[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 12, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3339-H3341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF AMERICORPS

  Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1338) recognizing the significant 
accomplishments of AmeriCorps and encouraging all citizens to join in a 
national effort to raise awareness about the importance of national and 
community service.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1338

       Whereas, since its inception in 1994, the AmeriCorps 
     national service program has proven to be a highly effective 
     way to engage Americans in meeting a wide range of local and 
     national needs and promoting the ethic of service and 
     volunteering;

[[Page H3340]]

       Whereas, each year, AmeriCorps provides opportunities for 
     85,000 citizens across the Nation to give back in an 
     intensive way to their communities;
       Whereas those same individuals improve the lives of the 
     Nation's most vulnerable citizens, protect the environment, 
     contribute to public safety, respond to disasters, and 
     strengthen the educational system;
       Whereas AmeriCorps members serve thousands of nonprofit 
     organizations, schools, and faith-based and community 
     organizations each year;
       Whereas AmeriCorps members, after their terms of service 
     end, are more likely to remain engaged in their communities 
     as volunteers, teachers, and nonprofit professionals;
       Whereas, on April 21, 2009, President Barack Obama signed 
     the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, passed by bi-
     partisan majorities in both the House of Representatives and 
     the Senate, which reauthorized and will expand AmeriCorps 
     programs;
       Whereas national service programs have engaged millions of 
     Americans in results-driven service in the Nation's most 
     vulnerable communities, providing hope and help to people 
     facing economic and social needs;
       Whereas, this year, as the economic downturn puts millions 
     of Americans at risk, national service and volunteering are 
     more important than ever; and
       Whereas 2010's AmeriCorps Week, observed May 8 through May 
     15, provides the perfect opportunity for AmeriCorps members, 
     alumni, grantees, program partners, and friends to shine a 
     spotlight on the work done by members and to motivate more 
     Americans to serve their communities: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) encourages all citizens to join in a national effort to 
     salute AmeriCorps members and alumni and raise awareness 
     about the importance of national and community service;
       (2) acknowledges the significant accomplishments of the 
     AmeriCorps members, alumni, and community partners; and
       (3) recognizes the important contributions to the lives of 
     our citizens by AmeriCorps members.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Nevada (Ms. Titus) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Nevada.


                             General Leave

  Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
time Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. 
Res. 1338 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Nevada?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may require.
  I rise today in full support of House Resolution 1338, which 
recognizes the substantial contributions of AmeriCorps. Since 1994, 
AmeriCorps programs have engaged over 570,000 individuals of all ages 
in national service programs, totaling 705 million hours of service to 
our Nation. AmeriCorps was launched following the establishment of the 
Corporation for National and Community Service under the National and 
Community Service Trust Act. The organization is composed of AmeriCorps 
State and national programs: the National Civilian Community Corps, or 
NCCC, and the Volunteers in Service to America, or VISTA program. The 
initial class of 20,000 volunteers helped establish and grow this 
wonderful program of volunteer service. AmeriCorps now involves 75,000 
individuals each year to improve the lives of the Nation's most 
vulnerable citizens, protect the environment, contribute to public 
safety, respond to disasters, and strengthen our educational system.
  AmeriCorps participants have tackled many timely and important 
issues, including health care, gang violence, drug abuse, environmental 
cleanup, and homelessness. They have partnered with thousands of 
organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross. 
AmeriCorps VISTA participants have been on the front lines in the fight 
against poverty in America. VISTA's 6,500 participants provide 
assistance each year to low-income communities by helping businesses, 
expanding access to technology, recruiting literacy volunteers, 
strengthening antipoverty groups, and creating sustainable programs 
that help people rise out of poverty.
  National Civilian Community Corps participants have led service 
projects in areas of critical national need, including disaster 
response, infrastructure improvement, environment and energy 
conservation, and urban and rural development. Corps volunteers have 
responded to every nationally declared disaster since 1994 as well as 
helped communities prepare for the next emergency.
  Most importantly, AmeriCorps members continue to serve their 
community even after their terms of service. In fact, many former 
workers continue as volunteers, teachers, nonprofit professionals, and 
government employees.
  Madam Speaker, for those struggling to make ends meet during this 
tough economy, volunteers in the national service are more important 
than ever. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act signed in 2009 by 
President Obama expands the AmeriCorps program to incorporate 250,000 
volunteers each year, and the strength of our Nation depends on 
individuals who take action towards building better communities.
  This week is AmeriCorps Week, when we recognize and thank the 
commitment of these volunteers so that future generations will continue 
to support the ideal of national service. It's important for us to 
highlight the important work done by the organization and to motivate 
others to become engaged and to volunteer, whether through AmeriCorps 
or other service opportunities throughout the country.
  So I would ask that my colleagues join me in full support of House 
Resolution 1338 and to take a moment and appreciate the contributions 
by our many AmeriCorps participants. I want to thank Representative 
Matsui for bringing this resolution to the floor, and I urge my 
colleagues to pass it.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. EHLERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of House Resolution 1338, a resolution 
recognizing AmeriCorps Week. This year marks the fourth annual 
AmeriCorps Week, which is May 8 to May 15. As a co-Chair of the 
National Service Caucus, I am honored to recognize the individuals who 
participate in the AmeriCorps program and dedicate their time and 
effort to helping others in local communities. Last year, President 
Obama signed the latest reauthorization of the Corporation for National 
and Community Service, the Serve America Act. This act aims to ensure 
additional accountability to national service programs, helps smaller 
organizations participate in national service, and works to ensure 
America's veterans can participate in service.
  Americans have a long history of service to each other and to their 
country, and AmeriCorps creates a web of opportunities for Americans to 
serve. I saw ample evidence of this just yesterday when I participated 
in a ceremony in Grand Rapids, Michigan, my hometown. It was just 
striking to me what a multiplier effect we have with the AmeriCorps 
program. The room was filled with volunteers, but not all of them were 
AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps had energized a lot of different 
organizations and a lot of different volunteers to put in time during 
the course of the past year, and many of them received rewards because 
of the quality of work they did. I was not only happy to see that the 
Federal Government had assisted in the formation of this group but also 
that we were getting so much for so little Federal money because the 
AmeriCorps people working there who did receive some Federal funds had, 
in fact, recruited a large number of other people to work with them, 
and so we accomplished a great deal in my community with very, very 
little Federal funding. I think that serves as a model for the Nation.
  Nationwide, AmeriCorps provides 85,000 opportunities annually to 
serve communities from across the Nation and gives Americans the 
opportunity to offer their services in tutoring and mentoring 
disadvantaged youth, fighting illiteracy, building affordable housing, 
and assisting communities in times of natural disaster. In fact, there 
was a group of volunteers yesterday who were supposed to receive a 
reward for all their good work with Habitat for Humanity, and they were 
not there to receive it because they were putting up another house. 
That's an example of how these efforts are multiplied throughout the 
different communities.
  A couple of examples of this ongoing service include AmeriCorps 
members assisting the American Red Cross in managing shelters for 
residents who

