[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 92 (Friday, June 20, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1312-E1313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO TINA ROBLES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 19, 2003

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise before this body of Congress and 
this nation today to pay tribute to a remarkable woman from my 
district. Tina Robles of Grand Junction, Colorado just celebrated her 
87th birthday, and as her family and friends mark the occasion, I would 
like to honor Tina here today.
  Tina and her family embody the American dream. As Mexican-Americans, 
Sarah and her late husband Antonia raised their family to believe in 
the undying spirit of our great nation. They are proud of their dual 
heritage and have taught their kids that in order to succeed in America 
you need dedication, patience, and perseverance. At the same time, the 
family has maintained pride in their culture as Mexican-Americans, 
enriching this country while celebrating their diverse heritage. Today, 
Tina is the matriarch of a sizable extended family. With 14 children, 
52 grandkids, 60 great-grandchildren, and even 5 great-great grandkids, 
there is plenty of love to go around. However, even with so many 
relatives, Tina holds a special place in each of their hearts--I know 
they each join me in celebrating her 87 years.
  Mr. Speaker, Tina Robles's ability to raise a large, loving, and 
successful family exemplifies the characteristics that helped build 
this great country. I am truly honored to recognize her here today. I 
congratulate Tina for her success, wish her a happy birthday, and thank 
her for being such an outstanding role model for today's families. So 
what happened? The reason is simple--last year, the Corporation over-
enrolled the AmeriCorps program by more than 20,000 and the Bush 
Administration took money from the National Service Education Trust, 
which is used to pay the education stipends of AmeriCorps members 
following their service. The OMB and GAO have declared that this money 
must be paid back using the coming year's appropriated funds.

  The GAO has identified several factors that led to the Corporation's 
incorrect accounting practice. The factors included inappropriate 
obligation practices, little or no communication among key Corporation 
executives, too much flexibility given to grantees regarding 
enrollments, unreliable data on the number of AmeriCorps participants, 
and not following the law in recording its legal liabilities.

[[Page E1313]]

  This legislation will help address the AmeriCorps problem, at least 
in the short term. It creates a budgeting mechanism that ensures the 
Corporation has the funds needed to pay educational awards. Under this 
bill, the Corporation would be able to enroll about 50,000 AmeriCorps 
members, without the need for additional funds.
  We now know that recording obligations based on the approved level of 
AmeriCorps members in the program does not reflect the true performance 
of the program. Not all AmeriCorps volunteers successfully complete 
service, and not all AmeriCorps members who do complete service use 
their educational award benefit. Accordingly, this bill allows the 
Corporation to fund AmeriCorps grants based on estimates of the number 
of members who will likely complete and use their education award. 
Further, the bill requires an annual actuarial audit of the National 
Service Trust to ensure that the Federal Government is able to meet its 
liabilities. The bill also requires the chief executive officer to 
certify that the Corporation has properly recorded and tracked its 
obligations.
  We should pass this legislation as quickly as possible. Without it, 
uncertainty and disagreement will delay and limit the enrollment of 
AmeriCorps volunteers. Considering the demand and the need for this 
program, we cannot afford to wait.
  But I need to emphasize that this is not a permanent solution. We 
must restore the proper level of funding to allow AmeriCorps to operate 
at full strength. We must restore funding for both the National Service 
Education Trust and the AmeriCorps program. America's communities need 
AmeriCorps today more than ever, and the talented and dedicated 
AmeriCorps members need to receive their education stipends following 
their service.

                          ____________________