National Service / AmeriCorps
More than 50,000 Americans volunteer through AmeriCorps each
year to help out local schools, hospitals, senior centers, environmental
and public safety programs. AmeriCorps members serve through more
than 2,100 non-profit organizations, public agencies, and faith-based
organizations.
Volunteers tutor and mentor youth, build affordable housing,
teach computer skills, clean parks and streams, run after-school
programs, and help communities respond to disasters.
These services are unparalleled in our country’s
history and Congressman Baird continues to be a leading
supporter of this historic national service program.
Several years ago, AmeriCorps announced it would be forced to cut 13,000 volunteers
from its program because of a lack of funds resulting from accounting errors.
The impact of these dramatic cuts would be felt nationwide and would cripple
the AmeriCorps programs if nothing is done. Congressman Baird immediately took
steps to restore this invaluable program.
On June 17, 2003, Congressman Baird sent a letter to President Bush urging him
to live up to his State of the Union pledge to expand the AmeriCorps program
from 50,000 to 75,000 volunteers. Congressman Baird also asked President Bush
to support a $200 million supplemental funding increase to sustain the 2002 level
of volunteers. These funds would stabilize AmeriCorps while long-term solutions
to maintain funding levels are sought.
Congressman Baird has also supported legislation to improve the way the Corporation
for National and Community Service approves and records their obligations for
service positions to stabilize the cash flow for the program. This legislation,
S. 1276, passed the House on June 19, 2003, and will improve the manner in which
the Corporation for National and Community Service approves, and records obligations
relating to, national service positions. This legislation, which will help stabilize
the program’s cash flow problems, and was signed into law on July 3, 2003.
Communities in Southwest Washington rely on local volunteers who help out in
schools, senior citizen centers, environmental activities, health clinics and
a host of other worthwhile projects across the region. Congressman Baird will
continue working with the Administration and his colleagues in Congress to fully
fund AmeriCorps and ensure this error does not shake the foundation of our national
service programs.
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