In yesterday's New York Times, they ran an editorial highlighting the GIVE Act and its value to America. The Editorial Board highlights the measure this way:
The nation is close to a major civic breakthrough. By a 321-to-105 vote last week, the House approved an ambitious bipartisan measure to enlarge the opportunities for Americans of all ages and income levels to participate in productive national and community service.This editorial sums up the importance of this bi-partisan effort like this:
A similar plan is now before the Senate. A favorable vote this week would help speed a worthy initiative to President Obama’s desk.
Essentially, the measure is an expansion of AmeriCorps, the existing domestic service program. It would increase the number of full-time and part-time service volunteers to 250,000 from 75,000 and create new programs focused on special areas like strengthening schools, improving health care for low-income communities, boosting energy efficiency and cleaning up parks.
This is a chance to constructively harness the idealism of thousands of Americans eager to contribute time and energy to solving the nation’s problems — a chance not to be missed.We recommend you read the entire editorial.
The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act is one reason that my daughter will probably never attend any public educational institution. This piece of garbage is nothing more than a way to force our young people to participate in activiies that most Americans would find objectionable. Mandatory? Never! Also which group of public service lowlifes will decide which activities are worthy of inclusion in "approved programs"? This trash makes me ashamed to be a Democrat
GIVE Act does not require mandatory service. Click here for more detail on the measure.
HR 1388 - Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act [GIVE], as introduced to the House authorized the creation of the Congressional Commission on Civic Service [CCCS] to study, among other things, the feasibility of making National Service mandatory for all youth (typically 18 to 24). The language faced strong objections in the House, and so the entire section was removed before proceeding to the House floor for debate, amendments and final vote.
However, authorization for the CCCS, including the offending language for study of a mandatory service requirement, was moved to a separate bill, HR 1444 - Civic Service Act.
HR 1388 passed the House and is currently on the Senate floor, likely to be replaced with a similar piece of legislation S 277 - Serve America Act. If this passes debate, amendments and final vote in the Senate, it goes to a joint Committee which reconciles the differences between HR 1388 and S 277 before presenting it for final passage.
HR 1444 is still in Committee in the House. Both pieces of legislation are problematic, but the direction toward mandatory service is particularly frightening.
HR 1444 as introduced to the House.