[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 109 (Thursday, June 22, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2228-S2229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. Young):
  S. 2150. A bill to establish an Interagency Council on Service to 
promote and strengthen opportunities for military service, national 
service, and public service for all people of the United States, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. REED. Madam President, I believe that Americans are ready and 
willing to answer the call to serve, to come together and meet the 
challenges that we face at the local, national, and international 
level. We just need to create the conditions to mobilize them. That is 
why I am proud to join Senator Young in introducing the Unity through 
Service Act.
  Our legislation is based on the recommendations of the National 
Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. The Commission 
was established in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. At that 
time, the Armed Services Committee faced a critical question: Should 
women be required to register for the draft? Chairman John McCain and I 
quickly understood that the question was also about something bigger. 
What does it mean for the Nation when so many people do not have the 
common experience of service, whether in the military or in their 
communities? And what happens when those who want to serve do not have 
the opportunity to do so? With those thoughts in mind, we established 
the Commission to look at the issue of service comprehensively.
  The Commission published its final report and recommendations just as 
the COVID-19 pandemic began to grip the Nation. It set a 10-year goal 
for 5 million Americans to begin participating in military, national, 
or public service each year. Additionally, the Commission set targets 
for ensuring there are more than enough qualified individuals seeking 
to serve in the Armed Forces, and it called for modernizing government 
personnel systems to attract and enable Americans with critical skills 
to enter public service. The Unity through Service Act would help to 
implement those recommendations, providing the architecture and

[[Page S2229]]

focus to mobilize a whole of government approach.
  Specifically, the Unity through Service Act would establish an 
Interagency Council on Service to coordinate and lead initiatives that 
extend across military, national, and public service. The council would 
be tasked with preparing and submitting to the President a national 
strategy on service, including a review of current programs, 
initiatives, and online content. The legislation would promote cross-
service marketing, recruitment, and retention through joint advertising 
campaigns and shared market research. It would also ensure that 
transitioning military members and AmeriCorps members are informed 
about other service opportunities open to them.
  The Unity through Service Act would elevate all forms of service, 
leveraging the strengths of existing programs. In addition, it would 
complement the ACTION for National Service Act, which I introduced 
earlier this year to put us on a path to one million national service 
members annually within 10 years. The Unity Through Service Act would 
provide a roadmap for bringing a new generation of Americans together 
in service to our Nation. Americans want to serve. We just need to 
provide the opportunities and the connection for them to do so.
  I urge my colleagues to join us in reaffirming our national culture 
of service by working with Senator Young and me to take up and pass the 
Unity through Service Act.
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