Statement by the President

I commend House Select Education Subcommittee Chairman Peter Hoekstra and Ranking Member Tim Roemer for their bipartisan leadership in introducing H.R. 4854, the "Citizen Service Act of 2002." In January, I called upon all Americans to dedicate at least two years—the equivalent of 4,000 hours—over the course of their lives in service to others, and I laid out policies for fostering service all across the country and around the world. Increasing opportunities for all Americans to participate in meaningful service activities is a priority of this Administration, and the bipartisan sponsors and co-sponsors of the Citizen Service Act of 2002 are leading that effort in the House of Representatives.

Programs such as Learn and Serve America, Senior Corps, and AmeriCorps offer Americans a variety of ways to help meet important community needs through service. Through their hard work on the Citizen Service Act of 2002, Chairman Hoekstra and Congressman Roemer are helping to strengthen and improve these programs based on the principles and reforms I outlined earlier this year. I also look forward to working with the Senate and to signing the Citizen Service Act of 2002 this legislative session.

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