Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today to offer a bipartisan amendment to the GIVE Act. The Matsui-Shays amendment makes needed changes to national service and carries with it broad support. Our amendment will combine the two separate State competitive funds and national competitive funds into one singular funding pool. This change will improve national service efficiency and effectiveness, while increasing collaboration between State and national interests.

Every year organizations and the individuals they support are turned away from the grants they need because of high demand or simple administrative burdens. The current funding formula gives approximately one-third of the funding to the States based on population, approximately one-third to State competitive grants, and approximately one-third to a national competitive funding pool. Under the current formula, a high demand for State competitive grants means that State grant applicants are turned away even if there are resources still available in the national pool and vice versa.

Additionally, these deserving nonprofits and community service organizations spend far too many of their valuable resources navigating a confusing applications process and managing multiple grants. If this amendment passes, these precious resources will now be used to better serve their communities.

At its heart the amendment ensures that grants are competitively distributed based on merit and that resources are used in the most efficient and effective manner.

I hope that all of my colleagues will join Congressman Shays and myself, as well as the Governor-appointed State service commissions, national service organizations, leading nonprofits, and Members from both sides of the aisle in support of this valuable amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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