[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 60 (Thursday, April 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E971]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         INTRODUCTION OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE ACADEMY ACT OF 2009

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                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 23, 2009

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the 
Public Service Academy Act of 2009, which will create the first stand 
alone university dedicated solely to producing highly qualified and 
well-trained civilian public servants.
  The new century has brought immense challenges that require strong 
and prepared, competent and committed public servants. On the eve of 
the retirement of the baby-boom generation, our nation presses for a 
new generation of teachers, firefighters, and federal employees to fill 
the potential void these retirees will leave. Our civil servants will 
have to address the need to finance entitlement costs in an age of 
trillion dollar deficits; the need to educate and train a workforce 
that can compete and prosper in a global economy; the need to provide 
quality affordable healthcare; the need to protect and preserve the 
planet's fragile environment; the need to negotiate and reconcile 
differences with foreign nations; and the need to deter terrorism and 
keep our nation safe and secure. All of these challenges will require a 
professional public workforce, and yet because of shifting demographics 
our civil service faces a wave of retirement over the next decade that 
threatens the effective operation of government.
  For these reasons, it is critically important that Congress provide 
young Americans with the best education and training that will allow 
them to become our nation's future leaders. Young Americans are ready 
to answer the call. According to the Higher Education Research 
Institute, approximately 70 percent of the 2007 freshman class 
expressed a desire to serve others. Applications to programs like Teach 
for America and City Year along with religious missions involving young 
Americans have greatly increased. A 2008 poll conducted by Social 
Sphere Strategies found that 88% of 18-29-year-olds supported the 
Public Service Academy, with 57% saying that they ``likely'' would have 
considered applying to the Academy had it been available when they were 
applying to college. College presidents, news publications and some of 
the leading voices in public service--both Democrat and Republican--
have endorsed the creation of the Academy.
  Now is the time to tap into American's renewed sense of civic 
obligation and offer an avenue to serve others. Yet, the cost of 
pursuing public service opportunities after graduation is often 
prohibitive because college tuition has increased dramatically in the 
past decade--47 percent at private schools and 63 percent at public 
schools. As a result of these soaring tuitions, the average college 
graduate owes about $20,000, an increase of more than 50 percent in the 
past decade. These potential public servants often overburdened by the 
debts of college and university loans, are forced to choose more 
lucrative private sector jobs over public service opportunities.
  Modeled after the military service academies, the Public Service 
Academy will provide a four-year, federally-assisted college education 
for more than 5,000 students a year in exchange for a five-year 
commitment to public service in areas such as education, public health, 
law enforcement, and local, state and the federal government. With its 
mission critical to the health of our public service, the Academy will 
strive to recruit the top students and faculty from around the United 
States, require intensive courses in leadership and public service, and 
eventually help place students in positions throughout the public 
sphere. Moreover, by providing students with a federally-funded 
education, the stress of debt would be eliminated, and their commitment 
to the public service sector for at least five years could lead to 
lifelong service.
  Madam Speaker, last year, over 120 bipartisan cosponsors in the House 
of Representatives joined in the effort to create the Public Service 
Academy. I am encouraged by the early support of over 25 cosponsors in 
just a few weeks of circulating this year's proposal. The time to 
create a United States Public Service Academy is now. I look forward to 
working with my colleagues and the committees of jurisdiction to bring 
attention to this issue and make the Public Service Academy a reality.

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