Congressional Commission on Civic Service Act

Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

This is a great day for national service. It has been 15 years since we reauthorized our national service laws. As chairwoman of the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee, I am pleased to speak in support of H.R. 2857, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act, the GIVE Act.

I am also pleased to say that the administration and the service community support the GIVE Act. I would like to thank Chairman Miller for his continued strong support and work on this reauthorization. I would also like to extend my thanks to the ranking member of our committee, Mr. McKeon, for his hard work.

Finally, I would like to thank my good friend and ranking member of the subcommittee, Mr. Platts, for his work on this reauthorization.

Later I will speak on my manager's amendment, which is also a bipartisan effort. National service has a distinguished and strong history in our Nation. The benefits of service cannot be disputed. Evidence shows that service and volunteering lowers school dropout and crime rates, lowers costs associated with the aging population, and improves health among the elderly.

Volunteering is a cost-effective way of working to solve the challenges facing our Nation today. That is why the passage of the GIVE Act is necessary. One of the most effective volunteer organizations in this Nation is AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps volunteers offer a range of services focused on low-income and disadvantaged communities. Our legislation recognizes their invaluable work and increases the number of participants to 100,000.

The GIVE Act also encourages programs to recruit underrepresented populations to serve, including scientists and engineers, young people in our aging-out foster care, children at risk of delinquency, and other disadvantaged young people.

I truly believe that expanding national service, particularly to disadvantaged youth, is an effective way to combat things like youth gangs and violence, and the evidence bears it out.

If we are serious about reducing gang violence, we must take the first step and offer children an alternative.

This legislation creates a Summer of Service program which gives middle school and high school students an opportunity to become engaged in a positive way within their community. Through the Summer of Service program, our Nation's young people will have a chance to serve with others their own age while improving their community.

Research shows that if students are engaged in service at an early age, they continue to serve throughout their life.

We are strengthening the mission of the first responder volunteer program, the National Civil Community Corps by requiring more intense disaster and emergency relief training during down periods in order to be better prepared in a time of crisis.

We are all aware of what our Nation faced in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and the NCCC was there to respond, and continues to recover today.

The GIVE Act will help our Nation become better prepared for future disasters by training and preparing more emergency volunteers. The GIVE Act creates in the corporation an office of outreach and recruitment. The new office will establish a reserve corps made up of those who have gone through the program and are alumni. The reserve corps alumni will be called on during emergencies, disasters, or other times of national need.

We've heard people asking over and over again during our hearings, why aren't we using former volunteers? The new outreach office will work to connect over 500,000 former volunteers who can be resources for recruitment.

The GIVE Act lowers the age of participation in the National Senior Service to 55 years old. By lowering the age, we are encouraging retiring Americans to participate in national service and giving older Americans the opportunity to lead us into the future. Our Nation's retiring and retired adults are a rich resource that cannot be overlooked.

Every American, old and young, has skills that improve the day-to-day functions of our society. The GIVE Act encourages individuals to get involved, creates a deeper commitment to service, and makes our Nation more like what it should be.

I want to again thank Chairman Miller for his deep commitment to national service, Ranking Member McKeon and Congressman Platts for their work with us on this bipartisan activity. And I urge my colleagues to support this much needed legislation.

Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, may I inquire how much time we have on both sides.

Madam Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hare), a member of the Education and Labor Committee.

Madam Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to my colleague on the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes).

Madam Chairman, I'd like to yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea-Porter), a member of the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee.

Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind), a former member of the Education Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Klein).

Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Mr. Chairman, with that, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, as we have been working through this bill, through our hearings and everything else, and listening to the volunteers that work in AmeriCorps and other aspects of volunteering, and also listening to our young people from communities that are underserved on how they want to serve and be part of it, before my colleague from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) talked about how we've done away with summer jobs. We see in our communities today more and more of our young people joining gangs and getting into trouble. We see that our juvenile justice system and our prisons are being overflowed, unfortunately, with young people. This is a program that can help them.

You know, I look at our country and I marvel at how people volunteer and give their time to help other people that are in need. With the programs that we're putting forth and through the work of the subcommittee and

through the work of my colleague Mr. Platts from Pennsylvania, we have put together a great bill. This is a bill that can help people to the future. This is a bill that incorporates our elderly and our young. So, it's something that I think we should all be proud of. And certainly I'm hoping that we're not going to have any controversies further down the line.

And may I just say one thing: A number of speakers have gotten up and talked about the FISA bill. Let me say this to the American people: With the continuation that we have, this country is being protected. And we are trying to work it out with our colleagues from the other side and the administration. But let me make one thing very clear, the country is being protected. The intelligence committees can do what they need to do, and our intelligence community is getting information at that.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2857, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak to the manager's amendment to H.R. 2857, Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act, the GIVE Act.

As chairwoman of the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee, I am pleased to offer a bipartisan manager's amendment to H.R. 2857. I am also pleased to say that the administration and the service community support the GIVE Act.

I would like to again thank Chairman Miller for his continued support

and work on this reauthorization. I would also like to extend my thanks to the ranking member of our committee, Mr. McKeon, for his work. Finally, I would like to thank the ranking member of my subcommittee, Mr. Platts, for his work on this reauthorization.

I also would like to thank the staff who have worked many hours on the bill. For the majority, Deborah Koolbeck, Denise Forte, and Alexander Ceja, and for the minority, Brad Thomas and Susan Ross.

This amendment increases the ability of the Corporation for National and Community Service to tap into the pool of potential volunteers, which gives us a better opportunity to meet challenges facing our Nation's communities today.

Some of the changes in the manager's amendment include: the amendment improves the reach and capacity of the Summer of Service. This program is aimed to increase civil responsibility and community service among 5th-12th graders through summer service-learning programs. Getting younger kids involved in service is a good investment. Studies show that the earlier we get folks involved in the volunteer service the more likely they will stay in for their lifetime.

We have improved the National Civilian Conservation Corps, or the NCCC. This valuable program has a focus on disaster preparation. NCCC and volunteers have helped during disasters like Katrina. Because of the disaster focus, there is a need for supervisors and training instructors with a background in law enforcement, rescue and emergency and disaster preparedness. The amendment allows retired law enforcement, fire and rescue personnel to be part of the management of the NCCC.

My amendment makes the Retired Senior Volunteer Program a competitive grant program by 2013. I believe competition spurs innovation, and this will strengthen the program.

