July 15, 2003 - Bradenton Herald: Sen. Coleman speaks at Peace Corps Headquarters, supports budget increase, will push for more accountability

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Headlines: Peace Corps Headlines - 2003: July 2003 Peace Corps Headlines: July 15, 2003 - Bradenton Herald: Sen. Coleman speaks at Peace Corps Headquarters, supports budget increase, will push for more accountability

By Admin1 (admin) on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 3:36 pm: Edit Post

Sen. Coleman speaks at Peace Corps Headquarters, supports budget increase, will push for more accountability





Read and comment on this story from the Bradenton Herald on Senator Norm Coleman's speech at Peace Corps Headquarters today. Coleman said he supports President Bush's $359 million request for the Peace Corps budget for next year, a 13 percent increase. "I'll work very, very hard for that," he said.

Coleman also said he will push the Peace Corps to be more accountable, although he didn't single out any specific areas in the speech or in an interview afterward. "Greater accountability means a stronger Peace Corps," Coleman told the staffers, many of whom are former volunteers. "I truly want to be your number one fan." Read the story at:


Coleman says he'll push for increased Peace Corps funds*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



Coleman says he'll push for increased Peace Corps funds
FREDERIC J. FROMMER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Sen. Norm Coleman told Peace Corps staffers Tuesday he will be both a strong advocate and a tough critic for the program, seeking more funds but holding the agency to high standards.

"It may be the toughest job I'll ever love," said Coleman, who has jurisdiction over the Peace Corps as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotic Affairs.

"My first job is to figure out who put those three subjects together," joked Coleman, a Minnesota Republican, in a speech at Peace Corps headquarters.

Coleman said he supports President Bush's $359 million request for the Peace Corps budget for next year, a 13 percent increase.

"I'll work very, very hard for that," he said.

Coleman said he will push the program to be more accountable, although he didn't single out any specific areas in the speech or in an interview afterward.

"Greater accountability means a stronger Peace Corps," Coleman told the staffers, many of whom are former volunteers. "I truly want to be your number one fan."

In a recent letter, Coleman urged Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations, to support Bush's Peace Corps budget request. McConnell's office did not immediately return a phone message Tuesday.

Coleman told the staffers he also backs Bush's goal of doubling the number of Peace Corps volunteers over the next five years, to 14,000.

"Today, the Peace Corps is a living, breathing testimonial to compassion," said Coleman, who received a standing ovation. "It's not just about exporting our values. It's about listening."

He said the program has bipartisan support, noting that some members of Congress are former Peace Corps volunteers, including Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, the ranking Democrat on Coleman's subcommittee.

A generation ago, Coleman staged rallies and sit-ins against the Vietnam War as a college student. In an interview, Coleman said that his interest in the Peace Corps came out of that same idealism.

"The Peace Corps is kind of the embodiment of that reflection," said Coleman, adding that he considered joining the Peace Corps after college.

"The 19-year-old (Coleman) is not that different than the 54-year-old, in terms of believing that we're here to make a difference. I want to support those things I think will make a positive difference, and I believe the Peace Corps makes a positive difference," he said.

---

Fred Frommer can be reached at ffrommer(at)ap.org



Senator Coleman pushes for Peace Corps funding increase





Read and comment on this story from the Kansas City Star posted earlier today that Senator Norm Coleman, chair of the Senate Subcommittee that overseas the Peace Corps, is urging his colleagues to approve President Bush's request for $359 million request for next year. Coleman said he would make a public pitch Tuesday in a speech at the Peace Corps headquarters. RPCVs need to read the next story and call their Senators and Representatives to support this appropriation. Thanks to Senator Coleman for leading the fight. Read the story at:

Coleman pushes for Peace Corps funding increase*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



Coleman pushes for Peace Corps funding increase

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Sen. Norm Coleman urged his colleagues to approve President Bush's request for increased funding for the Peace Corps.

In a recent letter to Sen. Mitch McConnell, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations, Coleman said he supported Bush's $359 million request for next year, a 13 percent increase.

Coleman, R-Minn., said he would make a public pitch Tuesday in a speech at the Peace Corps headquarters. He chairs the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotic Affairs.

