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National Peace Corps Association > News > Advocacy > Urge Senate Appropriators to Support President’s Peace Corps Request
Urge Senate Appropriators to Support President’s Peace Corps Request
By Jonathan Pearson on Thursday, July 15th, 2010
NPCA President Kevin Quigley with Representative Nita Lowey
The Senate Subcommittee responsible for the State Department and other foreign operations is the next stop for Peace Corps funding.
The House subcommittee chaired by New York Congresswoman Nita Lowey is recommending President Obama’s request of $446 million for the Peace Corps for Fiscal Year 2011.
“Given the challenging fiscal environment facing our nation and the Congress, this 11.5 percent increase would be good news for the Peace Corps and a positive testament to the ongoing advocacy to thousands of individuals who have reached out to Congress,” said Quigley.
Take Action Now with Senate Appropriators
In recent years, the Senate has recommended less funding for the Peace Corps than the House.
If your Senator is a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, call or email them with this message.
- Identify yourself as a constituent and a member of the Peace Corps community.
- Reference your Peace Corps experience and/or why you believe additional funding for the Peace Corps is an important investment that benefits our country.
- Reference the important role returned Peace Corps volunteers play in bringing the world back home to their fellow Americans.
- Note that the House Subcommittee for State and Foreign Operations has approved the President’s request of $446 million for the Peace Corps in Fiscal Year 2011.
- Urge your Senator to approve a Peace Corps appropriation that equals or exceeds the President’s request.
- Contact us to let us know you took action.
Thanks!
If we meet Congress’ funding goal of $892,000,000 the cost at 8,000 PCs is $111,500 per PC per year.
Bill Text
111th Congress (2009-2010)
H.RES.1396.IH
We’ve had enough rewards for PC staff. We can’t justify the PCs at this cost. We now partner with NGOs and teach English. PC can be replaced very easily if others are given access to this much money.
While the resolution you cite does include that figure, it is not a figure we have been mobilizing around. Rather we have been advocating for funding in the range of $446 – $465 million. Furthermore, we would most definitely expect an increase in volunteers as funds increase, Therefore, we would not expect the per/volunteer cost to increase anywhere close to the estimate mentioned in the previous comment.
The PCs are still expensive whether its 100,000 or 50,000 per PC per year. The NGOs we partner with would be better off with the funds. They would be more effective and possibly hire more persons in country.
Teaching English can be done by private companies at much less the cost of a PC or at least a good host country-national salary. Like NGOs, we’re too expensive and everyone is better off with the cost per PC per year.
PEPFAR funds PCs directly(a PC ‘hiring’ US government program). The funds from PEPFAR going to PC for the PCs are high enough to justify cheaper resources for ‘education’ now that the treatment program has opened up to other things like infrastructure, advertising, etc.
Donations, inter agency transfers and US government program funding PCs directly aren’t included in the numbers?
Historically, the number don’t increase, but the cost per PC does; maybe 1,000 more PCs at 30% more per PC. Clinton’s 10,000 by 2000, Bush’s doubling, Obama’s doubling, etc. Why would the House advocate 892,000,000 for PC if they didn’t think PC could double? The House makes no sense, unless they are willing to fund at the level PC was targeting.
I think Kevin is doing a great job, but he keeps on going back to his country of service and needs to emphasize PC is a global organization and one shouldn’t limit oneself to their country/region of service. This is where we lose.