Also included in this amendment are incentive grants for the Senior Corps program. These grants are designed to bolster the capacity of current exceptional Senior Corps programs.

Given that the RSVP program is becoming a competitive process, it is expected that the RSVP programs which meet the eligibility requirements will be a majority of incentive grant applicants and recipients.

Finally, I have also worked with Mr. Altmire, Mr. Sestak, and Mr. Souder and have included changes that they suggested in the manager's amendment. I want to thank them for their great ideas.

Our national service laws were last authorized 15 years ago. We have worked with our colleagues across the aisle and with the service community to renew the spirit of service in our Nation through the GIVE Act.

I hope you will join me and support my amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition, but I am not opposing the amendment.

One of the themes of the GIVE Act is to increase opportunities for veterans to serve in national service programs and to increase the amount of national service programs responding to the needs of veterans.

At committee, two amendments were adopted to address these issues. First, we directed the Corporation to reserve 3 percent of funds allotted to AmeriCorps for competitive grant programs that focus on veterans, particularly those that are recently returned from a deployment, and their families. The second amendment required the Corporation to conduct a study of how the national service laws would better serve veterans and increase veteran participation and service, and to create a pilot program based on that study.

This amendment builds up on those efforts. Under current law, States and corporations are charged with establishing priorities to determining the types of programs to be assisted under the national service law. This amendment would require States and the Corporation to include priorities for veterans when establishing priorities for the distribution of assistance under these programs.

Those priorities would be geared towards programs that recruit veterans into service opportunities, promote community-based efforts to meet the unique needs of military families while a family member is deployed, and promote community-based efforts to meet the unique service of military families when a member of the family returns from a deployment.

In addition, this amendment encourages the corporation to report to Congress on its efforts to increase the number of veterans serving in AmeriCorps and other positions that are eligible for the educational award. Veterans, particularly those recently deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, deserve opportunities to reintegrate into their communities through service programs funded under the national service laws. This amendment will increase those opportunities.

At a time when our servicemen and -women are sacrificing on behalf of our country around the world, we should be doing all we can to repay that sacrifice. This amendment will make it the explicit policy of the Federal Government to encourage national service programs to focus more on the unique needs of these heroes and their families and to encourage more veterans to take advantage of service opportunities under these laws.

I certainly urge its passage, and I thank Mr. McKeon for offering this. It's a very good piece added to our legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentlewoman from California, and I thank Mr. Shays.

Mr. Chairman, we are in full support of this amendment. The GIVE Act seeks to improve national service and to do so in innovative, creative ways. And this amendment does just that. We are grateful to Ms. Matsui and Mr. Shays for bringing forth this amendment.

I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) for yielding.

We support this amendment. We look forward to the results of the commission as we continue to increase the number of Americans who participate in national service and work to overcome challenges in our Nation's communities.

I rise to claim time in opposition, but I am not opposing the amendment.

Thank you.

We support this amendment, as it seeks to support the fostering of service among generations of a family. It is easy to imagine the kind of benefits that grandparents and their grandchildren would gain by not only spending time together, but serving others. The earlier children are introduced to service, the more likely they will volunteer throughout their life.

Speaking as a grandparent, and I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania (Mr. English) for introducing this, when I take my grandchildren with me and I try to explain the work that I do, and to see them get involved and be interested in the work that I do I think is a great thing.

The volunteering work that we do, and we bring the grandchildren with us, it opens up their eyes for a number of reasons. A lot of the work that we do is serving in underserved areas and to be able to see that these young children, my grandchildren, 7 and 9, are out there in the community and seeing children less fortunate than them. But to take it back even then to their classroom and say maybe we can do something, when you have Grandparents Day in school with your grandchildren, and you're fostering the sense of volunteerism.

So I thank the gentleman very much for bringing this to our attention. I certainly am in full support of it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

We support this amendment, as it continues to support the integration of

priority for national service. Everyone gains when they speak to others from a different generation and learn how things have changed over the years. And yet, at the same time, how many things remain the same.

Fostering communication between people increases the connection for all of the community. This piece will add a section to the bill that is the sense of Congress that the Corporation for National and Community Service should make the maximum effort possible to coordinate with the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide opportunities for young people enrolled in NACS programs to collect oral histories from senior citizens in the communities they serve.

With that, I would like to yield 2 minutes to Mr. Anthony Weiner from New York.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition, but I am not opposing this amendment.

I want to thank, again, my colleague Mr. English from Pennsylvania for this amendment. This would require the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service to coordinate with veterans organizations serving veterans to provide opportunities for young people to enroll in existing NACS programs to serve as drivers in the DAV transportation network on a full-time, part-time, or as-needed basis. The reason we support this amendment, which is similar to Mr. McKeon's in a way, is that it will help serve our Nation's veterans. This amendment reminds us of the challenges faced by disabled veterans after they have devoutly served our Nation.

When I see a lot of my veterans back home in Long Island, a lot of them do volunteer their time on driving our veterans back and forth. We only have one veterans hospital on Long Island. A lot of these drivers are as old as

those they are driving. So to see that our young people, and I can see something like this, which would be terrific for our young college students and our seniors that are driving, to be able to be part of this.

It was earlier mentioned by Mr. Shays that with the war in Iraq, no one has asked Americans to be helpful. Well, this is a perfect time. This is where our young people can feel that all right, here we have our veterans that have done a gallant job on protecting this Nation. Help them now. Let us help them to get back and forth for their physical therapy or any treatments that they need.

It's also a wonderful opportunity for our young people to get to know our seniors and our veterans that have served this country. The more I think about this, I am sorry that we didn't think of this amendment while we were having our committee hearings. I think next time I will reach out to my colleague and say what ideas do you have so we can bring them to the committee.

So, again, I support this amendment. I think it's a terrific amendment. I think it's a wonderful time for our young people and our seniors and our veterans to get to know each other. They will actually find they have a lot more in common than they do have apart.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague. Let me say that my colleague is having a problem with her voice with laryngitis, so I am actually going to be speaking for her from her talking points. So I will continue talking about Ohio, which has been particularly hurt by the current mortgage foreclosure crisis.

