[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 19 (Tuesday, March 3, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H695-H696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PEACE CORPS DAY 1998

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 21, 1997, the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, it has been 35 years since I 
joined the American Peace Corps, and I rise today to celebrate this 
month and this very day, the 37th anniversary of the Peace Corps.
  It was started on March 1, 1961, when President Kennedy signed 
legislation passed by this Congress creating the Peace Corps.
  Today there are more than 150,000 returned volunteers in the United 
States, five of whom serve in the House of Representatives and two in 
the United States Senate.
  Today, because of the anniversary of the Peace Corps, there are more 
than 6,000 returned volunteers that are presently, as I speak, working 
in schools throughout the United States to bring a program called World 
Wise Schools. They bring the cross-cultural awareness of these 
countries that they served in to the school children of America.
  I just participated in a program like that downtown at the Peace 
Corps headquarters, where we had life interaction with students from 
South Africa, that was being taught by an American Peace Corps 
volunteer from Washington, D.C.
  Today there are 84 countries in the world that have invited the Peace 
Corps to be in them. There are 6,500 volunteers that are now serving 
overseas. They are addressing the critical development needs on a 
person-to-person basis, helping spread and gain access to clean water; 
to grow more food; to help prevent the spread of AIDS; to teach 
English, math and science; to help entrepreneurs start new businesses; 
and to work with nongovernmental organizations to protect our 
environment.
  In fact, the demand for Peace Corps far exceeds the supply. For my 
conservative friends on the other side of the aisle, I wanted you to 
recall that the President has asked for expansion of the Peace Corps in 
his address to the Congress here just last month. In his 1999 budget 
request, he wants to put

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10,000 volunteers, up about 35,000 more volunteers, serving overseas by 
the year 2000. The demand for their service is there, the supply is 
not, and the only thing that stands between that is the United States 
Congress and its ability to appropriate the funds. I encourage my 
colleagues to do so.
  The proposed expansion of the Peace Corps comes at a time when the 
interest in serving as a volunteer is particularly high. Last year, 
more than 150,000 Americans contacted the Peace Corps to request 
information on serving as volunteers, an increase of more than 40 
percent since 1994.
  The value of the volunteers and their experience is not restricted to 
overseas service. I can testify that the best service that is given to 
the Peace Corps is the domestic dividend that we all bring when we come 
home.
  I urge all of those Members of Congress that they ought to think 
someday even when they retire, that Peace Corps has no limit to the age 
that one can enter. Remember President Carter's mother who entered the 
Peace Corps in her elderly years. I encourage on this 37th anniversary 
of the Peace Corps that we all be proud of what was created here in the 
House of Representatives and what has served its country well, the 
United States Peace Corps.

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