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House and Senate also endorse funding for AmeriCorps, Senior Corps(WASHINGTON D.C.) - Today President Bush released his full 2002 budget, requesting $733 million for the Corporation for National Service to increase volunteering, expand opportunities for seniors to serve their country, and support 50,000 AmeriCorps members.
The detailed budget comes after both the House and Senate have passed budget resolutions endorsing funding for the Corporation and its programs, a change from previous years. The House passed its resolution on March 28 and the Senate acted last Friday. Highlights of the President's budget include:
- $203 million for the National Senior Service Corps, a $14 million increase over last year and the first step in the President's strategy to increase the annual funding for the Senior Corps to $250 million over five years. This includes $102 million for the Foster Grandparent Program, $54 million for Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), and $44 million for the Senior Companion Program.
- $35 million for two new senior service initiatives that President Bush announced during the campaign: $20 million for Silver Scholarships to allow older Americans to volunteer 500 hours of tutoring and mentoring for youth in exchange for a $1,000 scholarships for use by their children, grandchildren or another child; and $15 million for the Veterans Mission for Youth program that provides grants to involve veterans and retired military personnel in youth mentoring and tutoring.
- For AmeriCorps, the budget seeks $236 million for AmeriCorps grants, $21 million for the National Civilian Community Corps, and $82 million for AmeriCorps*VISTA. This funding will support 50,000 AmeriCorps members, the same number as this year, to serve in local projects such as teaching children to read, making neighborhoods safer, and responding to natural disasters.
- The budget requests $43 million for the Learn and Serve America program to involve more than one million students in service-learning, $10 million for the Points of Light Foundation to expand volunteer opportunities, and $7.5 million for America's Promise to build the character and competence of America's youth.
"We are pleased that the President's budget continues and expands national service," said Wendy Zenker, Acting CEO of the Corporation for National Service. "With this budget, more Americans will serve, more problems will be solved, more communities will be helped, and our nation will be stronger. This budget is a vote of confidence by the President and Congress in the hard work and dedication of the 1.5 million Americans in national service," Zenker said.
The budget comes at a good time for national service. Last week the Corporation received an unqualified, or "clean," opinion on its fiscal 2000 financial statements. The President sees an important role for national service in his faith and community initiative and last week nominated his campaign's top domestic policy advisor Stephen Goldsmith to the Corporation's board.
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