In a ranking of metropolitan areas with the highest foreclosure rates, Ohio has the sad distinction of having four areas in the top 20. Northeast Ohio, which includes Lorain and Elyria in her district, had the sixth highest rate. Nearly 3 percent of all households in these cities are in some stage of foreclosure, a 112 percent jump from 2006. Akron came in at 12, Dayton at 15 and Toledo at 19.

The current subprime mortgage crisis has not stemmed from a single cause, and mitigating its effects will not be achieved with a single solution. Housing problems stem from predatory lending practices, job losses, and situations such as death, divorce and health emergencies. We must pursue innovative solutions, and this includes trying the provisions of volunteerism and Service-Learning grants to areas that have been adversely affected by the mortgage crisis.

This amendment would require the Corporation for National and Community Service to consider whether an area has a mortgage foreclosure rate greater than the national average when considering grant applications from States and other eligible entities.

Each year, more than 1.5 million individuals serve our country through the service programs that were created by the National and Community Service Act. In a time when so many of our communities are struggling, we need to pursue every avenue to make sure that the cities and towns with the greatest needs have access to the most assistance.

We expect this amendment is going to be noncontroversial, but they may argue that it is duplicative because of the factors that are already included. The areas affected by high foreclosure rates would likely also be areas with high concentrations of low-income persons and high unemployment rates. But when we look at this, we see that by including this additional factor we will focus the Corporation on awarding grant funding to programs that address the specific needs of communities affected by the foreclosure crisis.

When you look at this particular amendment, the Corporation for National and Community Service administers the National Service Trust Program, which provides funding for service programs, community groups, youth groups, service-lending, campus-based programs, pre-professional training programs and other services, one of the criteria the Corporation is required to consider when evaluating applications for funding is the extent to which projects would be conducted in the areas where they are needed most.

Factors already considered are communities designated as empowerment zones or redevelopment areas; targeted for special economic incentives; designated as having high concentrations

of low-income people; areas that are environmentally distressed; areas that are adversely affected by Federal actions related to the management of Federal lands that result in significant regional job losses and economic dislocation; areas adversely affected by reductions in defense spending or closure of bases; areas with unemployment rates greater than the national average for the 12 most recent months.

This amendment will add another factor that the Corporation must consider when determining what constitutes an area.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague from Ohio.

Good data collection is so important, because with data we can determine how to better implement programs and better serve the needs of our Nation's citizens. As workers must find ways to obtain new skills or transition into a new career, this study will provide us with important information. Service can be a bridge between one phase of life to another or from one career to another.

It is not a secret to anyone that Ms. Sutton's home State of Ohio has suffered tremendous job losses in recent years. From the year 2000 to 2007, Ohio has lost more than 209,000 non-farm jobs, the biggest 7 year drop since the end of the Great Depression. These workers and families deserve our support, and they deserve creative and innovative thinking and policies from us as their representatives.

This study and pilot program require the Corporation for National and Community Service to examine how to use community service programs to provide opportunities for displaced workers. Programs such as AmeriCorps and Senior Corps have done so much to provide opportunities for our young and our seniors. It is time that we investigate ways to provide similar opportunities for Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

Workers who have toiled for so long in manufacturing plants have much to offer their communities, and their unique skill sets and leadership capabilities should not go to waste when plants close. I look forward to seeing how new service programs would reinvigorate America's displaced workforce with a sense of purpose so they may explore new career opportunities and continue contributing to all their communities.

The Corporation for National and Community Service has proven itself to be an entrepreneurial, innovative and effective organization. This amendment will lead the Corporation in a new direction to consider how the programs they provide funding to can do better serve the needs of America's displaced workers.

Our national service laws provide funding for numerous worthy organizations such as AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Habitat for Humanity, City Year, Boys and Girls Club, Teach for America, and Youthbuild. This amendment will spur new programs that address the needs of our displaced workers and their families.

So, again I thank my colleague from Ohio (Ms. Sutton) for offering this amendment, and I am looking forward to working with her on other areas.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition to the amendment.

I yield myself 3 minutes.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to oppose this amendment. When the National Community Service Act was enacted in 1990, we saw powerful new opportunities to inspire civic engagement and transformation in our communities. Last year, AmeriCorps' number reached 500,000, and today Learn and Serve Americans continue to support service learning for K-12 and college students making a vital connection between their academic studies and a real world application through their service.

Now, with the Summer of Service program, we can provide a new opening to reach many young people we know will benefit with the opportunities to spend a summer in service to their communities. It is a right of passage during grades 5-12.

Mr. Chairman, this program grants educational awards of up to $500 to students who complete 100 hours of service over the summer months. By employing service-learning models to teach civic participation skills, the program will help young people serve their communities and expand educational opportunities for themselves and discourage what is commonly known as the summer academic slide.

Today, 10 million students nationwide between the ages of 12 and 18 have participated in school-based service. Research shows that, among those students, teens from disadvantaged communities who serve hold more positive civic attitudes. Kids who engage in volunteering are more likely to be successful in school and avoid risky behaviors such as drugs, alcohol, and crime. Unfortunately, those disadvantaged teens who have so much to gain from the experience are less likely to volunteer than their peers from more advanced backgrounds.

When service is tied to what students are learning in school, young people make gains on achievement tests, complete their homework more often, and increase their grade point average. Students who engage in service learning improve communication skills, grow more aware of career possibilities, and develop more positive workplace attitudes, laying the foundation for America's future leaders. Yet, Learn and Serve's funding stayed the same at no more than $43 million since 1996, and decreasing over the past several years. In Learn and Serve's last grant award cycle, they had 506 applications but only the resources for 102 awards.

For generations, during times of great crisis and need throughout our Nation, students have stepped up and served their country and their communities. Today, again, our young people want to serve and are desperate to do their part, yet their call has gone unheard.

Since 2001, there have been nearly 50 proposals involving national service before Congress, and not one has been enacted. Here we have a program that demonstrates our commitment to that great promise. A modest investment in Summer of Service is an important and long overdue step in providing service-learning opportunities for young people to start.

We must do everything we can to help every child reach his or her full potential. We cannot teach our children until we honestly help them become engaged in their communities and give them the power to actively participate in their education. I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield time to my colleague from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes).

Mr. Chairman, I want to say thank you to my colleague for offering this amendment, and I certainly fully support it. But I want to also address Mr. Flake's concern and clarify: While OMB conducted a part assessment on Learn and Serve, the Summer of Service initiative, what we are proposing is a new initiative that I believe has not been parted.

