The annual House Peace Corps funding Dear Colleague letter is now closed, but not before 111 lawmakers demonstrated their support.
By Jonathan Pearson
On Thursday, April 25, RPCV Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA), and fellow Congressman Garret Graves (R-LA), the Co-Chairs of the House Peace Corps Caucus, began circulating the annual Peace Corps funding Dear Colleague letter. This year’s letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee for State/Foreign Operations, urges support for President Biden’s request of $479 million for the Peace Corps for the fiscal year that begins in October (FY 2025). This would represent an eleven percent increase over current funding.
A Quick Turnaround
Facing a very quick deadline, the Peace Corps community came together to contact members of the House of Representatives to urge them to sign this year’s letter. While the letter is now closed, you can still write your Reps to thank them for signing the letter (or expressing disappointment if they did not).
Read this year’s final House letter or find the text of the letter (without the signatures) at the bottom of this page.
Who signed the letter?
Below is the list (by state) of Representatives who have signed this year’s Garamendi-Graves Peace Corps Funding Dear Colleague Letter for Fiscal Year 2025.
DEADLINE to sign on: 6:00 PM (ET), April 30, 2024 (This letter is now closed)
SIGNATURES as of 2:00 PM (ET), May 1, 2024: 111
ADDITIONAL SIGNATURES that were needed to match 2023 letter: 25
American Samoa: Radewagen
Arizona: Gallego, Grijalva
California: Barragan, Bera, Brownley, Carbajal, Cardenas, Chu, Correa, DeSaulnier, Eshoo, Garamendi (co-author), Huffman, Kamlager-Dove, Khana, Levin, Lieu, Matsui, Porter, Ruiz, Sanchez, Schiff, Swalwell, Thompson, Vargas
Colorado: Crow, Neguse
Connecticut: Courtney, Hayes, Himes, Larson
District of Columbia: Norton
Florida: Moskowitz, Wilson
Georgia: Bishop, Johnson, McBath, David Scott, Williams
Hawaii: Tokuda
Illinois: Budzinski, Casten, Davis, Foster, Jackson, Kelly, Krishnamoorthi
Indiana: Carson
Kansas: Davids
Louisiana: Graves (co-author)
Maryland: Raskin, Sarbanes
Massachusetts: Auchincloss, Keating, Lynch, McGovern, Moulton, Neal, Pressley, Trahan
Maine: Golden, Pingree
Michigan: Dingell, Kildee, Slotkin, Stevens
Minnesota: Craig, Phillips
Missouri: Cleaver
Nevada: Titus
New Hampshire: Kuster, Pappas
New Jersey: Kim, Pascrell, Sherrill
New Mexico: Stansbury
New York: Bowman, Clarke, Lawler, Meeks, Molinaro, Ryan, Tonko
North Carolina: Adams, Nickel
Northern Marianas: Sablan
Ohio: Beatty, Brown
Oregon: Blumenauer, Bonamici, Hoyle
Pennsylvania: Boyle, Evans, Wild*
Puerto Rico: Gonzalez-Colon
Tennessee: Cohen
Texas: Allred, Escobar, Fletcher, Vicente Gonazlez, Veasey
Virgin Islands: Plaskett
Virginia: Beyer, Connolly, McClellan, Spanberger
Washington: DelBene, Larsen, Strickland
Wisconsin: Moore
*Representative Wild’s signature came in after the letter was assembled, but her support was forwarded to the Appropriations subcommittee
Here’s the text of the House Peace Corps funding letter.
The Honorable Mario Diaz-Balart, Chairman
House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Barbara Lee, Ranking Member
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Diaz-Balart and Ranking Member Lee,
We respectfully request you provide $479,000,000 for the Peace Corps in the forthcoming “Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act” for fiscal year 2025, consistent with the President’s budget request for fiscal year 2025.
This requested funding level would enable Peace Corps operations globally, while supporting the volunteers who choose to serve. The Peace Corps represent a vital aspect of American diplomacy and engagement. Volunteers teach English, support economic development, and develop programs in coordination with communities around the world. Their work builds lasting relationships and builds the United States’ international partnerships. Particularly in times of rising tensions, our Peace Corps is a critical, cost-effective investment which supports the United States, the Volunteers, and the communities they work in.
Peace Corps Volunteers serve our country in remote, challenging environments. In recent years, the Peace Corps has taken steps to improve further the health, safety, and wellbeing of its Volunteers. Funding at $479 million for fiscal year 2025 would ensure that this progress continues so Volunteers can carry on reinforcing American ideals and providing support for developing nations.
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.
Story updated May 1, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. ET
Jonathan Pearson is Director of Advocacy for National Peace Corps Association. Write him at [email protected]