[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 25, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S1837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Young, and Mr. Coons):
  S. 1120. 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. Mr. President, I believe that Americans are ready and 
willing to answer the call to serve and come together to 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 Senators Young and Coons and Representatives 
Houlahan, Panetta, Bacon. and Bergman in introducing the Unity through 
Service Act.
  Our bipartisan 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. Back then, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain 
and I were trying look at how we could encourage the most qualified 
individuals of all backgrounds to volunteer for military service. We 
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.
  One of the statutory mandates of the Commission was to explore the 
``means by which to foster a greater attitude and ethos of service 
among United States youth.'' We as a government must be prepared to 
invest in what is truly one of our Nation's greatest assets--our public 
servants. This has been an urgent matter for decades, but it is ever 
more urgent today.
  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 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 and 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 connections 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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