Congressional Study Group on Europe
The U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress is delighted to announce the creation of the Congressional Study Group on Europe (CSGE), a dynamic forum for influential policy and decision makers to probe, examine, and candidly discuss the issues and concerns of mutual interest to the United States and Europe. As is the case with the other existing Study Groups, FMC will draw on the leadership of two Congressional co-chairs—a Republican and Democrat—who will be actively engaged in shaping the group’s message and agenda. We are thrilled to share that Representative Ben Chandler (D-KY) and Representative Charlie Dent (R-PA) have agreed to serve as CSGE’s bipartisan co-chairs.
The Congressional Study Group on Europe will bring current Members of Congress, senior Congressional staff, and key former Members of Congress together with their legislative counterparts, government officials, business representatives, and academics from the EU and other parts of Europe. It will serve as a platform for all participants to learn firsthand about issues that affect the prosperity and security of the United States and Europe.
The Congressional Study Group on the Europe will educate U.S. Members of Congress about the increasingly vital position of the EU and Europe in affecting global issues such as terrorism, global financial markets, and energy security. The dialogue will include current and former legislators from both sides of the Atlantic, will be issue-specific, and will aim to generate mutual understanding as the two continents confront evolving challenges. The focus of this new Study Group is to look beyond the EU to the broader, larger Europe: the evolving Europe and its many new and crucial players. During our ongoing meetings with European Ambassadors, we are finding great interest in this new Study Group and our last Senior Congressional Staff Trip to Europe included a one-day stop in Brussels.
Good U.S.-European relations and better channels of communication are becoming increasingly essential to the commercial and economic health of both entities. The U.S.-European transatlantic relationship is as compelling as before, but the issues are continuously evolving in a changing world context. Therefore, a continued and active dialogue involving Washington and the capitals of the European sovereign states, as well as Brussels, is of paramount importance. The United States and Europe must continue to work together and find commonality so that Europe continues to be an ally and partner into the 21st century and beyond.
For more information about the CSGE, please contact our International Programs Director Sabine Schleidt at 202.507.4849 or sschleidt -at- usafmc (dot) org.