[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 116 (Thursday, July 31, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10839-S10843]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICORPS
Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I am appalled at the House's refusal to
provide needed emergency supplemental funding to AmeriCorps.
There was an editorial in the Wall Street Journal yesterday
describing their rationale for the House position. The WSJ says, ``the
concept of federally subsidized volunteerism strikes us as something
the country can't afford '' and ``if Congress lacks the nerve to kill
AmeriCorps, then we're glad it at least won't throw good money after
bad.''
The Wall Street Journal can say that this is something the country
can't afford. But I know differently. AmeriCorps is something the
country can't afford to do without.
I will be the first to say that the administration's mismanagement of
funds is disappointing to say the least. It is further upsetting that
they are unwilling to put up the money it takes to keep those mistakes
from hurting the volunteers.
I am also disappointed that the President promised to promote and
grow the program, but is unwilling to put up the money to do so. It is
really unfair for the President and the House to talk out of both sides
of their mouths, supporting volunteerism, but then refusing to pay the
comparatively small cost involved in keeping volunteerism afloat.
But this is not a problem with AmeriCorps volunteers, or with the
communities they serve. Senators Mikulski and Bond in the ``Strengthen
AmeriCorps Act'' are doing the things that need to be done to prevent
future financial discrepancies.
These funding cuts don't punish those who are guilty for the
problems.
[[Page S10840]]
These cuts punish volunteers, and communities, and the beneficiaries of
the volunteers' work.
In Iowa, AmeriCorps volunteers have improved 30,000 acres of wildlife
habitat. They work to improve water quality, they restore prairie land,
they prevent soil erosion, they fix trails, they provide interpretive
centers, and they work with communities to teach people to do these
things year-round on their own.
AmeriCorps volunteers give presentations on disaster preparedness. In
Dubuque, Iowa, 13 year old Korey Monahan took one of those classes. She
went home, and helped her family develop a plan in case of a fire.
Around midnight on April 1, their house did catch fire. But Korey, her
mother Kristy, and her four brothers and sisters survived that fire
because they had a solid plan. Korey won a national award from the
American Red Cross for her outstanding preparedness.
In Davenport, IA, vandalism and crime in city parks have been reduced
sharply in just two months, as AmeriCorps members have begun patrols
through a Park Ambassador program. AmeriCorps members provide a
welcoming presence and act as ``eyes and ears'' for local law
enforcement. They walk through parks, and provide a welcoming presence.
They connect with nearby neighborhood watch groups to recruit
volunteers to join them in helping keep the parks safe and clean.
The REACH, Rural Education and Community Help, AmeriCorps program
provides assistance to battered women and children in rural Iowa and
minority communities where services for victims of domestic violence
are minimal or non-existent. REACH members also provide programs in
schools, including conflict resolution, sexual harassment, diversity
and dating violence.
During the 2001-2002 program year, members made 5,994 victim
contacts. Members also provided court accompaniment to battered women
as they navigate the legal system. In both 2001 and 2002, members
provided legal advocacy at over 600 court hearings.
The original goal was to ensure that no battered women would need to
drive more than thirty miles to receive services. They are well on
their way to making that dream a reality. Four stand-alone offices are
now open. They have secured other sources of funding and have hired
full-time staff. In addition, members have opened offices in sixteen
counties and provide additional coverage to surrounding communities.
Before AmeriCorps, roughly a third of Iowa's 99 counties had services,
now only four in Iowa are without a victim outreach program.
Apparently, helping people like Korey Monahan to save her family from
fire, repairing our environment, reducing crime, and assisting battered
women is ``throwing good money after bad.'' that's not what I call
``bad money,'' and I am glad that Congress saw fit to appropriate it. I
will do all I can to see that we continue to spend ``good money'' for
great purposes.
the amtrak board of directors
Mr. HOLLINGS. The Amtrak board of directors is a seven-member body
charged with making important corporate decisions for the National
Passenger Rail Corporation. The board members are appointed by the
President, and they each bring with them a certain background or
expertise that benefits the National Passenger Rail Corporation and its
executives.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. The most recent Amtrak board was comprised of
governors, mayors and corporate executives, each of whom brought a
unique perspective. A geographically diverse board is crucial to
establishing a national rail system. I was very pleased when President
Bush appointed David Laney of Texas to the board last year. Earlier
this month, Mr. Laney was selected by his fellow board members to serve
as chairman.
