[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 49 (Monday, March 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E737-E738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        GENERATIONS INVIGORATING VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 18, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1388) to 
     reauthorize and reform the national service laws:

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 1388, the ``Generations of Invigorating Volunteerism and 
Education Act or the `GIVE Act'.'' I would like to thank my colleague 
Congresswoman McCarthy for introducing this important legislation, as 
well as the Chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, 
Congressman George Miller, for his leadership in bringing this bill to 
the floor today.
  Mr. Chair, this legislation will expand the already highly successful 
volunteer programs that empower community activists and improve the 
education and economic conditions of cities throughout the United 
States. It supports and increases funding for key community services 
programs, including AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, VISTA, 
National Civilian Community Corps, and Senior Corps.
  The GIVE Act creates opportunities for green jobs that will 
contribute to energy conservation and environmental protection. It will 
create critical educational opportunities for disadvantaged youth and 
will create incentives for students to improve their communities.
  Every year, more than 70,000 Americans participate in the AmeriCorps 
program alone, which provides relief to cities during natural disasters 
and reinvigorates communities. Over 50 million American volunteers 
build homes, organize food-drives, and improve schools through national 
service programs. The GIVE Act will broaden the opportunities for 
students and activists to participate in national service via education 
rewards that keep up with soaring costs of universities and Summer 
Service programs. After Ike and Katrina, thousands of local students 
worked to help rebuild communities and provide necessary services to 
distressed families. The GIVE Act is the critical lynchpin in 
sustaining this civic activism.
  Specifically, the GIVE Act would expand the job opportunities for 
Volunteers in Service to America, or VISTA, to re-integrate youth into 
society, increase literacy in communities through teaching 
opportunities in before and after-school programs, and to provide 
health and social services to low-income communities. VISTA is a 
critical step toward poverty alleviation, and the GIVE Act will equip 
it with the resources to fulfill its obligations.
  I am pleased to see that my colleague, representative Cuellar, 
revised the legislation to increase the number of volunteers from 
75,000 to 250,000 members and added provisions for unemployed 
individuals to be included in the national service workforce, a step 
that will be a critical step to combating the employment crisis 
afflicting millions. I am also pleased that Congressman Miller further 
specified that the increase in volunteers is not just designed for 
AmeriCorps, but for all national service programs such as the Peace 
Corps and Opportunity Corps, and also included language promote 
community based

[[Page E738]]

efforts to reduce crime and recruit public safety officers.
  In addition, the GIVE Act will create 4 new service opportunities 
including a Clean Energy Corps, an Education Corps, a Healthy Futures 
Corps, and a Veteran Service Corps. These volunteer opportunities will 
further improve environmental protection, health-care access, and 
services for veterans. These new service corps will address critical 
concerns in low-income communities. I am very happy that Congressman 
Teague revised the legislation to aid veterans in their pursuit of 
education and professional opportunities, and help veterans with the 
claims process, and assist rural, disabled, and unemployed veterans 
with transportation needs. Moreover, the GIVE Act will recognize 
colleges and universities that are strongly engaged in service through 
grants and rewards that will in turn improve educational access in the 
United States.
  I am pleased to see the Retention of my Language from the 110th 
Congress that gives special consideration to historically black 
colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal 
universities, and colleges serving predominantly minority populations. 
So strong are these universities' support of service, that ``veritas et 
beneficium,'' or ``truth and service'' in Latin, is inscribed on their 
insignias.
  The GIVE Act will create a Campuses of Service Program that will 
encourage and assist students in pursuing public service careers. It 
will also focus on recruiting scientists and engineers to keep America 
competitive for years to come. The Act will expand the Senior Corps as 
a way to keep Older Americans including seniors engaged in public 
service, and will create a Youth Engagement Zone to increase the number 
of young students in volunteer services.
  Moreover, it expands the focus of The National Civilian Community 
Corps to include disaster relief efforts and infrastructure improvement 
to allow quicker and more effective responses to disasters like Katrina 
and Ike that devastated numerous communities in the United States. 
Finally, the Give Act will launch a nation-wide Call to Service 
Campaign that encourages all Americans to engage in national service 
and to recognize September 11th as a National Day of Service and 
Remembrance.
  I am honored to cosponsor this legislation that will add service 
before self to America's future leaders. I urge my colleagues to join 
me in supporting this legislation.

                          ____________________