[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 170 (Monday, December 10, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12775-S12777]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BAYH (for himself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Cleland, and Mr. 
        Lieberman):
  S. 1792. A bill to further facilitate service for the United States, 
and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Labor, and 
Pensions.
  Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, today, Senator Bayh and I are 
introducing legislation, the Call to Service Act of 2001, that will 
expand opportunities for Americans to serve our nation. Congressmen 
Ford of Tennessee and Congressman Osborne of Nebraska are offering 
companion legislation in the House, and I want to thank them for their 
strong, bipartisan leadership in the face of America's new challenge at 
home and overseas.
  All of us welcome the support of America's Promise, Teach for 
America, AmeriCorps Alums, City Year, the National Association of 
Service and Conservation Corps, the Naval Reserve Association, the 
Reserve Officers Association, the American Legion, and many other 
groups dedicated to service to our nation.
  Our legislation is not a Democratic or Republican initiative. Duty, 
honor, and country are values that transcend party or ideology. This is 
a uniquely American moment in which a crisis becomes an opportunity to 
harness our

[[Page S12776]]

unity and channel is into what historian Stephen Ambrose describes as 
``common-patriotism.''
  In the aftermath of September 11, the American people have 
demonstrated, through their courage and generosity, that they are 
prepared to meet the challenge that confronts our Nation. Yet, our 
fellow citizens ask how they can do more for their country. That is why 
we should act to provide more opportunities for public service.
  Forty years ago, at the height of the cold war, President John F. 
Kennedy issued his famous call for service, ``Ask not what your country 
can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country.'' His 
clarion challenge inspired millions of Americans to enter into public 
service. President Kennedy created both the civilian Peace Corps and 
the Green Berets as avenues to serve.
  Now, we are confronted with a new challenge.
  In this battle against terror, there are both foreign and domestic 
fronts. The heroic sacrifices of the New York City firefighters and 
police have truly moved the public. Thousands of men and women in 
uniform are now in harms way to defend our liberty and freedom.
  The American people are also ready to serve at home. Walk down any 
street and you will see a blizzard of American flags. Over a billion 
dollars have been contributed to the victims of the terrorist attacks. 
We should seize this moment and issue a new call to service. There will 
be many tasks ahead, both new and old. On the home front, there are new 
security and civil defense needs. The military will also require new 
recruits to confront the challenges abroad and within our borders. And, 
of course, there are many other ongoing service opportunities ranging 
from combating illiteracy to helping children and our elderly.