Mr. CARPER. As a former member of the Amtrak board and Governor of
Delaware, I personally understand the important role that board members
play in leading the corporation and I want to thank my colleague for
recognizing the special skills that governors bring to such a position.
The board's strong leadership establishes a clear direction for the
corporation and provides proper oversight and accountability. Without
this clear direction, investors and customers can quickly lose
confidence in the company and its ability to preform and grow. The
current board of management has done an excellent job of maintaining a
solid and predictable course through particularly uneasy times.
Mr. HOLLINGS. The board members have a formidable responsibility to
make sound decisions and investments that will successfully serve both
the corporation and the Nation's rail passengers. At this critical
juncture, when Amtrak is poised for either salvation or bankruptcy, the
work of the board must be allowed to continue uninterrupted.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. I fully agree with your concern that the Amtrak board
of directors must continue to function even while the board is in the
process of being restaffed. Terms of two of the board members,
specifically Governor Dukakis and Mayor Smith, expired on June 25. I
understand that the terms of two other board members, Ms. Rosen and
Governor Holton, will expire on September 24. If no new board members
are appointed before September 24, the board will be reduced from seven
members to only three members.
Mr. HOLLINGS. Yes, by September 24, the Amtrak board will lose its
quorum and its ability to function unless it uses other avenues
available under the law to continue its important role. That is why I
am pleased to learn that the board is already exploring measures that
can be taken under the corporate laws of the District of Columbia to
continue to operate as a board even while it cannot achieve a quorum of
members.
Mr. LOTT. It is good to know that there are other legal avenues that
can be followed so that the duties of the Amtrak board are not
suspended indefinitely while candidates are nominated, vetted, and
confirmed by Congress. As we all know, Presidential appointments can
often be a long and arduous process. However, its my hope that the
Commerce Committee and the Senate will consider the confirmation of
Amtrak board members as promptly as possible once we have received
candidates from the President. Of course, I would like to acknowledge
the work of Mayor Smith of Meridian, MS. He agreed to offer his
knowledge and experience to the board, and has served for years as
chairman of Amtrak's board of directors. I am grateful for his
dedication to Amtrak and the excellent work he did for the railroad
during his term. It is most important that the White House provide
names of candidates for the board as quickly as possible so that we can
begin moving through the confirmation process and return the Amtrak
board to its full composition.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. I am concerned that after September 24, there will be
no one on the board from the Northeast corridor, which represents over
half of Amtrak's ridership as well as the primary infrastructure owned
by the corporation. The board needs to have qualified people who are
knowledgeable about the complex operations of the Northeast corridor
and its critical importance to the entire region.
Mr. CARPER. The Senator from Mississippi's comments about the
importance of receiving candidates soon is very true and I hope that
the Bush administration will promptly follow the normal procedures of
appointments, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The members of
the Amtrak board are tasked with leading our national passenger
railroad, with stewardship over substantial Federal resources and the
responsibility of ensuring that the needs of the corporation and the
traveling public are met. A stable and competent board is critical for
so many reasons. Now is not the time for the kind of uncertainty that
would clearly come from an partially staffed or incapacitated board as
my colleagues have mentioned. As vacancies occur on the Amtrak board,
the Bush administration has two critically important obligations that
they must meet to ensure that Amtrak has a chance to survive and
prosper. First, they must allow the Senate to fulfill its
constitutional role of reviewing nominees so that we have the most
qualified and capable people for this important job. Second, while that
process is underway, they must ensure that a strong, fully functional
board remains in place to provide the direction and stability Amtrak
needs.