So with that being said, I think that when we look at the whole bill, and especially for the Summer of Service part, we have an opportunity to help our people, our young people during the summertime. This, to me, can certainly cut down on what we are seeing in our communities across this country right now, on more violence in our communities. We have to look at what is the underlying cause.

With that being said, we are certainly doing the most we can for the little amount of money that we have, to make the biggest impact on these children's lives. So with that being said, I certainly hope that when we come down to it that we will be against Mr. Flake's amendment and let this bill go forward, and let's help the young people, let's help our veterans, let us help everybody in this particular amendment. It is a good bill. It has been overwhelmingly supported on both sides of the aisle, but this particular amendment, as far as I am concerned, would hurt too many of our young people.

I just want to clarify I certainly am in support of the Inslee-Sarbanes amendment. I just wanted to clarify that.

Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

I reserve my time.

Madam Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to speak today, and I certainly rise also in support of H.R. 2857, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act. This program will certainly strengthen and finally reauthorize the Nation's national and community service programs. And after 15 years, this reauthorization is certainly long overdue.

I want to add my words of praise and thanks to my Chair, Chairwoman

McCarthy, as well as to the full committee Chair, Chairman Miller, and the ranking member, Buck McKeon, for their important leadership in moving this reauthorization forward of this very important program that promotes active involvement of citizens of all ages.

In 1973, Congress passed the Domestic Volunteer Service Act, DVSA, to foster and expand volunteer service in communities while helping vulnerable and disadvantaged populations such as the elderly and the poor. DVSA authorized the National Senior Volunteer Corps, made up of the Foster Grandparents Program, the Senior Companion Program, and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program.

Seventeen years later, Congress passed the National and Community Service Act, NCSA, of 1990. NCSA aims to address unmet human, educational, environmental, and public safety needs, as well as to renew a sense of civic responsibility by encouraging citizens to participate in national service programs. Authorized under NCSA are Learn and Serve America, AmeriCorps State and national grants, and the National Civilian Community Corps.

Both DVSA and NCSA are administered by the Corporation for National Community Service, and both laws were most recently amended in 1993 by the National and Community Service Act. While authorization of appropriations for both laws expired at the end of fiscal year 2006, these programs have remained funded through annual appropriations measures.

I'm pleased to be a cosponsor of H.R. 2857, the GIVE Act, and believe that this bill makes commonsense improvements to our Nation's national service programs. Not only does it provide increased flexibility for States, but importantly, and as referenced by Ranking Member McKeon, it also increases accountability and efficiency within the administration of these programs.

H.R. 2857 strengthens existing community and national service programs by providing year-round service opportunities for students and elderly alike, and further encourages involvement of disadvantaged youth. This legislation also expands eligibility requirements for senior serving programs like Foster Grandparents and the Senior Companion Program, ensuring that individuals with an interest in serving have options available to them. Finally, the GIVE Act reauthorizes DVSA and NCSA through fiscal year 2013.

Recent natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as the wild fires in California, have showcased the important efforts of AmeriCorps and NCCC volunteers. I am proud to be part of this effort to strengthen national service programs and ensure that participants can continue to aid disadvantaged and needy populations. And I have seen firsthand in my district the great work of senior citizens in the Senior Companion Program and young citizens in AmeriCorps partnering with Habitat for Humanity to truly make a difference in Central Pennsylvania. And we know that these efforts are being replicated across the country.

So, Madam Chairman, I hope that all will join in supporting the GIVE Act and vote in favor of this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, I yield as much time as he consumes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra).

Madam Chairman, I certainly am pleased to be part of moving this legislation, the GIVE Act; but I do want to associate myself with the gentleman from Michigan, the ranking member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, on the importance of us moving the reauthorization of FISA; and, hopefully, we will get to that as quickly as possible and restore the tools to our intelligence community they need to protect our Nation and our citizens.

With that, I'd like to yield as much time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays).

Madam Chairman, I'd like to reserve the balance of my time at this point.

Mr. Chairman, I will continue to reserve my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I want to again just thank my subcommittee chairman, Chairwoman McCarthy, for her leadership on this important legislation, as well as the full committee Chair, Mr. Miller, and the ranking member, Mr. McKeon.

As a number of speakers have talked about their own experience and the gentleman from Connecticut, through his work in the Peace Corps, these opportunities to participate in the programs that are funded and authorized under the National Community and Service Act impact not just those who receive the benefit of the work done, but those who actually participate. And with a family member who has participated in AmeriCorps, I have seen that impact on that individual and how they were a stronger person and better prepared for the rest of their adult years because of having been part of AmeriCorps.

So, again, I urge a ``yes'' vote for this legislation and look forward to it moving forward through the House and working with the Senate to get it to the President's desk.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition to the amendment although I am not opposed to the amendment.

I want to commend the ranking member for offering this manager's amendment which makes several very important changes to the GIVE Act.

Most importantly, this amendment includes the language that would allow the Corporation for National and Community Service to support individuals who fill national service positions in small organizations that do not receive AmeriCorps grants.

This language was originally proposed by Mr. Souder in committee, and the manager's amendment reflects the bipartisan approach and the bipartisan compromise that was reached to infuse more individual control and local flexibility into the national service programs.

Also, I would like to reference that this amendment injects fair competition into the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program by requiring all programs to be competitively reevaluated by fiscal year 2013. For too long, these programs have continued to receive funding without any effort to determine if those programs are successfully making a difference in their communities, and this amendment will ensure that this is no longer the case.

So, I urge a ``yes'' vote in support of the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment although I am not opposed to it.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of the amendment and commend the maker of the amendment for helping to want to bring more competition to the process of the grants being awarded and more cooperation between the national and the State organizations. I'm aware that the National Governors Association has indicated its support for this amendment and the end result will be a stronger program, a program that is really more about less administrative costs and more dollars flowing to the programs that are going to make a difference in our communities, whether it be national or State.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I'd just like to associate myself with the remarks earlier from the gentleman from Connecticut, who spoke in favor of this amendment during his previous statement, and again to ask all Members to support this amendment when it is put before us for a vote.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I do plan on supporting this amendment and appreciate the intended maker of the amendment. And to make sure that we are being thorough in our approach to this important issue, I do want to express just some reservation that we don't duplicate the efforts of the subcommittee and the work of the subcommittee or the corporation itself in exploring the ideals of public service, but I will be supporting it and encourage a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment and would associate myself with the maker of the amendment's statements regarding the importance of helping those who are facing challenges because of the housing crisis. This amendment recognizes that communities that are particularly hard hit by this crisis may be in need of special national service efforts. I thus support the amendment and encourage a yes vote.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I do rise in support of this amendment. This amendment is similar to a study and pilot program dealing with veterans that was authorized through an amendment that passed in the committee. While I hope that as this bill moves forward we do not end up with studies and pilot programs for so many different areas that we lose our focus on the bill's priorities, I do believe that it is appropriate activity for the corporation to undertake this effort.