[[Page H3341]]

have evacuated their homes due to the flooding brought on by the heavy 
rain in Nashville, Tennessee, and partnering with Second Harvest Food 
Bank in greater New Orleans to assemble and ship emergency food boxes 
bound for the Louisiana coastal fishing communities whose livelihood is 
being impacted by the recent oil spill.
  I want to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues Ms. Matsui, 
Mr. Platts, Mr. Price and others for introducing this resolution with 
me.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I am pleased at this time to yield 3 
minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), the sponsor of 
the resolution.
  Ms. MATSUI. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1338, 
which recognizes the significant accomplishments of AmeriCorps 
volunteers and helps raise awareness about the importance of national 
and community service. I would like to thank the Education and Labor 
Committee and especially Chairman Miller for their support of this 
legislation and my fellow co-chairs of the National Service Caucus, 
Representatives Ehlers, Platts and Price, for their partnership. As a 
co-chair of the National Service Caucus, it is a pleasure to call 
attention to the tremendous work of those involved in service at every 
level.
  We are now in the midst of National AmeriCorps Week which is 
celebrated each year to honor the important work that AmeriCorps 
volunteers provide to our communities. At this time last year, the 
President had just recently signed the Senator Edward M. Kennedy Serve 
America Act, with strong bipartisan support in both the House and the 
Senate; and we have seen since then a tremendous increase in the number 
of AmeriCorps applications and interest in service as a whole.
  The bill answered the call for Americans of all generations to help 
get the country through the recent economic crisis by serving in their 
communities. In times of strife, the American people have always shown 
a spirit of service and ingenuity, and investments in service and 
volunteer programs help prepare us to handle the unforeseen crises.
  In my hometown of Sacramento, the AmeriCorps National Civilian 
Community Corps, or as we say NCCC, provides important benefits to our 
region. For example, Sacramento-based NCCC members served thousands of 
hours to help fight the fires that devastated the lives and livelihoods 
of thousands of Californians and, in doing so, helped protect thousands 
more. AmeriCorps NCCC members are disaster trained and available for 
immediate deployment in the event of a natural disaster anywhere within 
the United States. Through programs such as AmeriCorps, State and 
national Volunteers in Service to America, or VISTA, and NCCC, 
servicemembers address critical needs in our communities, and we should 
continue to make national service more accessible to the millions of 
Americans who want to serve their country by contributing to their 
community.
  Madam Speaker, AmeriCorps Week offers us an opportunity to honor the 
important work of AmeriCorps volunteers in our own districts and across 
the country. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and take 
this opportunity to thank AmeriCorps volunteers for their dedication to 
improving our Nation one neighborhood at a time.
  Mr. EHLERS. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I would just reiterate the points that have 
been made earlier but in a more brief fashion to say that I hope our 
colleagues will join in supporting this resolution and to say thank you 
to the many volunteers who are on the front lines helping us during 
times of crisis, whether it's economic, physical disaster or 
sociological change. We need their help, and we appreciate it. This is 
a resolution to do that. So I thank the sponsors. I thank the chairman 
of the Service Caucus and urge your support.
  Mr. LOEBSACK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the fourth annual 
Americorps Week.
  I am fortunate to come from Iowa where a sense of community is the 
norm. In 2008, we were hit by the worst disaster in the state's 
history. The flooding destroyed homes and businesses, but Iowans 
pitched in to help their neighbors, and volunteers from across the 
nation came to assist our communities.
  Americorps members came to Cedar Rapids and other flood-affected 
areas immediately after the disaster hit, helping to meet people's 
basic needs in the aftermath of the emergency.
  Americorps volunteers continue to work in the area rebuilding homes, 
coordinating volunteer efforts, and revitalizing local community 
organizations. To date, about 1,700 Americorps members have volunteered 
to help with the flood recovery effort.
  Iowans owe a debt of gratitude to Americorps, VISTA, and NCCC members 
who have worked so hard for our communities, so I am pleased to have 
the opportunity to thank them today.
  Ms. TITUS. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1338.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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