[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 168 (Monday, September 27, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S6707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 387--RECOGNIZING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEACE 
 CORPS AND COMMENDING THE VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO 
                    MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD

  Mr. MENENDEZ submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 387

       Whereas the Peace Corps Act of 1961 was signed into law by 
     President John F. Kennedy on September 22, 1961;
       Whereas the Peace Corps' mission is to promote world peace 
     and friendship by--
       (1) helping the people in interested countries to meet 
     their need for trained workers;
       (2) helping to promote a better understanding of Americans 
     by people in countries where volunteers have served; and
       (3) helping to promote a better understanding of such 
     people by Americans;
       Whereas Peace Corps volunteers work to advance both 
     international development and public diplomacy, with more 
     than 240,000 Americans who have answered the call to service 
     by cumulatively serving in 142 countries and providing more 
     than 3,000,000,000 of service to our Nation and the world;
       Whereas Peace Corps volunteers exemplify American values 
     and grow trust and faith in the United States in developing 
     countries by--
       (1) building connections with the people with whom they 
     live and work; and
       (2) helping communities realize the full potential of their 
     present assets and discover new opportunities;
       Whereas returned Peace Corps volunteers enter the job 
     market with--
       (1) the experience of working with limited resources and 
     navigating bureaucratic institutions; and
       (2) proficiency in many languages and communication styles;
       (3) passion about mission-driven work; and
       (4) the ability to invest in their communities in a lasting 
     way;
       Whereas due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Peace Corps made 
     the difficult decision, in early 2020, to temporarily suspend 
     all volunteer missions and recall approximately 7,300 
     volunteers and trainees from their countries of service;
       Whereas the Peace Corps and the broader Peace Corps 
     community have utilized this temporary recall to deeply 
     explore how the many ways in which the Peace Corps could be 
     improved in its support of volunteers and its collaboration 
     with the communities in which such volunteers are serving, 
     including facilitating COVID-19 testing and the distribution 
     of COVID-19 vaccines;
       Whereas beginning in December 2021, the Peace Corps will 
     gradually resume its volunteer missions abroad, beginning 
     with missions located in parts of Latin America and the 
     Caribbean.
       Whereas Peace Corps volunteers play a significant role in 
     implementing presidential initiatives at the local level, 
     including training and deploying more than 800 specialized 
     malaria prevention volunteers to serve in communities across 
     Africa since 2011;
       Whereas the Peace Corps, in partnership with the United 
     States Agency for International Development, has generated an 
     additional $34,000,000 in local community and third party 
     contributions through the Small Project Assistance Program in 
     support of important development outcomes, including--
       (1) efforts to combat human trafficking;
       (2) enhanced civic engagement and public accountability;
       (3) improved maternal and children's health outcomes;
       (4) preventing the spread of malaria;
       (5) bolstered community resilience and preparedness to 
     environmental disasters;
       Whereas 42 percent of Peace Corps volunteers work in the 
     education sector by--
       (1) increasing the English language competency of local 
     students and teachers;
       (2) developing teaching materials and improving the 
     teaching techniques of local teachers; or
       (3) assisting after-school programs, youth clubs, and the 
     development of libraries;
       Whereas the Peace Corps advances the principles of gender 
     equality worldwide and maintains a volunteer force that is 65 
     percent female; and
       Whereas the Peace Corps is integral to realizing United 
     States' foreign policy, addressing critical global challenges 
     that require United States' leadership, and advances our 
     United States' national security interests: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the 60th anniversary of the Peace Corps;
       (2) honors all of the volunteers who have dedicated their 
     lives to address the serious global challenges of our time, 
     including illiteracy, environmental degradation, food 
     insecurity, and communicable diseases;
       (3) commends the tireless service of the civil servants, 
     recruiters, medical and security personnel, and in-country 
     support staff that run the Peace Corps on a daily basis; and
       (4) renews the United States' commitment--
       (A) to promoting world peace and friendship; and
       (B) to helping developing countries reach their development 
     goals.

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