[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 3, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E294]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NATIONAL PEACE CORPS WEEK

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                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 3, 2010

  Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I would like to take the 
opportunity to honor the Peace Corps during this National Peace Corps 
Week.
  On March 1, 2010 the Peace Corps celebrated its 49th anniversary. It 
is with the historic contributions of this organization in mind, that I 
proudly acknowledge the important work of nearly two hundred thousand 
Peace Corps volunteers since the agency's inception in 1961.
  California has been and continues to be the largest producer of Peace 
Corps volunteers with 792 people currently serving abroad.
  I am proud to report that my home District, California's 9th 
Congressional District, can be called home by 25 current volunteers who 
have committed themselves to the Peace Corps mission of world peace and 
friendship through service.
  Through volunteer work abroad in fields including health education, 
food security, local business development, education about HIV/AIDS, 
and agricultural and environmental improvement, the work of the Peace 
Corps improves people's lives while enhancing the credibility of the 
United States abroad, fostering the exchange of ideas, and uniting 
cultures around values of peace, tolerance, and prosperity.
  That is why I have introduced H.R. 336, which calls for the 
introduction of a semi-postal Peace stamp, which will sell at a 
slightly higher rate than the normal 44 cents to create additional 
revenues for the Peace Corps.
  In the wake of the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, we are 
reminded of the power of the international community to assist and 
empower those who are in need.
  During National Peace Corps Week, we salute past and present 
Volunteers who selflessly serve abroad in support of these ideals.

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