In general, unemployment remains extremely low by historical standards, despite concerns about the economy. However, for those communities such as the maker of the amendment referenced in her home State of Ohio that are experiencing unusually high job losses, it would be wise to explore ways to target national service efforts towards addressing those concerns.

Therefore, I support the amendment, and encourage a yes vote.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. Chairman, while I certainly understand the focus and intent of this amendment, I rise in opposition and worry that this amendment will create more bureaucracy and administrative costs rather than focus on getting dollars out to the participants in the programs.

The focus of the GIVE Act is on streamlining our national service programs to make them more effective, efficient, and accountable. To do that, we have refocused a number of programs and added priorities to others to ensure that national service funds are being spent on initiatives that meet the most pressing needs.

We have accomplished that by working within the existing program structures rather than piling new programs on top of existing programs with similar purposes. I share the gentleman's concerns in the area of energy conservation. I believe a better approach to this issue would have been to work within existing structures. In fact, this bill already does that by addressing energy usage and conservation in a number of areas.

Learn and Service, a new Summer of Service program, includes a focus on energy conservation. And in the innovative program section of that program, energy conservation is specifically included as a type of program eligible for funding.

Under the National Civilian Community Corps, energy conservation was specifically added as a new purpose for that program. And under the programs of national significance authority within the Senior Corps, energy conservation and environmental stewardship were added as types of programs eligible for funding.

Obviously, infrastructure issues are found throughout the bill because we recognize that this is a priority in many locations. But establishing a new corps that will siphon away already scarce resources will only undermine the efforts of the amendment's sponsors to bring greater focus to these types of programs.

I understand this amendment authorizes $10 million for fiscal year 2009. Well, not within this specific act, but the Public Land Corps within the Department of the Interior already exists and is funded by the Federal Government at the amount of $2.5 million this year and it is authorized for $12 million. This program, the Public Land Corps, engages disadvantaged youth ages 16-24 in protecting public lands and the environment, including global warming and emissions reduction.

So my opposition is not to the focus of the effort, but I believe we are being duplicative and are going to waste hours on administrative costs in creating a new program rather than investing these dollars in existing programs that will better focus on energy conservation.

So I would encourage a ``no'' vote, and ask Members to vote ``no.''

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I just want to again emphasize that the GIVE Act specifically includes ``energy conservation and stewardship as specified allowable uses of grant funds in programs already in place.'' So I would encourage a ``no'' vote.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.

Frankly, I don't think there is a more important bill than this; and yet to hear some of the critics, it's like we're just paying people to be volunteers.

The thing I love about Ronald Reagan was Ronald Reagan believed in the future of America, the youth of America, and that the best was yet to come. And he gave us a sense of hope, as did President Kennedy.

When President Kennedy talked about the Peace Corps, I was in eighth grade. My parents bought a TV set to listen to the debate between Nixon and President Kennedy, and I was just enthralled by a President who asked me, a young person, to do something for the world, and that was to become a Peace Corps volunteer.

And from that point on, that was one of my dreams. It was something I wanted to do . . . become a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Guess what? Peace Corps volunteers are paid. We earn a salary and are given a stipend because we have to eat. We are given a certain sum of money at the end, not for education, but to frankly be able to come back and just buy some clothes. When you clean your underwear on rocks for 2 years, you don't want to continue to wear them when you get home.

So what did President Clinton want to do? He said we have the Peace Corps for those who volunteer overseas. And we have Vista for those who want to be of service in these United States. But we can make Vista better. We're going to have expanded national service here at home, and by the way, while this was happening we in Congress were getting rid of summer jobs for kids.

The President said and I want this expanded national service program to be a bipartisan proposal. I want to work with Republicans. Let's make this something all of us can get behind.

I got excited with his call to us. Let's work together, and we did. Because instead of a national program where one-size-fits-all, he said it's going to be a competitive process, something Republican should like.

And by the way, I'll just say parenthetically, Ms. Matsui has an amendment that I am a chief cosponsor of that says let's have more of the dollars be competed for by State and local communities. It's an amendment that should pass.

So what we did is have a national program called AmeriCorps, but we had two-thirds of it going to the States. Now, the problem with that is you're going to have some bad programs that might get funded. The good thing about it is you're going to have some great programs that are going to be funded. And so former President Clinton took a risk. He said instead of having a one-size-fits-all, which would mean we'll have vanilla, and, no one can criticize it, we had some great programs and some bad programs. So the critics of AmeriCorps then took the bad programs and started to criticize as if this was all of AmeriCorps, as if this was the President's national service bill.

Well, the bottom line is we have some great programs. Thank God we had these programs for people impacted by Katrina and other natural disasters. In my part of the country, we have young people who are giving to their neighbors, and if you think they're paid, they're paid a minimum wage and they have a stipend they can use towards their education. It gets them to think about their future and get an education.

But we have people here who will say, well, let's give out Pell Grants, we're going to give out Pell Grants for nothing; and yet we have an opportunity to give out grants that someone actually earned.

I can't speak more strongly for this legislation. I congratulate President

Clinton for bringing it forward, for working with Republicans, at least those who were willing to work with him, and for having a program that has energized young people to be of service.

There are six former Peace Corps volunteers in this House, three Republicans, three Democrats. If you asked any one of us what was the most significant time in our lives, it was serving in the Peace Corps. It was helping others. But we came back more enriched than probably we gave. And I'm absolutely certain of this, the folks that are doing national service, they don't get much monetarily, but they give a lot; and in return they get a lot in terms of their personal development. They grow as individuals. They have more confidence in themselves. I think they're better Americans.

I hope whoever's the next President, and we have three good candidates to choose from, I have a preference obviously, but I think that they are going to inspire Americans to be of greater service, and they could use this legislation to help them.

