The Peace Corps Commemorative

Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (D-MA), with Vanessa Porter (l), Advocacy Coordinator of the Greater Boston RPCVs. Congresswoman Tsongas is one of 148 lawmakers who have co-sponsored Peace Corps Commemorative legislation in the past. Ask them to help pass this legislation in 2013!

Peace Corps Commemorative Legislation

 TAKE ACTION NOW!

 

SEND THIS MESSAGE IN ALL COMMUNICATIONS

For Messages to your Senators:

“I urge Senator _____ to co-sponsor Senate Bill 230, bi-partisan Peace Corps Commemorative legislation.”

For Messages to your Congressman/woman:

“I urge Representative _____ to co-sponsor House Bill 915, bi-partisan Peace Corps Commemorative legislation.”

 

Quick Links

 

 

Congressional Contact Information

>> Contact Information for your Senators (Phone and Email Web Link): http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

>> Contact Information for your Congressmen/women (Phone and Link to Website): http://www.house.gov/representatives/

>> Follow this Link if you don’t know the name of your Congressman/woman:

http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

 

Action By Email

If you plan to send an email, you can use this sample message.  Please personalize your message if possible, explaining why the founding of the Peace Corps in 1961 is worthy of commemoration near the National Mall.

 

(Sample message)

Dear (Senator/Representative) _______,

I write to ask you to co-sponsor (Senate Bill 230/House Bill 915), legislation to authorize the creation of a commemorative in the nation’s capital to mark the historic and enduring significance of the establishment of the Peace Corps in 1961 and the ideals its founding represents.

As both chambers of Congress have previously given unanimous approval to authorizing a Peace Corps commemorative (House in 2010; Senate in 2012), now is the time to pass this legislation.  It is important to note that construction of this modest  commemorative will be financed entirely by private sector contributions.  The legislation specifies that no taxpayer dollars will be used to fund this project.  However, congressional authorization is required under the federal Commemorative Works Act in order for this proposal to proceed.

There has been tremendous bi-partisan progress to pass Peace Corps Commemorative legislation.  I respectfully ask you to co-sponsor the legislation and provide the leadership needed to build momentum for final congressional passage.

Thank you for considering this request and I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

(Your Address)

(Peace Corps Service if applicable)

 

Share this Action!

Studies show that people are influenced to take action when their friends take action.  

Please share this action with anyone you know (family members, friends, co-workers, fellow RPCVs) who believe in the importance of the Peace Corps and the important role it has played in our evolving American history.

Contact us and let us know you have taken action.  Find out how you can further help in this effort.

 

Target List – Get Past Co-Sponsors on Board Again!

The following list consists of Senators and Representatives who have co-sponsored commemorative legislation in the past.  Remind these lawmakers they have previously supported the commemorative, and urge their leadership by co-sponsoring S. 230 or H.R. 915 again this year.

(Lawmakers listed IN BOLD CAPS have become recent co-sponsors of S. 230 or H.R. 915 – say Thank You!)

Alabama:

  • Reps: Bonner, Brooks

Alaska:

  • Senators: BEGICH
  • Reps:  YOUNG

Arizona:

  • Reps: GRIJALVA, Pastor

California:

  • Senators: Boxer, Feinstein
  • Reps: Bass, Calvert, CARDENAS, CAPPS, CHU, Costa, Susan Davis, Eshoo, FARR, GARAMENDI, HONDA, Lee, LOFGREN, Matsui, MCNERNEY, Napolitano, Linda Sanchez, Schiff, Speier, SWALWELL,Thompson, Waxman

Colorado:

  • Senators:  Bennett, UDALL
  • Reps: Polis

Connecticut:

  • Senators: Murphy (co-sponsored bill while in the House)
  • Reps: Courtney, DeLauro, Himes, Larson

Delaware:

  • Senators: Coons
  • Reps: Carney

District of Columbia:

  • Reps: Norton

Florida:

  • Senators: Nelson
  • Reps: Brown, Castor, Deutch, Hastings, Wasserman Schultz, Wilson

Georgia:

  • Senators: Isakson
  • Reps: Bishop, Johnson, Lewis

Hawaii:

  • Senators: Hirono (co-sponsored bill while in the House)
  • Reps: Hanabusa

Illinois:

  • Reps: Davis, Gutierrez, Quigley, Schakowsky, Schock

Indiana:

  • Reps: CARSON

Iowa:

  • Reps: Latham, LOEBSACK

Louisiana:

  • Senators: Landrieu

Maine:

  • Senators: Collins
  • Reps: MICHAUD, Pingree

Maryland:

  • Reps: Cummings, Edwards, Van Hollen

Massachusetts:

  • Reps: CAPUANO, KEATING, KENNEDY (lead sponsor), LYNCH, Markey, McGovern, Neal, TIERNEY, Tsongas

Michigan:

  • Senators: Levin, Stabenow
  • Reps: Conyers, Peters

Minnesota:

  • Senators: Klobuchar
  • Reps: ELLISON, Kline, MCCOLLUM, NOLAN

Mississippi:

  • Senators: Cochran
  • Reps: Thompson

Missouri:

  • Reps: Clay, Cleaver

New Hampshire:

  • Senators:  SHAHEEN
  • Reps: KUSTER

New Jersey:

  • Reps: Andrews, Frelinghuysen, Holt, Sires

New Mexico:

