[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 19, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H7185]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          CONTINUE AMERICORPS

  (Mr. BAESLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. BAESLER. Mr. Speaker, I have been a consistent supporter of 
AmeriCorps. I have seen the difference it has meant for my State of 
Kentucky and charities all over the country.
  AmeriCorps is lean and nonbureaucratic, has moved much of the 
decisionmaking out to the States, and is accountable.
  When I see an organization that can take tough actions, it impresses 
me. The Corporation for National Service just made a very tough 
decision: it cut off a grant in midstream to the ACORN Housing 
Corporation.
  After a demonstration by a different ACORN in March stopped a speech 
by the Speaker, some asked whether AmeriCorps had been involved. 
AmeriCorps acted immediately. They got a signed statement that no 
AmeriCorps member was involved, and that the two ACORN's were entirely 
separate.
  AmeriCorps could have stopped there. But it didn't. The CEO of the 
Corporation asked the IG to investigate, and to find out if any of the 
AmeriCorps money was being used to benefit ACORN.
  The IG didn't find any AmeriCorps members involved in the 
demonstration, but did find that there was a close relationship between 
the two ACORN's. AmeriCorps has always said it wouldn't permit 
advocacy, directly or indirectly, so it stopped the grant in its 
tracks.
  Now, it's a better news story when an AmeriCorps program does 
something great, as they do every day in Kentucky. But it's also 
important when AmeriCorps does something that won't make the news, but 
shows the ability to do the right thing just as clearly. I just hope 
that this Congress also does the right thing, and continues AmeriCorps.


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