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, this emergency supplemental would provide
an additional $983.6 million for disaster
[[Page S10841]]
relief and emergency assistance. It is estimated that the disaster
relief fund will exhaust its current funding by the end of July 2003 in
part due to higher-than-expected costs for disaster relief, including
funding for tornadoes and winter storms. These additional resources are
needed to continue to provide necessary emergency assistance.
With respect to the firefighting funds requested by the President, I
am pleased to announce that we have an agreement with the
administration on funds to continue our battle against fires,
particularly in the West and Alaska. The administration has informed me
it remains committed to the President's request for emergency
supplemental appropriations for disaster relief and recovery efforts.
Their commitment to continue to pursue enactment of the full request
when we return in September is paramount to the challenges we face.
I ask unanimous consent that the Transfer Strategy statement be
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Reocrd, as follows:
Transfer Strategy
As of July 28, the Forest Service has obligated $304
million for fire suppression, leaving $48 million in
remaining balances in the suppression account. Based on this
information, the Forest Service will need to transfer between
$147 million and $235 million of unobligated available funds
from other accounts to pay for fire suppression.
The Administration remains committed to the President's
July 7, 2003, request for emergency supplemental
appropriations for disaster relief and recovery efforts and
will continue to pursue enactment of the full request when
Congress returns in September.
The following table illustrates how the Forest Service
would likely transfer funds from other accounts to cover the
anticipated cost.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transfers Transfers
Account to reach to reach
$195 M $283 M
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preparedness.................................. 30 30
Fuels Reduction............................... 10 10
Land Acquisition.............................. 38 65
Capital Improvement and Maintenance........... 11 21
Working Capital Fund.......................... 20
National Forest System........................ 40 40
State and Private Forestry*................... 10 34
Research and Development...................... 8 15
Total..................................... $147 $235
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Includes Forest Legacy Program.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, the Senate now takes up a fiscal year 2003
supplemental appropriations bill in the amount of $983.6 million to
replenish the Federal emergency disaster relief fund in the Department
of Homeland Security.
These funds are urgently needed. In April of this year, Senator
Cochran, chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee,
and I, as the ranking member, urged the administration to release funds
that the President was holding up and also urged the administration to
request necessary funds to shore up a looming shortfall. Now we are
told that the disaster relief fund has a balance of $89 million and is
expected to be completely exhausted by August 8.
The President finally sent up an emergency supplemental request on
July 7 for $1.55 billion to assist recovery efforts in West Virginia
and over 300 other areas in every State of the Nation that had been
hard hit by severe rains, floods, and tornadoes. It took the Senate
Appropriations Committee, under the leadership of Senator Ted Stevens,
only 2 days to report out the necessary $1.55 billion in supplemental
funds for disaster relief. That legislation also included $253 million
for fighting 42 major wildfires which have consumed over 400,000 acres
in 12 Western States, as well as $50 million for unanticipated costs
associated with the recovery and investigation of the Space Shuttle
Columbia accident--all requested by the President.
That legislation also included $100 million for the AmeriCorps
program in order to avoid deep cuts in the number of volunteers at a
time when the President has proposed to increase the number of
volunteers by 50 percent.
Only 2 days later, on July 11, this legislation cleared the Senate
floor by a vote of 85 to 7, and conferees on behalf of the Senate were
appointed. During Senate debate, the $100 million for AmeriCorps was
voted on separately and was sustained by an overwhelming 71-to-21 vote.
Now here we are almost 3 weeks later. The House Members have gone
home for an August recess. Just before they left, they sent over to the
Senate a $983.6 million stand-alone supplemental for disaster relief
only without the necessary funds for fighting the wildfires in 12
Western States, nor the funds for the Columbia Shuttle investigation,
nor the necessary funds for AmeriCorps. According to the latest
Department estimates, this funding level for disaster relief isn't even
enough to make it to September 30. The House sent to the Senate this
stripped-down, stand-alone supplemental for disaster relief on a take-
it-or-leave-it basis.