I hope we pass it, and I thank our sponsors for bringing this bill out. I particularly want to thank our colleagues from New York and from Pennsylvania for their effort here today. God bless this country and God bless this program.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the Committee on Education and Labor for all of their work in bringing this bill to the floor today.

National service is one of the most productive, cost efficient investments the Federal Government can make.

My wife Betsi and I were Peace Corps volunteers and we call ourselves volunteers because we gave 2 years of our lives in service to others.

Americorps is a similar program to Peace Corps. It takes 18, 19, 20- year-old kids and gives them an opportunity to work in a program mentored by various nonprofit organizations.

The passion of participants in Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and other national service programs is undeniable. As they give back to their country they also learn something about themselves, each other, and the world around them.

I am pleased H.R. 2857 expands the AmeriCorps program and increases the education award, which participants in the program receive upon completion of service.

As the cost of a college education increases, students often have to choose between public service careers and other jobs to pay back student loans.

I am also pleased we are making amendments in order under this rule because I believe they will strengthen this underlying reauthorization.

Congresswoman Matsui and I have offered an amendment to streamline funding for State and national AmeriCorps programs, which will encourage coordination, efficiency, and high quality programs.

Furthermore, this amendment will improve the collaboration between State and national entities to better serve local needs.

Congressman McDermott, Congressman Farr and I have offered an amendment to establish a Congressional Commission on Civic service that will investigate ways to increase and encourage service opportunities throughout the country.

The Commission will consider and promote ideas to inspire community service initiatives around the Nation.

There is no substitute for the passion of our Nation's volunteers, who can be found mentoring students, building houses, assisting senior citizens or beautifying our national parks.

As a co-sponsor of this legislation, I am proud to support national service initiatives and encourage my colleagues to support this important reauthorization today.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Congresswoman Matsui and the Committee on Education and Labor for all of their hard work on bringing H.R. 2857 to the floor today. I would also like to thank the work and dedication of Chairman Miller, Ranking Member McKeon, Subcommittee Chairwoman Davis, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Platts.

I believe national service is one of the most productive, cost effective investments our government can make.

Since the inception of the Corporation for National and Community Service, of which I was a co-author, more than 1 billion service hours have been generated by Senior Corps volunteers, more than 40,000 individuals have served through AmeriCorps, and more than 1 million high school students have participated annually in service-learning initiatives.

In the wake of the September 11 attacks, natural disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the increasing achievement gap in education, the call to serve is louder than ever.

Our amendment will revise and improve the funding formula for AmeriCorps, which engages more than 40,000 Americans in service throughout the Nation, by combining State and national competitive funding streams.

National service programs throughout the country believe this change will provide a better means of allocating this funding and will bring the highest quality programs to States.

The change will also enable States to compete for more funding and provide States with more choices of programs.

Community service is about helping people, and it is also about gaining deeper understanding of each other and the world around us.

Through service, Americans of all ages gain a sense of commitment to their communities and their country, which will prove valuable for the rest of their lives.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of this valuable program.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Congressman McDermott and Congressman Farr, Congresswoman Matsui and the Committee on Education and Labor for all of their hard work on bringing this reauthorization to the floor today.

This amendment establishes a Congressional Commission on Civil Service. The Commission would identify ways to expand opportunities for volunteerism and national service in America. It would also recommend ways Federal and local governments can improve awareness and access to national service opportunities, encourage increased volunteerism and better train future public service leaders.

I believe national service is one of the most productive, cost- effective investments our Government can make.

I am pleased this amendment addresses the need for a public service academy, a federally-funded 4-year institution dedicated to training the future leaders of our country's public service sector. In the next 10 years, 90 percent of our nation's Federal executives will be over the age of 50 and nearing retirement. We need to ensure that this workforce is replaced with well-trained, invigorated graduates.

Investing in service opportunities provides enormous returns to communities.

There is no substitute for the passion of our Nation's volunteers, who can be found mentoring students, building houses, assisting senior citizens or beautifying our national parks.

Community service is about helping people, and it is also about gaining deeper understanding of each other and the world around us.

Through service, Americans of all ages gain a sense of commitment to their communities and their country which will prove valuable for the rest of their lives.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of this valuable program.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to take a minute to recognize an enduring legacy of John F. Kennedy--the Peace Corps--in recognition of its 47th anniversary this year. It is an honor to serve with the likes of my colleague and friend Chris Shays and others in this body and the others who serves our country in the enhancement of citizen diplomacy. I hope all Americans will join us in supporting and expanding this enduring commitment to convey our values as a Nation.

As Fareed Zakaria wrote: ``We must begin to think about life after Bush--a cheering prospect for his foes, a dismaying one for his fans (however few there may be at the moment). In 11 months he will be a private citizen, giving speeches to insurance executives. America, however, will have to move on and restore its place in the world. To do this we must first tackle the consequences of our foreign policy of fear. Having spooked ourselves into believing that we have no option but to act fast, alone, unilaterally and pre-emptively, we have managed in six years to destroy decades of international good will, alienate allies, embolden enemies and yet solve few of the major international problems we face.''

The London Financial Times last December reported that the U.S. has suffered a significant loss of power and prestige around the world in the years since the beginning of this century, limiting our ability to influence international crises, according to an annual survey from a well regarded British security think-tank. The 2007 Strategic Survey of the non-partisan International Institute for Strategic Studies' picked the decline of U.S. authority as one of the most important security developments of the past year--but suggested the fading of American prestige began earlier, largely due to its failings in Iraq.

One of our most special and effective citizen agencies of public diplomacy is the Peace Corps. Think of this--more than 187,000 volunteers have served this venerable legacy of former President Kennedy, serving in 139 countries--where they bring our values to other peoples, and bring understanding and appreciation of other cultures back home.

The greatest gift of the Peace Corps and other civilian programs is not just that ordinary Americans share their values and our culture with other peoples, but also that when volunteers return, they bring greater understanding and appreciation of other cultures.

Foreign policy is not just what we do, but also who we are. America as a place has often been the great antidote to U.S. foreign policy-- and it should be again. Mr. Zakaria writes that ``When American actions across the world have seemed harsh, misguided or unfair, America itself has always been open, welcoming and tolerant. . .''

