundesrat Staff Exchange Program (CBBSX). The program, which was first established in 1983, sends a bipartisan delegation of 10 American Congressional staffers and 10 German Bundestag-Bundesrat staffers to either side of the Atlantic. The objective of the program is to have participants learn about the political system of their host country.

Program Overview

Germany and the United States have enjoyed friendly diplomatic relations since 1974, and the continued iterations of this exchange program serve as an important effort to renew our ongoing cooperation and understanding.

While in Washington, the group visited the German Embassy and the Department of State for briefings on US-German relations and collaboration, before attending an opening dinner by Purple Patch Restaurant founder and Chef Patrice Cleary, who spoke to the group about the value of diplomatic exchange and her legendary efforts to create the first Filipino restaurant in Washington, DC.

For the remainder of the week, the group attended various meetings on Capitol Hill set up by their Congressional counterparts. The meetings included a tour of the House floor and meetings with the House Parliamentarian, Congressman Westerman (R-AR), Congressman McGovern (D-MA), Senator Boozman (R-AR), and Congressman Jeffries (D-NY).

The group was also able to visit the National Public Radio (NPR) headquarters and attend a variety of cultural events around the city.

Normally, the participants spend the entirety of their trip in Washington, DC, but recent changes in programming allowed Meridian to collaborate with our partners in Baltimore to send the group on a daytrip to Annapolis, Maryland for meetings with the Secretary of State’s Office, the Naval Academy, and the Maryland General Assembly.

Meridian International Center is honored to facilitate the ongoing efforts of this important exchange and is excited to continue participating in this symbolic program representing the robust relationship between the USA and Germany.

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