This is no way to legislate. The chairman of the Appropriations
Committee knows that I am not blaming him. He has been trying
energetically to engage the House to accept the necessary funds for
fighting wildfires, for the NASA shuttle investigation, and for the
AmeriCorps shortfall. However, the House leadership and its allies in
the White House have turned a deaf ear to needs of the firefighters in
the Western States, the requirements of the NASA investigation, and the
20,000 AmeriCorps volunteers who are expecting to embark on a program
of working in schools teaching our children reading and math, providing
care to our senior citizens, cleaning up our parks, and other valuable
volunteer services to our communities.
All of these funds are urgently needed, and none are more urgently
needed than the funding for disaster relief.
I am advised that, because of the lateness of the administration's
request, FEMA has already stopped making payments to States for $400
million of infrastructure repairs in the 300 communities with
outstanding natural disasters. Communities have already been forced to
put projects for repairing damage from past disasters on hold.
In my State of West Virginia, for example, I am told that payments
for projects have not been made since February of this year almost 6
months ago. West Virginia is owed over $10 million in disaster relief
fund payments. Of this amount, $7 million is owed for payments for
repairs to dams, sewers, and public buildings, and $3 million is owed
to reimburse the State of West Virginia for hazard mitigation,
including acquisition and demolition of properties in floodplains and
for relocating structures.
In McDowell County, WV, for example, FEMA owes $1.1 million to help
McDowell County to acquire 64 structures that were substantially
damaged or demolished in the June 2002 flood.
In the town of Welch, WV, FEMA owes $250,000 for a sewer project
already completed by the contractor. The town is unable to pay the
contractor for the work, which could result in a lawsuit.
A similar situation obtains in the city of Bradshaw, where the work
has been completed to prevent raw sewage from being dumped into a
river. In this case, an amount of $50,000 is owed to the contractor.
The West Virginia Conservation Agency, a State agency responsible for
cleaning blockages forming in streams, dams, and reservoirs to avoid
further flooding and damage, is owed $200,000 by FEMA. The State agency
has an annual budget of $500,000 and FEMA's delay has caused the
agency's balances to drop to near zero. As a consequence, should there
be another flood in West Virginia, the State conservation agency would
not be able to perform its work.
These problems exist all across the country. We cannot wait any
longer. We must approve this urgent legislation. However, because of
the intransigence of the other body, we will be acting, regrettably,
without providing the necessary funds for fighting wildfires, for
investigating the Space Shuttle Columbia accident, or for the shortfall
in the AmeriCorps program.
Once again, the President has failed to follow through on his
promises. This legislation is $566 million below the administration's
budget request for disaster relief. It is $50 million less than the
administration budget request for NASA. It is $289 million less than
the administration's budget request for fighting wildfires. It includes
no funds for the shortfall in AmeriCorps--a program the administration
claims it supports.
By its failure to engage the House leadership in support of these
funds, the President's silence speaks volumes. It is the same old
administration theme of rhetoric without resources.
[[Page S10842]]
Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, it is imperative that the Senate act on
this measure now. The Department of Homeland Security's Emergency
Preparedness and Response disaster relief fund has been depleted to a
dangerously low level. This is due to nearly $300 million in unexpected
expenses related to the Shuttle Columbia disaster recovery effort, and
another $200 million because of the tornadoes and floods that have
affected many States this year.
On July 7, 2003, the President submitted an emergency supplemental
request to Congress totaling $1.9 billion.
Emergency supplemental appropriations fully funding the President's
request are included in the Senate-passed fiscal year 2004 Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act. However, the House approved for the
Department of Homeland Security's Emergency Preparedness and Response
disaster relief fund only $983.6 million. Not only does this bill not
meet the needs of wildland fire management and NASA, but it does not
include all that is needed in the Emergency Preparedness and Response
disaster relief fund. The House bill is not sufficient to meet the
needs for disaster relief outlined by the President in his request.
I received from my state's Emergency Management Agency a specific
request that illustrates why this supplemental is needed now. I ask
unanimous consent that a copy of the letter from Robert Latham, Jr. be
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
Mississippi Emergency
Management Agency,
Jackson, MS, July 30, 2003.
