For more than twenty years, National Peace Corps Association and its advocates have mobilized to support an annual “Dear Colleague” letter that lawmakers in the House of Representatives are asked to sign, requesting strong funding for the Peace Corps.
Ever since 1961, often amid uncertainty, division, and conflict, the nearly 250,000 citizens who have served in the Peace Corps have consistently represented fellow citizens around the world and here at home with a standard that is emblematic of the very best that our nation has to offer.
Because of this, RPCV Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and Delegate Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa) urged their colleagues to sign a letter to leaders of the House Appropriations Committee, requesting $479 million for the Peace Corps in Fiscal Year 2027. The intent is to reverse a funding cut from $430 million to $410 million imposed during the current fiscal year and renew a similar funding level requested in last year’s House letter.
March 11th was the last day of this action.
Thanks to your efforts, we secured 121 signatures this year.
Visit the National Peace Corps Action Center to thank your representative if they signed the letter – or encourage them to support the Peace Corps going forward.
Who signed the letter?
Below is the list (by state/territories) of Representatives who signed this year’s Garamendi-Radewagen Peace Corps Funding Letter for Fiscal Year 2027.
LINK TO BE ADDED SOON. Here is a pdf of the final letter with signatures (the text of the letter can be found at the end of this news post).
DEADLINE to sign on: May 11, 2025 (THIS LETTER IS NOW CLOSED)
SIGNATURES as of 2:11 PM (ET), March 16, 2026: 121 signatures
Alabama: Figures, Sewell
American Samoa: Radewagen (co-author)
Arizona: Ansari
California: Barragan, Bera, Brownley, Carbajal, Chu, Costa, DeSaulnier, Friedman, Garamendi (co-author), Huffman, Kamlager-Dove, Khanna, Kiley, Liccardo, Lieu, Matsui, Mullin, Panetta, Peters, Rivas, Ruiz, Sanchez (Linda), Simon, Swalwell, Thompson (Mike), Vargas, Whitesides
Colorado: Crow, DeGette
Connecticut: Courtney, Hayes, Himes, Larson
Delaware: McBride
District of Columbia: Norton
Florida: Moskowitz, Wilson
Georgia: Bishop, McBath, Scott (David), Williams (Nikema)
Guam: Moylan
Hawaii: Tokuda
Illinois: Budzinski, Casten, Davis, Foster, Jackson, Kelly, Krishnamoorthi, Schakowsky, Schneider
Indiana: Carson
Kansas: Davids
Louisiana: Carter (Troy)
Maine: Pingree
Maryland: Elfreth, McClain Delaney, Mfume, Olszewski, Raskin
Massachusetts: Keating, Lynch, McGovern, Moulton, Neal, Pressley, Trahan
Michigan: Dingell, Stevens, Tlaib
Minnesota: Craig, Morrison
Mississippi: Thompson
Missouri: Bell, Cleaver
Nevada: Titus
North Carolina: Foushee
Northern Mariana Islands: King-Hinds
New Jersey: Pallone
New Mexico: Leger Fernández, Stansbury
New York: Clarke, Gillen, Meeks, Ryan (Patrick), Tonko, Torres, Velazquez
Ohio: Beatty (Joyce), Brown, Landsman
Oregon: Bonamici, Dexter, Hoyle
Pennsylvania: Boyle
Puerto Rico: Pablo José Hernández
Rhode Island: Amo, Magaziner
Tennessee: Cohen
Texas: Castro (Joaquin), Crockett, Doggett, Fletcher, Gonzalez (Vicente), Johnson, Veasey
Vermont: Balint
Virginia: Beyer, McClellan, Walkinshaw, Subramanyam
Washington: DelBene, Larsen, Schrier, Strickland
Wisconsin: Moore
Here is the introduction and text of the Garamendi-Radewagen Peace Corps Funding Dear Colleague letter:
Dear Colleague,
I invite you to join me and Congresswoman Amata Coleman Radewagen, co-chair of the Peace Corps Caucus, in cosigning the enclosed letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs requesting $479 million for the Peace Corps in fiscal year 2027. This requested funding level would enable Peace Corps operations globally while supporting the volunteers who choose to serve.
For over six decades, the Peace Corps has played a vital role in advancing American diplomacy and global engagement. With volunteers in over 60 countries, the Peace Corps serves as a powerful instrument of American soft power, fostering people-to-people connections and reinforcing American ideals abroad. Volunteers teach English, support economic development, and work with host communities to build health and food security programs in developing countries globally.
During times of rising tensions, the Peace Corps is a critical, cost-effective tool for advancing America’s international partnerships and global leadership. Volunteers often serve in remote, challenging environments where the United States has limited formal presence, demonstrating American values through action and service. The Peace Corps is a strategic asset for cultivating international goodwill that extends beyond the reach of traditional policy measures.
Funding at $479 million for fiscal year 2027 will ensure that the Peace Corps has the resources necessary to continue advancing American diplomacy and engagement and support the next generation of Americans who volunteer abroad.
The deadline to sign onto the letter is Wednesday, March 11 at 5:00 PM E.T. If you have any questions, please reach out to Sydney Hilbush at [email protected] in Congressman Garamendi’s office.
(Letter Text)
Dear Chairman Diaz-Balart and Ranking Member Frankel:
We respectfully request you provide $479,000,000 for the Peace Corps in the forthcoming “National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act” for fiscal year 2027, consistent with the budget request for fiscal year 2026.
This requested funding level would enable Peace Corps operations globally while supporting the Volunteers who choose to serve. The Peace Corps represents a vital aspect of American diplomacy and engagement. Volunteers teach English, support economic development, and develop programs in coordination with communities around the world in remote, challenging environments. Their work builds lasting relationships and strengthens the United States’ international partnerships. Particularly in times of rising tensions, the Peace Corps is a critical, cost-effective investment which supports the United States, its Volunteers, and the communities they work in.
As the Peace Corps aims to double its volunteer corps by 2030, funding the Peace Corps at the requested level will ensure the agency can meet its recruitment goals and safeguard the health and safety of its Volunteers. The requested funding level would ensure that Volunteers can continue reinforcing American ideals and providing support for developing nations across the world.
Funding at the $479 million level will also ensure the Peace Corps can continue its strategic expansion into the Indo-Pacific region. Expanding Peace Corps operations in the Indo-Pacific is vital for strengthening diplomatic and economic ties in the region and reinforcing American values in a contested theatre of strategic interest and global competition.
Thank you for your leadership and past efforts to provide the Peace Corps with the resources needed to support the next generation of American leaders who volunteer abroad.