[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;
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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
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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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