Senator Thad Cochran,
Chairman, U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, Dirkson
Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Cochran: The shortage of funds in the federal
disaster relief account is placing serious financial
hardships on the communities in our state. The State of
Mississippi has experienced 8 presidential disasters in 2\1/
2\ years. As a result 79 of our 82 counties have been
declared disaster areas by the President during this short
period of time. Because of 2 previous open disasters,
Mississippi now has 10 open disasters.
Currently the federal obligation for Public Assistance
under these open disasters is over $31.5 million. These funds
are critical to the rebuilding of critical infrastructure
such as public buildings, roads, bridges, and schools in our
cities and counties. In addition to this, we currently have
in excess of $5 million in submitted projects designed to
mitigate the effects of future disasters on our communities.
We also have over $7 million in mitigation projects awaiting
submission pending the availability of funds in the federal
disaster relief account.
The State of Mississippi and its communities continue to
incur a tremendous amount of disaster related costs that must
be reimbursed in accordance with the FEMA-State Agreement.
Adequate funding of the federal disaster relief account is
critical to rebuilding our communities and providing the
services that our citizens expect and deserve. The federal
government has a professional and moral responsibility to
fulfill its financial obligation to assist the state and its
communities in this recovery process.
I appreciate your assistance in this matter and urge you to
encourage Congress to move quickly on this issue. As always,
please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any
assistance to you or your staff.
Sincerely,
Robert R. Latham, Jr.,
Executive Director.
Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, last Friday, on July 25, just as it was
preparing to leave town and recess, the House of Representatives sent
to the Senate an emergency supplemental appropriations bill that fails
to meet the needs that have been outlined by the President and by the
majority of Members of the House and the Senate. I rise to express my
profound disappointment with the House leadership for their action. It
put the Senate in the objectionable position of having to adopt or
reject the House version because any effort to amend that bill would
delay urgently needed disaster aid.
The House-passed bill includes only $984 million for disaster
emergency spending, even though the President requested $1.55 billion
for disaster relief and emergency assistance. These funds are needed to
cover the unexpected costs of the winter storms, as well as tornadoes
and hurricanes which are affecting Texas and other southern States.
Just last week we saw the streets of Denver flooded so high, cars were
floating in the streets.
The House bill also leaves out $289 million to fight fires in the
West even though this is proving to be one of the driest seasons on
record. At this time there are 45 large fires burning in the West, a
total of almost 400,000 acres of active wildfires. If they continue to
rage, these fires will take more lives--five were lost in the last week
alone--and ruin homes and even communities. How are these communities,
which are experiencing the worst fiscal crisis in a generation, to
cover these costs without any Federal assistance?
The House bill also neglects to provide $50 million for the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration to cover unanticipated costs
associated with the Shuttle Columbia accident and to allow NASA to
begin to implement measures recommended by the Columbia Accident
Investigation Board. The President requested these funds and I agree
that we should provide them. When the Columbia space shuttle accident
occurred, it devastated our Nation, reminding us that we cannot become
complacent about space travel. Let us at least learn from this accident
and ensure that it never happens again by implementing the
recommendations of the accident board.
Of most concern to me and to the New Yorkers I represent, the House
bill fails to include $100 million for AmeriCorps--emergency spending
that the Senate passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 71 to 21 July 11.
This funding is not only supported by the vast majority of Senators, it
is also strongly supported by the majority of House Members. Two
hundred and thirty four Representatives from both sides of the aisle
signed letters to the President requesting additional funds for
AmeriCorps.
In addition to Members of Congress, the Governors have weighed in to
support AmeriCorps. Forty-four Governors including Governor Bush from
Florida, Governor Taft from Ohio, and Governor Pataki from my home
State of New York sent a letter to the President and Congress asking us
to provide additional funding for AmeriCorps.
Over 145 U.S. mayors, including the mayors of Los Angeles, Chicago,
Boston, San Diego, and New York, have sent letters in support of
additional funding for AmeriCorps. One hundred and ninety college and
university presidents have signed a letter in support of additional
funding for AmeriCorps.