At the end of the day, our openness is our greatest foreign policy. We have succeeded not because of the ingenuity of our government, but rather because of efforts like this unique program to keep ourselves open to the world--to sending our people out across the countries of the world to share our unique culture, our goods and services, our ideas and inventions, our people and cultures. This openness, this civilian diplomacy, has allowed us to make friends across boundaries. It will be central to our place as a nation in the future.

This week, as we celebrate National Peace Corps Week, we honor the more than 190,000 volunteers who have served in 139 developing countries since President Kennedy's call to service in 1961--and I honor 44 of my constituents currently serving our country in places as diverse as China, Mali, Azerbaijan, Macedonia, El Salvador, and Namibia. This can be lonely and demanding service, but service that can create enduring friendships and values that transcend boundaries and cultures.

Today, more than 8,000 Peace Corps volunteers around the world are currently providing training and education in 74 countries. These volunteers each donate their time and skills for over 2 years, in order to make a difference in the world and to promote understanding between cultures. By offering their valuable skills and showing a passion for helping others, they show the world that Americans value learning and cross-cultural exchange.

Volunteers work in areas of education, health and HIV/AIDS, business development, environment, agriculture and youth, and must often be creative and flexible when living and working in new cultures and learning new languages. The resulting experience is rewarding for all involved, and it highlights the importance of cooperation and involvement between cultures around the globe.

When volunteers return home and share their overseas experiences with their communities, the Peace Corps helps Americans as much as the people in developing countries. From recent college graduates to doctors with decades of experience, volunteers choose to use their valuable skills and education to help people all over the world, but their work affects their lives long after returning home.

This week we remember the dedication and passion of Peace Corps volunteers, young and old, current and returned. We thank them for their service, and encourage more Americans to volunteer with the Peace Corps.

Sworn-in Volunteers In the District of VA-08

Volunteer Name, Country of Service, Start of SVC Date, Projected COS

Date

Adriance, Joel E, ECUADOR, 31-Aug-2005, 30-Sep-2008.

Armitage, Emily M, BULGARIA, 19-Oct-2006, 10-Oct-2008.

Arnaoudova, Ina M, AZERBAIJAN, 13-Sep-2006, 12-Sep-2008.

Ballenger, Charles J, EL SALVADOR, 30-Nov-2006, 28-Nov-

2008.

Banks, Cecilia M, ECUADOR, 31-Aug-2005, 30-Sep-2008.

Bergin, Sarah M, SURINAME, 03-Aug-2006, 03-Aug-2008.

Braslavsky, Gelena, BULGARIA, 29-Jun-2007, 30-Jun-2009.

Cabrera, Luis J, NICARAGUA, 20-Jul-2007, 17-Jul-2009.

Calnan, Shannon M, ROMANIA, 27-Jul-2007, 26-Jul-2009.

Chadbourn Iv, Charles C, COSTA RICA, 14-Sep-2006, 19-Sep-

2008.

Cohen, Matthew B, GHANA, 21-Aug-2007, 20-Aug-2009.

Davies, Meghan E, HONDURAS, 20-Apr-2006, 14-Mar-2008.

Doherty, Jennifer J, JAMAICA, 25-Aug-2006, 25-Aug-2008.

Ferrara, Erin J, FIJI, 03-Aug-2006, 03-Aug-2008.

Ficke, Melanie K, HONDURAS, 07-Sep-2006, 06-Sep-2008.

GarciaLahiguera, Andres J, ROMANIA, 27-Jul-2007, 26-Jul-

2009.

Geurtsen, Christopher P, VANUATU, 21-Jun-2007, 19-Jun-2009.

Glock, Porter O, FIJI, 03-Aug-2006, 03-Aug-2008.

Guachamin, Marcela A, COSTA RICA, 18-May-2007, 15-May-2009.

Gustafson, Kevin L, GUYANA, 26-Jul-2007, 25-Jul-2009.

Houk, Kathryn G, BOLIVIA, 28-Jul-2006, 01-Aug-2008.

Huckstep, Melanie L, CHINA, 07-Sep-2007, 08-Sep-2009.

Hurley, Emelia M, BOLIVIA, 13-Apr-2006, 11-Apr-2008.

Infantino, Ann Marie C, HONDURAS, 27-Sep-2007, 25-Sep-2009.

Johnston, Elizabeth A, PARAGUAY, 21-Apr-2006, 18-Apr-2008.

Landrigan, Gregory J, PANAMA, 28-Jul-2005, 04-Sep-2008.

Luckett, Christina C, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, 26-May-2006, 05-

May-2008.

Mandt, Kehl R, CHINA, 09-Jun-2005, 16-Aug-2009.

Milanowski, Elissa N, NAMIBIA, 06-Jan-2006, 30-Mar-2008.

Morris, Katherine M, ALBANIA, 13-Jun-2007, 13-Jun-2009.

Morrow, Katherine J, CHINA, 07-Sep-2007, 08-Sep-2009.

Neidorf, Katherine A, MACEDONIA, 15-Dec-2006, 14-Dec-2008.

Norko, Sara M, PHILIPPINES, 03-Aug-2007, 03-Aug-2009.

Papernick, Rachel J, HONDURAS, 27-Sep-2007, 25-Sep-2009.

Pasley, Virginia B, UKRAINE, 21-Dec-2006, 18-Dec-2008.

Rooney, Kieran E, MOLDOVA, 16-Aug-2007, 14-Aug-2009.

Schiller, Malaika L, BENIN, 22-Sep-2006, 22-Sep-2008.

Shah, Rekha, PHILIPPINES, 03-Aug-2007, 03-Aug-2009.

Shanahan, Kara A, EL SALVADOR, 16-Aug-2007, 13-Aug-2009.

Slotnick, Jennifer A, GUATEMALA, 27-Jul-2006, 26-Jul-2008.

Soto, Jocelyn D, UKRAINE, 21-Dec-2006, 18-Dec-2008.

Vance, Jessica H. EL SALVADOR, 19-Apr-2007, 24-Apr-2009.

Wagner, Ariel E, MALI, 25-Nov-2005, 25-May-2008.

Zehner, Amanda L, GAMBIA, 13-Apr-2007, 15-Apr-2009.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act, the GIVE Act, H.R. 2857. I congratulate Chairman Miller and Chairwoman McCarthy and Ranking Members McKeon and Platts on their work toward this day and moving us closer to finally reauthorizing the Corportation for National and Community Service.

