[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21518]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   SUPPORTING THE AMERICORPS PROGRAM

  (Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
support of AmeriCorps, a program that offers an opportunity for young 
people and Americans of all ages to contribute to their communities. It 
makes the dream of college education a reality for families who work 
hard and play by the rules while meeting compelling human needs in our 
communities in a cost-effective manner.
  I have been supportive of all national and community service 
initiatives President Bush appealed for in his 2002 State of the Union 
address. But the majority side of the appropriators refused to include 
AmeriCorps funding in the supplemental appropriations bill.
  Mr. Speaker, the lack of supplementary funding for AmeriCorps has had 
a vital impact on Dallas, my hometown, and the other AmeriCorps 
programs across the State.
  Throughout the past year, nearly 72 AmeriCorps volunteers have 
tutored 691 youths in the State of Texas including the Dallas Habitat 
for Humanities and the YMCA of Dallas Oak Cliff Branch.
  In Texas, as in other States, AmeriCorps volunteers provide a host of 
services including building affordable housing, teaching computer 
skills to youth and seniors, and managing after-school programs aimed 
at youngsters who might otherwise drop out of school.
  Mr. Speaker, we will not find common ground or reach higher ground if 
we turn national service into a partisan playground.
  I will continue to work hard and do everything I can to strengthen 
this program, and I ask my House colleagues to do everything as well.

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