Days of Advocacy Update: Say Thanks! Plus Budget and Legislation News
Now is a good time to thank representatives who signed on to the House Dear Colleague Letter. And there’s work ahead on bolstering support for the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act — and ensuring a robust budget to provide critical support for Volunteers — particularly when it comes to health and safety. By Jonathan Pearson Our National Days of Advocacy in Support of the Peace Corps included more than 90 events and activities in March and April, with more scheduled for May — and more still being planned. Now is a good time to say thank you to Representatives who signed the House Peace Corps Funding...
Here’s the Score: Bipartisan Support Across the Country for Robust Peace Corps Funding
The “Dear Colleague” letter calling for $450 million in Peace Corps funding draws support from members of Congress across the country. By Jonathan Pearson Just a few weeks ago Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) and Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), Co-Chairs of the House Peace Corps Caucus, issued a letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State/Foreign Operations for some long-needed support — and to bolster funding as the Peace Corps agency undertakes to send Volunteers back into the field. The letter calls for increasing Peace Corps funding for Fiscal Year 2022 from $410 million to $450 million. Members of the Peace Corps community mobilized across...
In Congress: 156 House Members Support $450 million for Peace Corps
A bipartisan letter from two members of Congress calls on colleagues to sign on to strong support for Peace Corps during this critical time. By Jonathan Pearson Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and Garret Graves (R-LA), Co-Chairs of the House Peace Corps Caucus, have issued a letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State/Foreign Operations for some long-needed support — and to bolster funding as the agency undertakes to send Volunteers back into the field. The letter calls for increasing Peace Corps funding for Fiscal Year 2022 from $410 million to $450 million. You can read the final letter here, or see the list below for a state-by-state...
Days of Advocacy Are Here: Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2021 Introduced and More Updates
On March 1 we kicked off a season of advocacy in support of the Peace Corps. And we’re working to transform it for a changed world. On March 1, Rep. John Garamendi introduced comprehensive Peace Corps legislation. By Jonathan Pearson For 17 years, one of National Peace Corps Association’s key contributions to Peace Corps Week is our National Days of Advocacy. This Peace Corps 60th anniversary year is marked by a global pandemic and social distancing, as well as national crisis that includes a U.S. Capitol closed to visitors. In spite of these unprecedented challenges, our advocacy mobilization carries on....
House and Senate Introduce New Legislation to fight COVID-19 with the help of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Health Force, Resilience Force and Jobs to Fight COVID-19 Act is presented in both houses. And a Peace Corps Reauthorization Act is in the works. By Jonathan Pearson As a new Congress settles in to begin its work, already in January new Peace Corps legislation is starting to emerge. And while new pieces of legislation are being developed, it is also likely that legislative initiatives introduced in the previous (116th) Congress will be reintroduced. At National Peace Corps Association we are gearing up for our 17th annual National Days of Advocacy in Support of the Peace Corps. Some of the legislation shown below will be...
Peace Corps Commemorative Extension Act Signed Into Law
Congress passed the act with unanimous bipartisan support in both houses late last year. On January 5 President Trump signed it into law. By Jonathan Pearson and Steven Boyd Saum On January 5 the Peace Corps community got some much-hoped-for good news: President Trump signed into law H.R. 7460, the Peace Corps Commemorative Work Extension Act, which extends the authority of the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to establish a commemorative work on Federal lands in the District of Columbia to commemorate the mission of the Peace Corps and the ideals on which the Peace Corps was founded. Here is some background on the legislation. ...
March 2021: National Days of Advocacy Go Virtual
Last spring National Peace Corps Association delivered advocacy materials to every member of Congress. This year that work goes virtual. We kick things off March 1. By Jonathan Pearson Starting in March 2021, and for the 17th consecutive year, National Peace Corps Association is planning National Days of Advocacy in Support of the Peace Corps. But this year we’re going virtual. March 1, 2021, will mark the 60th anniversary of President Kennedy’s executive order establishing the Peace Corps. Last year, Volunteers were evacuated from around the world because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The redeployment of Volunteers is expected in the coming months. And, with a...
Updated: House Unanimously Passes Act to Carry Forward Work on Peace Corps Commemorative. Senators Call for Bipartisan Support. Funding for the Peace Corps Agency Still Uncertain.
Legislation introduced by Joseph Kennedy III will enable a project years in the making to be seen through to completion. Senators Portman and Shaheen call on their colleagues to pass the bill as well. But funding for the Peace Corps Agency is still at risk for 2021, with the Senate having put forth a $51 million cut. By Jonathan Pearson After Dominican Republic Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA) was elected to the House of Representatives in 2012, one of the first pieces of legislation he introduced and passed provided congressional authorization for the creation of a Peace Corps Commemorative in Washington,...
Fight for Peace Corps Funding — And Stop a $51 Million Cut
As Peace Corps prepares to redeploy Volunteers in early 2021, the work for Peace Corps’ future begins in earnest. And right now we need to make sure there’s funding for the towering task ahead. By Jonathan Pearson Congress is working toward a December 11, 2020 deadline to agree on a Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 spending bill. And they have a $51 million Peace Corps funding difference to resolve. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives approved an FY 2021 appropriations bill that includes level funding of $410.5 million for Peace Corps. But the Senate Appropriations Committee has put forth a spending bill...
Working for a Peace Corps to Which I Can Return
A Volunteer evacuated from Mongolia on work to help members of Congress understand the value of Peace Corps service — and what they can do to help By Daniel Lang The summer of 2019 I was training to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia. More politically involved peers raised concerns that we should not take for granted that legislators would continue to fund the Peace Corps; more than 100 members of the House voted to defund it. That fall I swore in as a Volunteer and a close friend, Austin Frenes, began service in China. We both...