Record Number of Senators Sign Peace Corps Funding Letter

In face of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the United States Senate are expressing strong long-term support for the operation and eventual re-deployment of Peace Corps Volunteers.

A record 42 Senators signed an annual "Dear Colleague" letter circulated by Susan Collins (R-ME) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) asking for robust funding for Peace Corps in the next fiscal year (FY 2021) which will commence on October 1st.

Written to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for State and Foreign Operations on March 3rd, the letter refers to Peace Corps as "an iconic and vibrant part of the American identity." You can read the full text of the Senate letter here.

"Never has this annual Senate letter been more important than this year," said National Peace Corps Association President and CEO Glenn Blumhorst. "Senators Collins and Feinstein have demonstrated wonderful bi-partisan leadership in advancing this letter, and the record number of Senate signatures indicates the strong commitment to return Peace Corps Volunteers to service at the earliest time possible."

Coupled with a similarly strong and bi-partisan letter circulated last month in the House of Representatives (signed by 167 members), approximately 40% of Congress signed these letters.

Thank Your Senators

• Refer to the list below to see if your Senator(s) are among the 42 who signed the Collins-Feinstein Peace Corps funding letter.
• Write, edit, personalize and thank your Senator(s) for signing this important letter.
• Find the phone number of your Senators if you want to contact them by phone.

Senators who signed the Feinstein-Collins Peace Corps Funding Dear Colleague Letter (List of Current Signers Below)

Arizona: Sinema

California: Feinstein (co-author), Harris

Connecticut: Blumenthal, Murphy

Colorado: Bennet

Delaware: Carper, Coons

Hawaii: Hirono, Schatz

Illinois: Duckworth, Durbin

Maine: Collins (co-author), King

Maryland: Cardin, Van Hollen

Massachusetts: Markey, Warren

Michigan: Peters, Stabenow

Minnesota: Klobuchar, Smith

Nevada: Rosen

New Hampshire: Hassan, Shaheen

New Jersey: Booker, Menendez

New Mexico: Heinrich, Udall

New York: Gillibrand

North Carolina: Tillis

Ohio: Brown

Oregon: Merkley, Wyden

Rhode Island: Reed, Whitehouse

Vermont: Sanders

Virginia: Kaine, Warner

Washington: Cantwell

West Virginia: Manchin

Wisconsin: Baldwin