Providing for Consideration of H.R. 2857, Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act

Floor Speech

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House Resolution 1015 provides for consideration of House Resolution 2857, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education, or GIVE, Act under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate controlled by the Committee on Education and Labor. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill except clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI. The rule makes in order the Education and Labor Committee-reported substitute as an original bill for the purpose of amendment.

The rule makes in order 11 amendments, which are listed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution. Each amendment is debatable for 10 minutes. The rule also provides one motion to recommit, with or without instructions.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of a vital piece of legislation, legislation that directly affects all of our communities and the lives of millions of Americans; legislation that strengthens our communities, helps educate our future generations, teaches our youth to prepare for and respond to unthinkable tragedies, and fosters the growth of respect and compassion throughout our entire society.

The Corporation for National Community Service estimates that in 2006 the national service participants provided the Nation with nearly $4 billion worth of service projects. The GIVE Act reauthorizes our country's investment in community service and volunteerism.

As co-chair of the National Service Caucus, it is a pleasure to call attention to the tremendous work of those involved at every level and in every program of the corporation.

Madam Speaker, service and volunteerism are the bedrock of our emergency preparedness and national security. In times of strife, the American people have always shown a spirit of service and ingenuity. Investing in service and volunteer programs prepares us to handle any crisis. We must focus on building our national capacity, and harnessing the enterprising spirit of the American people is a good way to do so. In the wake of a catastrophe, a first responder is likely to be a civilian. A neighbor is likely to be the first one to provide assistance. By building up our service and volunteer programs, we are taking proactive steps to bolster our national security and capability to weather a disaster now and in the years to come.

We saw firsthand the importance of having trained volunteers in the wake of the 2005 hurricanes. These forever changed thousands of lives and communities in the gulf coast. We watched as men and women mourned their loved ones and remembered the lives they once had. We also witnessed an outpouring of support and compassion from individuals who were touched by this immense tragedy.

Following the devastation in the gulf coast, more than 92,000 national service volunteers contributed over 3.5 million hours of service to the recovery effort. They repaired neighborhoods. They rebuilt lives. Our national service participants have also applied their expertise towards training local community volunteers, further expanding the network of effective workers to 260,000 people.

The assistance from volunteers following the devastating storms represents only one example of the many accomplishments that our service volunteers achieve every single day. Through programs such as AmeriCorps State and National, Volunteers in Service to America, and National Civilian Community Corps, AmeriCorps volunteers address critical needs in our communities.

When I am home in Sacramento, I am reminded by my constituents of the great work done by AmeriCorps NCCC volunteers. AmeriCorps NCCC members are disaster trained and available for immediate deployment in the event of a natural disaster anywhere within the United States, as they were to the gulf coast. In fact, NCCC teams have responded to every national disaster since the program was established.

Over $26 million worth of hurricane recovery resources have come from AmeriCorps NCCC alone, which is more than we spent on the entire program nationwide. This is quite a return on our investment.

The GIVE Act will strengthen the emergency preparedness and response training of our country's NCCC participants. The changes will also help the program continue to grow. Recently, the corporation added two new campuses, one in Iowa and one in Mississippi.

The GIVE Act recognizes the work of every volunteer in this country. It seeks to reach out to more people to greatly expand the number of volunteers across this country. Our bill will expand AmeriCorps membership from 75,000 to 100,000 by 2012. The bill seeks to tap the growing pool of baby boomers reaching retirement that wish to continue serving their country by lowering the age of participation in Senior Corps to 55 from 60 years old. Equally important is that the bill harnesses the energy of future generations in addition to the baby boomers.

Engaging our youth early on is vitally important to the safety of our communities and the lives of our children. The Summer of Service program will ensure that students making the transition from middle to high school have an opportunity to participate in service programs. By increasing the education award, the bill allows young service participants to apply the skills that they learn in volunteerism to a successful education. The benefits of service will continue to accrue to volunteers even after they complete their service.

Madam Speaker, as a result of the great work of the AmeriCorps members, extraordinary things are happening all over America. The corporation supports such important nonprofit organizations as Habitat for Humanity, City Year, and Red Cross.

National service participants have built homes, healed wounds, and taught elementary school kids. These volunteers are part of the backbone of our country. With very little funding, service participants leverage millions of dollars and perform crucial work in classrooms, national parks, and areas of our Nation hit by disaster.

As a result, I hope my colleagues will support the rule and the underlying legislation. The spirit of service that is so important to all of our communities is one that should be encouraged and supported.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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