Two hundred and fifty business and philanthropic leaders took out
full-page ads in the New York Times and the Financial Times asking the
President to request $200 million in additional AmeriCorps funding.
One thousand eleven hundred and eight community-based programs that
relay on AmeriCorps to meet their community's vital needs have also
sent a letter to Congress about their support for this funding and I
ask unanimous consent to print that letter into the Record now as well.
Seventy-one editorials have appeared in newspapers from coast to
coast endorsing the additional funds for AmeriCorps and calling on
Congress to act to prevent programs from being forced to close and
prevent thousands of young people from being denied the opportunity to
serve.
So how do we account for this outpouring of support?
Mr. President, I submit that it is for the simple reason that
AmeriCorps works. For the price of a small grant towards higher
education and a small living stipend, AmeriCorps volunteers transform
communities. They fill vital gaps that otherwise would go unfilled and
in the process, they make the future brighter for themselves and so
many others in our society.
Sister Mary Johnice, who runs a shelter in Buffalo, described the
impact AmeriCorps has had on her organization at a recent event,
``AmeriCorps forms a team of workers, hard workers, who make a
difference in other people's lives. They are selfless, outstanding and
sacrificial, never counting the cost of what they do and whom they
serve.'' She went on to describe how Buffalo has come to count on
AmeriCorps members during difficult times. ``Everyone knows when snow
hits the City of Buffalo, although it's a beautiful sight, the city can
be paralyzed,'' said Sister Johnice. ``I worked with AmeriCorps to pack
thousands of food bags, and deliver heavy packages of food to the
homebound. I saw
[[Page S10843]]
AmeriCorps workers walk miles for a prescription a new mother needed
after having a baby. I looked at workers shoveling snow for hours so
emergency vehicles could move. And I witnessed faith and love in action
. . . lives touching lives! Isn't that what life is all about?'' she
asked.
Quincy Calimese, a young man from the Bronx said that AmeriCorps has
changed his life. ``I was waking up at two o'clock every day,'' he
said. ``I had nothing to do but run the streets and be the baddest
person on the block, meanwhile getting others to do the same. Now I'm
asleep by ten o'clock and up every morning at seven o'clock. I'm not
running the streets and I try to motivate others to do the right thing,
especially the younger kids. Mostly now I'm focused on my future as an
architect and staying out of trouble. I spend a lot of time in the
house, and now I'm reading, something I used to think was boring. I
like how simple my life has become. No more worries, no more watching
my back everywhere I go.''
If the $100 million are not approved, programs like the ones Sister
Johnice runs and the one Quincy Calimese participates in will be
devastated.
National programs with proven records of success like CityYear, Teach
for America, and Jumpstart will lose more than half of their sites.
Jumpstart, which today serves 3,500 children, including 900 in New
York, will probably have to close every one of its New York sites. This
poster shows the progress of a shy little boy who, through the help of
Jumpstart members, is now about to write his name. He is on the path to
a successful future thanks to AmeriCorps.
President Bush himself said of this program, ``I want you to know,
America can be saved one person at a time. You see, this great society
of ours can be changed one heart, one soul, one conscience at a time.
And these six heroic students, people who have said, listen, serving
something greater than myself in life is an important part of being a
citizen, have been a part of what's called Jumpstart.'' I believe that
he meant those words when he spoke them. And I agree with him. So, how
can we stand by and watch as Jumpstart loses 60 percent of its Corps
members?
AmeriCorps is also integral to reducing the achievement gap between
students living in high-poverty communities and their better off peers.
Teach for America is an AmeriCorps program that recruits extremely
talented and bright college graduates to teach in America's neediest
schools. Last year 16,000 college seniors with average GPAs of 3.5 and
average SATs of 1,300 applied to teach. Only 1,700 of them were
selected. The majority of these students stay in education, devoting
their careers to improving educational outcomes for low-income
students. I am proud that the largest Teach for America corps in the
country is in New York City. But I am deeply concerned about the number
who will choose not to join the program after they learn that their
education awards will not be forthcoming.
