U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Susan Collins circulated the annual Peace Corps funding letter, seeking a $20 million increase in agency funding. Thanks to your efforts, a record number of senators signed this year’s letter.
By Jonathan Pearson
Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have concluded circulating their annual Peace Corps “Dear Colleague” letter, asking other senators to sign on and ensure robust support for the agency as Volunteers return to service overseas. The letter, addressed to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State & Foreign Operations, calls for increasing Peace Corps funding for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 2023) from $410.5 million to $430.5 million. 43 senators signed this year’s letter, breaking the previous record of 42 signatures in 2020.
This request is in line with President Biden’s budget request for the fiscal year that begins in October 2022. “This funding will be critical as the Peace Corps resumes operations, improves volunteer security, engages in global health efforts, and broadens outreach to attract new talent,” the senators write.
“This funding will be critical as the Peace Corps resumes operations, improves volunteer security, engages in global health efforts, and broadens outreach to attract new talent.”
Read the annual Dear Colleague Peace Corps funding letter, or find the text at the bottom of this post.
In March 2022, Volunteers began returning to service overseas. At this time, Peace Corps programs are again operating in Zambia, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Namibia, with more headed overseas in the coming weeks and months. As many as 30 other nations are now in the pipeline to have Volunteers return to service this year. The Peace Corps agency has undertaken critical reforms to ensure a better and stronger Peace Corps for a changed world. But the agency needs funding to make all this possible.
Last month, in the House of Representatives, Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) and Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) circulated a Peace Corps funding letter among colleagues. The House letter (which is now closed), requests $450 million for the Peace Corps in FY 2023, drew strong bipartisan support, garnering signatures of 146 lawmakers.
Thank Senators Who Signed This Year’s Letter.
Now that the letter is closed, write to your senators to express your thanks for signing the letter (or your disappointment if they did not).
Who has signed the letter?
Here are the senators who signed this year’s Feinstein-Collins Peace Corps Funding Dear Colleague Letter for Fiscal Year 2023.
DEADLINE to sign on: 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, 2022 (This letter is now closed)
SIGNATURES as of Wednesday, May 18, 12:00 p.m. 43 (A new record for this letter!)
Arizona: Kelly, Sinema
California: Feinstein (co-author), Padilla
Colorado: Bennet
Connecticut: Blumenthal, Murphy
Delaware: Carper
Georgia: Warnock
Hawai’i: Hirono, Schatz
Illinois: Duckworth, Durbin
Maine: Collins (co-author), King
Maryland: Cardin, Van Hollen
Massachusetts: Markey, Warren
Michigan: Peters, Stabenow
Minnesota: Klobuchar, Smith
Nevada: Cortez Masto, Rosen
New Hampshire: Hassan, Shaheen
New Jersey: Booker, Menendez
New Mexico: Lujan
New York: Gillibrand
Ohio: Brown
Oregon: Merkley, Wyden
Pennsylvania: Casey
Rhode Island: Reed, Whitehouse
Vermont: Sanders
Virginia: Kaine, Warner
Washington: Cantwell
West Virginia: Manchin
Wisconsin: Baldwin
Here’s the text of the Senate Peace Corps funding letter.
Read it below — or download the PDF.
May 17, 2022
The Honorable Chris Coons, Chairman
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Lindsey Graham, Ranking Member
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Coons and Ranking Member Graham,
Strong and consistent bipartisan support has built the Peace Corps into the international face of American volunteerism. Continuing that tradition, we request that you support the Fiscal Year 2023 President’s Budget Request of at least $430.5 million for the Peace Corps.
The requested amount represents less than a five percent increase over flat funding of approximately $410.5 million for the past seven years. This funding will be critical as the Peace Corps resumes operations, improves volunteer security, engages in global health efforts, and broadens outreach to attract new talent.
The United States gains immeasurably from the Peace Corps’ mission of international volunteer service. Since the Peace Corps’ inception 61 years ago, more than 241,000 Americans have served in 143 countries and provided more than three billion hours of service to our nation and the world. These ambassadors of goodwill set the conditions for prosperity, self-reliance, and stability in postings around the globe.
The Peace Corps suspended global operations during the pandemic and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries. Today, every government that had volunteer programs at the time of the evacuation has asked for volunteers to return.
The Peace Corps represents a cost-effective way to promote the United States abroad while providing tangible benefit for host communities. It supports the U.S.’s humanitarian mission and shapes the diplomatic and security environment. Peace Corps service also offers international experience to American volunteers, many of whom will become leaders here at home.
Thank you for considering our request and your enduring support for the Peace Corps.
Sincerely,
[Signatures of Senators]
Story updated May 18, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Jonathan Pearson is Director of Advocacy for National Peace Corps Association. Write him at [email protected].