[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15373-15374]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      AMERICORP MUST BE PRESERVED

  (Ms. LOFGREN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, the President, in the State of the Union in 
2002 vowed to increase opportunities in AmeriCorp, and he went all over 
the United States saying that he would increase AmeriCorp by 50 
percent, from about 50,000 members to 75,000.
  However, this program is being destroyed. It has not been funded, the 
GAO has caused problems, we have not funded the scholarship program, 
and, in fact, the President's request for fiscal year 2004 actually 
asked for $40 million less in AmeriCorp grants than he requested in 
2003.
  In San Jose, California, AmeriCorp volunteers are helping young 
students with tutoring, recycling, doing volunteerism and really making 
our community better.

[[Page 15374]]

  So I am here today to say the President did not tell the truth to the 
American people in the State of the Union. He lied to the American 
people around the country when he promised to expand this program.
  Please, Mr. President, let us come forward--


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simmons). The gentlewoman is not in 
order. She must refrain from personal criticism of the President.
  Ms. LOFGREN. I would hope the President would take steps to make sure 
that what he promised the American people actually comes true, instead 
of the sad state of deception that exists today.

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