Mr. President, this is not a partisan issue. When I organized a
letter in support of providing $3 million for Teach for America in
April, 9 Republicans and 10 Democrats signed on. This program has
strong bipartisan support. So, why will only 16 percent of Teach for
America members receive education awards this year?
How did all of these programs, which have such overwhelming support,
get to the point where they need an additional $100 million or they
will go out of business?
Well, we have to look at the history. Yes, there was mismanagement by
Corporation officials. The inspector general's report revealed that for
a long time the Corporation was enrolling more volunteers than it had
the resources in the trust to support.
But Congress has not helped the situation. In 2000 and 2001,
believing that the Corporation was being overly prudent in the way it
was managing the trust, Congress rescinded a total of $111.2 million.
And in 2002, Congress appropriated nothing for the trust, leaving it to
rely on the interest it was accruing from previously appropriated
funds. At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. And an
independent analysis from KPMG LLP confirmed that the National Service
Trust was solvent. How could Congress have foreseen the tragic events
of September 11 and the President's Call to Service for every American?
Nevertheless, they occurred. And the response to the President's call
was overwhelming. Twenty-five percent more volunteers enrolled in
AmeriCorps in the year after he made his announcement.
Should we not have rescinded the funds from the trust? Probably.
Should we have appropriated more for the trust in 2002? Yes. Should the
President have acted sooner to ensure that the Corporation was
allocating the correct number of volunteers, based on the resources it
had at its disposal? Yes, I believe so. Should Corporation officials
have been less accommodating to Americans who rose to meet the
President's call to service? I suppose so.
But here we are today. And we have to act in the best interest of our
Nation.
I believe we should reward the thousands of young people who signed
up to serve their communities. They are not at fault for the
misjudgment of the Corporation officials. Yet they are the ones who
will be punished if we take the House's lead here today.
President Bush proposed to increase AmeriCorps by 50 percent. Instead
it is about to be cut by 60 percent. This is not what the President
claims to want. It is not what the majority of the Senate wants. It is
not what the majority of the House wants. It is not what most Governors
want. It is not what most mayors want. It is not what most community
leaders want. And it is not what most business leaders want.
I know we can do better for AmeriCorps, which has been such a
lifesaver for so many communities across New York and America.
Today is a tragic day for AmeriCorps. It is a day when we are giving
pink slips to 20,000 dedicated Americans who want to serve their
communities. We are telling them that their service is no longer
needed. I hope that we can find a way to do better by AmeriCorps when
we return in September.
Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I am proud to live in a country
where so many citizens volunteer their time to serve their Nation. The
United States has always had a strong tradition of volunteerism.
And my pride is bolstered by a surge in participation at volunteer
organizations--including AmeriCorps--since the September 11 terrorist
attacks.
Our Nation depends on such volunteer organizations to provide crucial
community services. For example, AmeriCorps enlists the help of our
Nation's youth to tutor and mentor children, build affordable housing,
teach computer skills, clean parks and streams, run afterschool
programs and help respond to disasters in communities that wouldn't
otherwise have such services.
At a time when our Nation's youth are turning out in record numbers
to volunteer and our communities are facing budget crises, you would
think that Congress would make funding for our national service
programs a high priority. But it has done the opposite.
Before they left town last week, the Republican-controlled House
rebuffed attempts to provide $10 million for the program. As a result,
AmeriCorps will drop 20,000 of its 50,000 volunteer slots this year.
This dramatic downsizing during these tough economic times will
deprive communities of needed help, and young volunteers of a small
stipend they need to pay for college or student loans.
We know the program has a history of mismanagement--and those
problems are being fixed. In fact, the President this month announced
an overhaul of the agency's management.
But the mistakes of a few at the top shouldn't jeopardize the
opportunities for young volunteers or the communities that rely on the
services they provide.
There is no questioning the essential role AmeriCorps plays in
helping communities and promoting volunteerism in America. In order for
volunteers to make the greatest possible impact on society, we must
continue our support for this and other national service programs.
I hope when we return in September, we can provide AmeriCorps the
support it needs to put our Nation's eager recruits to work in
communities that depend on their help.
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