  • Senators: Heinrich (co-sponsored bill while in the House)
  • Reps: Lujan

New York:

  • Reps: Bishop, Clarke, Engel, Hanna, Higgins, Israel, Maloney, MCCARTHY, Meeks, NADLER, Owens, RANGEL, Slaughter, TONKO

North Carolina:

  • Reps: Butterfield, Coble, Jones, MCINTYRE, Price

Ohio:

  • Senators: PORTMAN (lead sponsor)
  • Reps: Kaptur, Ryan

Oklahoma:

  • Reps: MULLIN

Oregon:

  • Senators: Merkley, Wyden
  • Reps: Blumenauer, DeFazio

Pennsylvania:

  • Senators: Casey
  • Reps: Doyle, Fattah, Fitzpatrick, Schwartz

Rhode Island:

  • Reps: CICILLINE

South Dakota:

  • Senators: JOHNSON

Tennessee:

  • Reps: Cohen, Cooper, Roe

Texas:

  • Reps: Al Green, Gene Green, Hinojosa

Vermont:

  • Reps:  WELCH

Virginia:

  • Reps: Connolly, Moran, Wolf (co-sponsored bill in 2010)

Washington:

  • Reps: McDermott, Reichert

Wisconsin:

  • Senators: Baldwin (co-sponsored bill while in the House)
  • Reps: Kind, MOORE, PETRI, POCAN

Wyoming:

  • Reps: Lummis (co-sponsored bill in 2010)

Territories:

  • Reps: BORDALLO, Christensen, Faleomavaega, Pierluisi, Sablan

 

Peace Corps Commemorative – Background Information

Read this one page summary about Peace Corps Commemorative legislation.

Read Senate Bill 230

Read House Bill 915

Since its founding in 1961, the Peace Corps has been a testament to the American ideals of humanitarian service, global peace and friendship, and an unwavering commitment to building a better world for all of humanity. It has been, as eminent historian Doris Kearns Goodwin describes, “an enduring American legacy of service in the cause of peace, a timeless symbol of some of America’s most honorable ideals and aspirations.”

In order to honor such a monumental legacy, the National Peace Corps Association established the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to urge our legislators to authorize the construction of a commemorative work in the nation’s capital, marking the historic and enduring significance of the establishment of the Peace Corps and the American ideals upon which it was founded.

The Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation is envisioning a modest urban landscape  near the Washington D.C. monumental core, in which visitors to D.C. can stroll and gather while contemplating the Peace Corps’ pivotal establishment and its vision for international understanding and peace through service. The commemorative would not be a memorial to any particular individuals nor to the agency itself, but rather would celebrate the Peace Corps’ founding as the first-ever international service organization of its kind in the history of the world.

Significant progress towards passage has been achieved in the past three years.

Congressman Farr introduces Peace Corps Commemorative legislation to the House in 2010. Click image to view his speech!

2010:  In 2010, RPCV Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA) introduced legislation into the House of Representatives to approve such a commemorative.  In his 2010 speech presenting the legislation, Representative Farr described the Commemorative as  ”a place to contemplate the spirit of hope that gave rise to the…creation of a unique form of public service that seeks peace through international service, people-to-people diplomacy, and cross-cultural understanding.”

With such a champion for the Peace Corps on Capitol Hill, the 2010 legislation passed unanimously in the House.

2011: When a new Congress began its work in 2011, identical legislation was re-introduced on March 1st, the 50th Anniversary of President Kennedy’s executive order to establish the Peace Corps. Authored by RPCV Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA) and supported by fellow RPCVs Tom Petri (R-WI), Mike Honda (D-CA) and John Garamendi (D-CA).

View historian statements on the legislation (NOTE:  This document was prepared in 2011.  In this previous session of Congress the legislation had a different number – H.R. 854)

In late July, 2011, companion legislation was introduced in the Senate.  Led by Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), the legislation was co-sponsored by Senator Mark Udall (D-CO).  With a growing list of co-sponsors, the legislation was unanimously passed by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

2012:  By 2012, Peace Corps Commemorative legislation had strong bi-partisan support in both chambers, with nearly 160 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and 22 co-sponsors in the Senate.

A major breakthrough for the legislation came in the closing days of 2012, when the Senate unanimously approved the legislation.  This news was tempered however in the House of Representatives, where the bill was not brought forward for final passage.  However, both chambers of Congress were now on record as having given unanimous approval to the legislation.

2013:  Just five weeks after the United States Senate gave unanimous approval to Peace Corps Commemorative legislation, Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Mark Udall (D-CO) re-introduced the bill — now Senate Bill 230 — in the new, 113th Congress.

“For over 50 years, the Peace Corps has served as a powerful vehicle for volunteers who wish to use their talents to carry America’s humanitarian values to other parts of the world,” said Senator Portman, the lead sponsor of the legislation.  Senator Udall, who Chairs the National Parks Subcommittee which has jurisdiction over the bill, noted how “the Peace Corps reflects the spirit of public service and global engagement that help us – in the words of JFK –  ’to move the world down the road to peace.’ ”

Follow these links to read press releases from Senators Portman and Udall.

On February 28, 2013, RPCV Congressman  Joseph Kennedy III announced introduced legislation the Peace Corps Commemorative legislation in the House of Representatives — now House Bill 915 — with all four RPCV lawmakers (Farr, Petri, Honda and Garamendi) signing on as original co-sponsors.  You can read the press release from Congressman Kennedy here.

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