Corporation for National and Community Service Concerns

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, Democrats and Republicans support the Corporation for National and Community Service and all of its volunteer organizations like AmeriCorps, VISTA, and Senior Corps. President Trump's 2020 budget eliminates the Corporation and all the volunteer activities our communities rely on.

As we speak, the Corporation's CEO is executing a plan to close all 46 State offices in the next 90 days, which they are calling the Sustainability and Transformation Plan. Contrary to its name, this plan is a step towards accomplishing the administration's ultimate goal of eliminating national service and abandoning local volunteers and stakeholders.

Last month, the Corporation's own inspector general reported to Congress: ``Aspects of this plan present heightened risks of fraud, waste, and mismanagement that warrant particularly close oversight.''

So now it is time for Congress to act to protect national service, not fund a plan that promotes fraud, waste, and abuse. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor H.R. 1458, the Keep Community Service Local Act, which prohibits the closing of State offices.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source