  A major component of our legislation would be to expand AmeriCorps. 
Since it was created, more than 200,000 Americans have served one-to-
two year stints in AmeriCorps, tutoring children, building low-income 
housing or helping flood-ravaged communities. AmeriCorps achievements 
are impressive: thousands of homes constructed; hundreds of thousands 
of seniors assisted to live independently in their own homes; millions 
of children taught, tutored, and mentored. The program receives broad 
bipartisan support, with 49 of the Nation's 50 Governors signing a 
letter last year urging Congress to support AmeriCorps.
  But for all its concrete achievements, AmeriCorps has a fundamental 
flaw: In its seven years of existence it has barely stirred the 
Nation's imagination. Two out of every three Americans say that they 
have never heard of the program. We seek not only to expand the 
program, but also make certain that it has national objectives. We also 
charge the program with the task of assembling a plan to assist the new 
needs in the area of Homeland Defense.
  We must also ask our Nation's colleges to step up to the plate and 
more aggressively promote service. Currently, only a small fraction of 
college work-study funds are devoted to community service, far less 
than what Congress originally intended when it passed the Higher 
Education Act of 1965. Our legislation requires universities to being 
truly complying with the intent of the act to promote student 
involvement in community activities.
  We should also be concerned by the growing gap between our nation's 
military and civilian cultures. While the volunteer military has been 
successful, fewer Americans know first-hand the sacrifices and 
contributions of their fellow citizens who serve in uniform.
  There are also many civil defense needs that must be met to defend 
our Nation against terrorists attacks and having a shorter-term 
enlistment option will help provide the manpower to defend the security 
of our Nation. An October 15 article in the Los Angeles Times described 
``the sheer size of the task of protecting targets'' within our 
borders. And a recent Newsweek cover story, ``Protecting America: What 
Must Be Done,'' cited a long list of potential terrorist targets, 
including nuclear power plants, seaports, dams, chemical plants, 
airports, water supplies, and government buildings across the United 
States.
  To bolster our preparedness against terrorist attack, our legislation 
allows that Defense Department to create a new short-term enlistment to 
encouraging more young Americans to serve in the military. This new 18-
18-18-enlistment option would provide an $18,000 post-service award for 
18-months of active duty and 18 months of reserve duty.
  Our legislation also significantly improves the benefits of the 
Montgomery GI bill by doubling the annual education benefit from $7,800 
to $15,600 and by encouraging service-members to participate in the 
program through the elimination of the current 10-year requirement from 
use of the GI Bill educational benefits.
  Our legislation also ensures maximum accessibility to colleges and 
high schools by military service recruiters. We close loopholes in 
current recruiting access statutes, especially where colleges may be 
allowing access but not providing, in the spirit of the law, full 
access to recruiters in terms of both information they require and 
reasonable physical presence.
  Finally, our legislation establishes a 9-member Commission on 
Military Recruitment and National Service to be appointed by the 
Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State to examine such things as 
ways to shrink the civilian-military gap and develop ways to bring in a 
larger, broader pool of recruits.
  As a country, we should strive to make national service a rite of 
passage for young Americans. Not only will our Nation benefit, but 
those whose serve will find their lives transformed. They will be able 
to glimpse the glory of serving a cause greater than their self-
interest. They will come to know both the obligations and rewards of 
active citizenship. Over the past few years, we have celebrated the 
achievements of the Greatest Generation. Now a new generation is 
confronted with a challenge to defend our great nation. Let us seize 
the moment and provide Americans with the opportunity to serve our 
great nation.
  Mr. BAYH. Madam President, I rise today with my colleague Senator 
John McCain to introduce the Call to Service Act of 2001. I want to 
express my appreciation to Senator McCain; without his leadership we 
would not be here today. I also want to extend my thanks to Congressman 
Harold Ford and Congressman Tom Osborne for their strong leadership in 
the House on this issue.
  In addition, former President Clinton deserves our thanks and 
gratitude. He championed public service and AmeriCorps during his 
tenure. We build upon his legacy today and acknowledge with pride the 
important contribution to America's well-being he has made in this 
area.
  We are introducing this legislation at a time of great challenge for 
our country. But within this challenge lie the seeds of opportunity if 
we can seize the moment, the seeds of opportunity for civic renewal 
across the United States of America.
  Everywhere I have gone since the tragedy of September 11, people of 
every age are asking, What can I do? How can I help? So to those who 
are looking for a way to help to put something back, we are here today 
to say that the Call to Service Act will give you those opportunities.
  We expand the AmeriCorps program fully fivefold, increasing the 
number of volunteers annually, from 50,000 to 250,000, so that every 4 
years, 1 million young people will have the opportunity to serve our 
country. Fifty percent of the new volunteers will be focused on 
homeland defense to meet the many issues that have come to light and 
need attention since the events of September 11. With this dramatic 
expansion, we include strong accountability measures to ensure 
measurable, positive outcomes for the communities served by AmeriCorps.
  The Call to Service Act significantly expands the serve study 
initiative. Work-study in our colleges was originally intended to get 
kids involved in public service and community work, but unfortunately, 
it has not lived up to that initial promise. The requirement today is 
that 7 percent of students involved in work-study have to be involved 
in community service. We expand that more than threefold to 25 percent, 
to get America's best and brightest giving back to the community. This 
means that every year, approximately 250,000 students will be 
contributing to their communities. Expanding the community service 
portion

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of work-study has broad bipartisan support. In May 2000, General Powell 
sent a letter to the Nation's college presidents to ``work toward a 
goal of dedicating a greater and greater portion of your Federal 
College Work Study funds each year to community service.'' I ask 
unanimous consent that this letter be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                                America's Promise,


                                       The Alliance For Youth,

                                     Alexandria, VA, May 30, 2000.
       Dear Friend: President Clinton has written you and I join 
     him in enlisting your support in a very important endeavor--
     the well being of our Nation's young people.
       Three years ago at the Presidents' Summit for America's 
     Future held in Philadelphia, all the living Presidents of the 
     United States and thousands of other national leaders pledged 
     to harness the power of volunteerism in the service of our 
     Nation's most important resource, our youth. The organization 
     I chair, America's Promise. The Alliance for Youth, was born 
     at the 1997 Presidents' Summit, and it continues today 
     mobilizing communities, individuals, organizations, and 
     institutions to make five key promises to every youngster: an 
     ongoing relationship with a caring adult--parent, mentor, 
     tutor or coach; safe places and structured activities during 
     non-school hours; a healthy start; a marketable skill through 
     effective education; and an opportunity to give back through 
     community service.
       Colleges and universities can play a crucial role in this 
     movement. Actually, many have already enlisted in our crusade 
     by becoming Colleges and Universities of Promise. With that 
     pledge they make a commitment to keep the Five Promises to 
     young people in their communities.
       One very substantial way you can contribute is by using the 
     Federal College Work Study Program to enable hundreds of 
     thousands of college students to serve in the communities 
     where they study. By being tutors or mentors, or by working 
     with local schools and youth-service organizations, college 
     students can make a tangible difference in the lives of young 
     children. I can attest that there are thousands more 
     nonprofit organizations and community groups serving young 
     children and youth that would benefit profoundly from the 
     energy and idealism of your students.
       In that spirit, President Clinton is asking you to commit a 
     greater share of your work study assignments to community 
     service. I second the President's request and encourage you 
     to work toward a goal of dedicating a greater and greater 
     portion of your Federal College Work Study funds each year to 
     community service. Institutions of higher learning have 
     always been leaders in the life of our nation. I hope you 
     will seize this opportunity to demonstrate that leadership 
     again.
       Please join in this effort. Help us to keep America's 
     Promise. Thank you and best wishes.
           Sincerely,
                                  Gen. Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret),
                                                         Chairman.
                                 ______