As September got underway, there was some big news on pending legislation in the House of Representatives and the role played by past and present National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) advocacy leaders. Meanwhile, new legislation has been introduced. One bill that would provide a number of benefits to serving volunteers. Another, raises serious concerns about Peace Corps independence and autonomy. All of this as we are less than two weeks from a new federal fiscal year, and the threat of a government shutdown.
The success of NPCA’s advocacy program is only as good as the engagement of our community members. Will you be our next, emerging advocacy leader?
Here’s our mid-September round up.
Advocacy Coordinators Leading the Way
When 200 NPCA advocates descended on the U.S. Capitol for our July 21st Hill Day, included among them were a dozen of our state/regional advocacy coordinators. For Florida advocacy coordinator Ana Ciereszko, her itinerary included a meeting with Jacksonville area Congressman John Rutherford. That meeting, coupled with a more recent meeting in the district with former Jacksonville advocacy coordinator David Miron, led to Representative Rutherford agreeing to co-lead bipartisan Peace Corps Volunteer Congressional Gold Medal legislation, soon to be introduced in the House.
Also in the past few weeks, San Diego advocacy coordinator Linda Vene organized a virtual meeting with the office of Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, and is pursuing a similar meeting with the office of Juan Vargas. Farther north, Frank Price, advocacy coordinator for northern California, was successful in getting his op-ed published on the need to recognize and support Peace Corps ideals. And, in northeast Indiana, advocacy co-coordinators Faith and David Van Gilder are planning an upcoming public show of support for the Peace Corps in the Fort Wayne area.
Whether it’s meeting with lawmakers, organizing letter writing gatherings, submitting op-eds, or mobilizing fellow RPCVs, the nearly 40 advocacy coordinators around the country are the circulatory system of National Peace Corps Association advocacy. Are you ready to join them?
Contact [email protected] for more information.
New Senate Legislation Supports Serving Volunteers (S. 2785)
National service and Peace Corps champion, Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ), has introduced four bills as part of his “Answer the Call” agenda, one of which would provide additional benefits to serving Peace Corps Volunteers.
Senator Kim’s “A Chance to Serve Act” (S. 2785) has provisions that would recognize and support the service of both Americorps and Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs). For PCVs, the legislation proposes to:
- Make volunteer readjustment allowance tax exempt.
- Increase federal Non-Competitive Eligibility for returning volunteers (and Americorps volunteers) to three years.
- Suspend student loan interest payments for PCVs during their time of service, and allow them (and Americorps Volunteers) to count their suspended monthly loan payments during service towards forgiveness.
- Grant both volunteer groups one year of free health insurance upon completion of their service.
- Remove barriers that prevent lawful permanent residents, refugees, and other lawfully admitted individuals to serve as AmeriCorps Members and Peace Corps Volunteers.
The full text of Senator Kim’s legislation has not yet been posted, but you can read his press release here. Stay tuned for upcoming action opportunities.
New House Legislation Raises Concerns (H.R. 5233)
Meanwhile, new legislation in the House of Representatives has a different approach.
H.R. 5233 – the “Peace Corps Modernization Act”, was recently introduced by Representative Bill Huizenga. You can read the legislation here.
There are a couple of positive provisions in this legislation, dealing with Peace Corps expansion in the Pacific Islands region, and strengthened pathways to future foreign policy opportunities. However, there are other provisions that seriously threaten the general independence of the Peace Corps and its leadership in decision making.
Chief among them are provisions that would place Peace Corps operations under the control of the State Department and U.S. embassies. Additional language regarding overhead spending is highly subject to interpretation, and could potentially limit support for returned Peace Corps Volunteers and other agency programs.
Like the new Senate legislation, H.R. 5233 is in its very early stages. NPCA has voiced its concerns to the bill’s sponsors and the House Foreign Relations Committee, and we are actively working with other Peace Corps champions on Capitol Hill to address them. Stay tuned for updates on NPCA actions, action opportunities for our community, and support materials.
Thumbnail Caption: Andy Kim, Official portrait, 2024