There are many noteworthy programs in the GIVE Act, including Senior Corps and AmeriCorps, which give countless Americans the opportunity to volunteer. Today, I would like to bring attention to a new and very promising program that I have worked to include in the GIVE Act. This new part of the law will provide grants to non-profit organizations to encourage increased volunteer, community, workforce, and educational participation in older adults.

Recent research shows that Americans in the second half of life-- regardless of income, educational level, or race--want to explore options for the next stage of life, including service opportunities, obtaining new training, retooling existing skills, pursuing educational interests, and exploring flexible work.

This initiative is a timely and necessary way to help the large U.S. `boomer' generation make the transition to a new productive life phase by providing support and community connections for ongoing learning, development, and contribution to society. Similar programs currently function as an initiative of Civic Ventures and are a proven success.

I am hopeful that we will be able to bring a program to my district to assist those that are in a transition period, whether they have lost a job, are looking for a career change, or would like to move into a volunteer role in the community.

Mr. Chairman, again I thank the leadership of the Education and Labor Committee and its excellent staff for assisting in securing this program authorization and in moving the GIVE Act forward.

Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in support of the GIVE Act.

I would like to begin by thanking Chairman Miller, as well as the Chair and the ranking member of the subcommittee, Mrs. McCarthy of New York and Mr. Platts from Pennsylvania, for their efforts to develop a solid, bipartisan bill that will strengthen our national service programs. I would also like to recognize Brad Thomas from my staff for his hard work on this bill.

Like many of my colleagues, particularly on this side of the aisle, I historically have had concerns about AmeriCorps and the other programs within the Corporation for National and Community Service. Particularly during the 1990s, Federal management of these programs was at best dismal.

For years, I joined many of my colleagues, led by Mr. Hoekstra, in seeking to establish performance measures to ensure that these national service programs are in fact meeting their goals.

Under the Bush administration, it has become clear that these programs are being held more accountable and they have become more efficient as a result. For example, the corporation received its seventh consecutive clean audit during the fiscal year 2006. Likewise, the corporation's leadership has instituted significant improvements in efficiency and quality, including streamlining the grants and application reporting processes, consolidating five field service centers into one, and automating education award payments, time and attendance, and travel.

In short, the recent management of this program has far surpassed its record of low accountability under the previous administration; and for that reason in particular, it deserves our continued support.

Moreover, this program brings together our neighbors to serve one another and thus benefit our Nation. Although there are clear opportunities to strengthen and improve these programs, the simple fact is that the corporation plays a key and increasingly effective role in, as President Bush would say, ``rallying the armies of compassion.''

Later today I plan to offer an amendment that will strengthen this already good bill. The purpose of my amendment is to acknowledge the patriotism, commitment, and sacrifice made by members of the military and their families. In return for their service to our Nation, I believe the least we can do is ensure our national service programs are able to benefit veterans and military families.

Madam Chairman, this bill is based on sound principles for reform outlined by the administration and developed in conjunction with the corporation. It includes a long overdue emphasis on accountability with its inclusion of performance measures and increased competition. And on the whole, I find the bill to be a balanced one that is worthy of our support.

Madam Chairman, this bill represents a bipartisan effort to come together on a program that is good for the citizens of this Nation.

Unfortunately, our Democrat colleagues have been unwilling to work in the same bipartisan fashion on our Nation's security interests. It has been 18 days since the Protect America Act expired, nearly 3 weeks that the majority has conspicuously refused to bring the bipartisan Senate Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act modernization bill to a vote. And yesterday we got a glimpse of the reason why. An anonymous Member argued that delaying action on this critical security measure made for good politics. Madam Chairman, it is unfathomable that our Nation's security may be put at risk in the name of political gamesmanship. I strongly urge the majority to bring FISA modernization for a vote.

Madam Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Platts), and I ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to control that time.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment which will enhance the GIVE Act by codifying our commitment to ensuring veterans can serve and be served within our national service programs.

The purpose of my amendment is to acknowledge the patriotism, commitment, and sacrifice made by members of the military and their families. In return for their service to our Nation, the least we can do is make sure that our national service programs are able to benefit veterans and military families.

On a bipartisan basis, the Education and Labor Committee chose to incorporate support for veterans in the GIVE Act. My amendment is a natural extension of that theme, and I hope it will garner the same bipartisan agreement as the underlying bill.

Already, the GIVE Act seeks to increase opportunities for veterans to serve and to increase the number of national service programs responding to the needs of veterans under AmeriCorps. My amendment enhances that effort by prioritizing services for and service by veterans throughout all of our national service programs.

The bill before us includes a set-aside within AmeriCorps to support programs for veterans. In addition, the bill includes a study of how veterans are served and how they can be served more effectively. These are positive first steps, but my amendment goes further. Under my amendment, the Corporation will be required to place a priority on applications that serve veterans or recruit veterans to serve. Rather than a fixed set-aside within a single program, this amendment will allow us to broaden the reach of service by and in support of veterans.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is required to establish priorities when funding national service initiatives. This ensures a targeted, effective investment. Under my amendment, included among those priorities would be an emphasis on programs that recruit veterans into service opportunities, promote community-based efforts to meet the unique needs of military families while a family member is deployed, and promote community-based efforts to meet the unique needs of military families when a member of a family returns from a deployment.

In addition, this amendment requires the Corporation to report to Congress on its efforts to increase the number of veterans serving in AmeriCorps and other positions that are eligible for the education award.

Veterans, particularly those recently deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, deserve opportunities to reintegrate into their communities through service programs funded under the national service laws. This amendment will increase those opportunities.

Without this amendment, we will not have the necessary information to effectively increase veteran participation in national service positions or provide an educational award in exchange for citizen service.

At a time when our service men and women are sacrificing on our behalf around the world, we should be doing all we can to repay that sacrifice. My amendment will make it the explicit policy of the Federal Government to encourage the national service programs to focus more on the unique needs of those heroes and their families, and to encourage more veterans to take advantage of service opportunities under these laws.

The GIFT Act is a solid, bipartisan reform package that will strengthen our national service laws to make them more accountable, efficient, and cost effective.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank subcommittee Chair, Mrs. McCarthy, and ranking member, Mr. Platts, for their hard work on this bill. It's a good, bipartisan effort. I thank them for their help on this amendment. I urge the amendment be supported by our colleagues.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.