"According to many U.S. diplomats and host country officials, the Peace Corps is the most effective and cost efficient U.S. agency working at the local, grassroots development level," Coleman wrote in the letter to McConnell, R-Ky.

Bush has said he wants to double the number of volunteers in the Peace Corps over the next five years, to 14,000.



Call Congress - Peace Corps Funding in Trouble





On July 5 PCOL published an article on the recommended spending levels for Fiscal Year 2004 and the virtual ceilings for each appropriations bill. The President had requested $359 million for the Peace Corps for FY 2004 which begins October 1, 2003.

Unfortunately on July 10, the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee approved an FY 2004 spending bill that would fund foreign operations at $17.1 billion, which is $1.8 billion below the President's request of $18.9 billion. The bill would fund the Peace Corps at $314 million, which is $45 million below the President's request of $359 million.

RPCVs should call their Representatives and Senators and ask that Congress fully fund the request for $359 million for the Peace Corps in the original FY2004 foreign operations appropriations bill. It is particularly important to take this action if you are a constituent of a Representative or Senator on one of the Foreign Operations Subcommittees. The list of members is printed further down the page. Click the link below to get contact information for your Senator of Representative:


Contact Information for your Senator or Representative

Read the story at:

House Appropriations Committee would fund the Peace Corps at $45 million below the President's request*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



House Appropriations Committee would fund the Peace Corps at $45 million below the President's request

On July 10, the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee approved an FY 2004 spending bill that would fund foreign operations at $17.1 billion, which is $1.8 billion below the President's request of $18.9 billion. The bill would fund the Peace Corps at $314 million, which is $45 million below the President's request of $359 million.

** The next step for the FY 2004 foreign operations appropriations bill in the House is a markup by the full House Appropriations Committee. The House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to markup (review and possibly amend) the bill on Wednesday, July 16.

** The Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee will meet on Thursday, July 17, to markup its version of the FY2004 foreign operations appropriations bill.

The Library of Congress THOMAS website has posted a chart on the status of all the FY2004 appropriations bill. You can track the progress of all the bills - including foreign operations - through the House and the Senate and then to conference and passage of final legislation by both chambers. THOMAS provides links to markup highlights, texts of the bills, and Committee reports as that information becomes available. The chart is at http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app04.html.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Some have asked us why it is necessary to advocate for an appropriations bill when they are already advocating for the Peace Corps charter bill. The two bills accomplish different purposes. The Peace Corps charter bill is an authorization bill. Authorization bills establish or continue government programs and determine policies for them. They also recommend spending levels, but these levels are not binding.

Appropriations bills provide funds for authorized programs. The Peace Corps receives its funding through the annual foreign operations appropriations bill, which also funds most other foreign assistance. More information about the appropriations process is available in the Spring 2003 NPCA Advocacy Training Manual at http://www.rpcv.org/pages/sitepage.cfm?id=735 .

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON FOREIGN OPERATIONS

Contact information

MAJORITY:

Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), Chairman

Joe Knollenberg (R-MI)

Jerry Lewis (R-CA)

Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), Vice Chair

Henry Bonilla (R-TX)

David Vitter (R-LA)

Mark Steven Kirk (R-IL)

Ander Crenshaw (R-FL)

MINORITY:

Nita M. Lowey (D-NY), Ranking

Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)

Carolyn C. Kilpatrick (D-MI)

Steven R. Rothman (D-NJ)

Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

SUBCOMMITTE ON FOREIGN OPERATIONS

Contact information

MAJORITY:

Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman

Arlen Specter (R-PA)

Judd Gregg (R-NH)

Richard Shelby (R-AL)

Robert Bennett (R-UT)

Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO)

Christopher Bond (R-MO)

Mike DeWine (R-OH)

MINORITY:

Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ranking

Daniel Inouye (D-HI)

Tom Harkin (D-IA)

Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)

Richard Durbin (D-IL)

Tim Johnson (D-SD)

Mary Landrieu (D-LA)



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7/15/03
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A Volunteer's Courage

After Sara Evans was assaulted she left the Peace Corps and returned to the United States. But her ordeal was only beginning. Read about a volunteer's courage in this story.
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Volunteer Zack Merrill dies in Mali 8 July
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The Shrivers: A Special Legacy 30 June
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A Volunteer's Courage: Health Care for RPCVs
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