Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendments to H.R. 1388, Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

Floor Speech

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENTS TO H.R. 1388, EDWARD M. KENNEDY SERVE AMERICA ACT -- (House of Representatives - March 31, 2009)

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Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 296 provides for consideration of Senate amendments to the bill H.R. 1388. The rule makes in order a motion by the chairman on the Committee on Education and Labor to concur in Senate amendments to H.R. 1388. The rule provides 1 hour of debate on the motion controlled by the Committee on Education and Labor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a vital piece of bipartisan legislation, legislation that directly affects all of our communities and the lives of millions of Americans, legislation that has seen broad support in both this House and by our colleagues in the Senate. This legislation strengthens our communities, helps educate future generations, teaches our youth to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, and fosters a growth of respect and compassion throughout our entire society.

The Senator Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act will help launch a new era of American service and volunteerism. The bill answers President Obama's call for Americans of all generations to help get the country through the economic crisis by serving and volunteering in their communities.

The bill has been named after the ``lion in the Senate,'' Edward Kennedy, to recognize his lifetime commitment to national service and to making America a stronger, more collective nation. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act reauthorizes for the first time in 15 years our country's investment in community service and volunteerism. As a cochair 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.

Mr. 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 saw firsthand the importance of having trained volunteers in the wake of the 2005 hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Following the devastation in the gulf coast, more than 92,000 national service volunteers contributed over 3.5 million hours of work to the recovery effort. They repaired homes, neighborhoods and lives.

The assistance from trained volunteers following the devastating storms represents only one example of the many accomplishments that our service volunteers achieve every single day. Since September of 2005, over 4,070 National Civilian Community Corps, or as we call it NCCC, members have served more than 2.1 million hours in the gulf coast on over 830 relief and recovery projects.

Last year, NCCC members from my hometown of Sacramento served thousands of hours to help fight the fires that devastated the lives and livelihoods of thousands of Californians, and in doing so helped protect thousands more. AmeriCorps NCCC members are disaster-trained and available for immediate deployment in the event of a natural disaster anywhere within the United States, just as they were in the gulf coast and in California.

Through programs such as AmeriCorps State and national, Volunteers in Service to America, or VISTA, and NCCC, service members address critical needs in our communities. In fact, these programs continually put back more into the community than we put into them. The Serve America Act shows Congress' support for their heroic and continued efforts and ensures these programs continue for years to come.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act will expand these opportunities as well as health care access, provide seniors with help living independently, enhance services for veterans and help build a green, energy-efficient economy.

Mr. Speaker, in 2007, more than 61 million Americans spent over 8 billion hours volunteering. Overall, about 27 percent of Americans volunteer, and the number of volunteers increased by 1 million from 2002 to 2007. Additionally, with increased numbers of Americans losing jobs, many are turning to service as a way to contribute to their communities and learn new skills. Now is precisely the time when we should make national service more accessible to the millions of Americans who want to serve their country by contributing to their communities.

As a result, I hope that my colleagues will support the rule and the underlying legislation. I look forward to the passage of this bill and the historic moment when President Obama signs this into law.

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

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Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, this reauthorization, the first in 15 years, takes programs and infrastructure that have touched so many lives and builds off its foundation to greatly increase the quality and improve the quantity and quality of service that we as a Nation work to provide.

National service is a proven return on our investment. With this bill, we will broaden those involved in service across the country, and in doing so, foster the value of civic engagement and duty that can change a life in a community.

This bipartisan legislation is truly a win-win for all those involved and for our country. It makes excellent improvements in an already successful Corporation for National and Community Service. It improves access and support for organizations and grant applicants, and most importantly, reassures our valued servicemembers that Congress supports them and their work in our communities.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule.

I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

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