Late last night on a voice vote, the United States Senate completed congressional action on the Department of Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006. Included in this comprehensive defense legislation is language to remove Peace Corps from the National Call to Service (NCS) military recruitment program. This action will end the link between military recruitment and Peace Corps that may have changed perceptions of volunteers and thereby affected their safety and effectiveness, as well as potentially challenging Peace Corps’ independence.
The Defense Authorization bill was approved by the House of Representatives earlier this week.
Before the Defense Authorization bill becomes law, President Bush needs to sign it. While it may be several weeks before this occurs, all indications are that the President will sign the bill, thereby removing Peace Corps from
the NCS program and ending this formal linkage between military recruitment and Peace Corps.
Congressional Victory on Peace Corps/Military Recruitment
[NPCAAdvocacy] FLASH: Congressional Victory on Peace Corps/Military Recruitment Inbox Peace Corps
Jonathan Pearson
to npcaadvocacy
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NPCA ADVOCACY LISTSERV
For more information on NPCA Advocacy, visit the Advocacy Network webpage at http://www.rpcv.org/advocacy.
Dear Friends:
It is with great pleasure that the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA)
writes to inform you of a congressional victory on the Peace Corps/military
recruitment issue! We encourage you to share this message with other
interested members of the Peace Corps community.
Late last night on a voice vote, the United States Senate completed
congressional action on the Department of Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2006**. Included in this comprehensive defense legislation is
language to remove Peace Corps from the National Call to Service (NCS)
military recruitment program. This action will end the link between
military recruitment and Peace Corps that may have changed perceptions of
volunteers and thereby affected their safety and effectiveness, as well as
potentially challenging Peace Corps’ independence.
The Defense Authorization bill was approved by the House of Representatives
earlier this week.
Before the Defense Authorization bill becomes law, President Bush needs to
sign it. While it may be several weeks before this occurs, all indications
are that the President will sign the bill, thereby removing Peace Corps from
the NCS program and ending this formal linkage between military recruitment
and Peace Corps.
(**The Defense Authorization bill is different from the Defense
Appropriations bill, which has been the subject of extended and contentious
debate, primarily over drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.)
______________
Thank You!
National Peace Corps Association President Kevin Quigley, Board Chair Ken
Hill, and the entire Board of Directors wish to extend thanks and gratitude
to the many who joined us and played critically important roles in this
legislative victory:
--First, we thank the thousands of individuals who have taken action over
the past six months. Your comments, phone calls, e-mails, faxes and
letters-to-the-editor conveyed to Congress that a highly unified national
constituency was concerned about this issue. Your outreach helped to create
strong bi-partisan congressional support in favor of removing Peace Corps
from the NCS program.
--In the House of Representatives, we are especially thankful to Congressman
John Kline for his leadership. As a member of the Armed Services Committee
with 25 years of service in the Marine Corps, Congressman Kline’s
understanding of NPCA’s concern resulted in the drafting of legislation that
served as a vehicle for our supporters to reach out to their
representatives. We are also extremely thankful to the 38 Representatives
who co-sponsored the Kline legislation, including RPCV Congressmen Sam Farr
and Mike Honda of California.
--In the United States Senate, we are especially thankful to the offices of
Senators Chris Dodd (CT), Edward Kennedy (MA) and John Warner (VA) for
drafting an amendment based on the Kline legislation, including it in the
Senate version of the defense authorization bill, and shepherding the
amendment through to final passage.
--We are grateful to the leadership displayed by a bi-partisan group of
former Peace Corps Directors (including Carol Bellamy, Joseph Blatchford,
Nick Craw, Mark Gearan, Donald Hess and Mark Schneider) who signed a letter
prepared by the NPCA calling for the removal of Peace Corps from the NCS
program and communicated their concerns with legislators. These directors
demonstrated that this was not a partisan issue, nor was it an attempt to
denigrate military service. Their concern was simply to ensure the safety
and effectiveness of serving volunteers by preserving the separation of
Peace Corps from the military which has been central to the Peace Corps
experience during the past 44 years. A special thanks to Mark Schneider,
who was deeply involved in the legislative effort.
--Thanks to members of NPCA affiliate groups who played an important role.
The discussion on our group leaders listserv and other activities (from
group-sponsored discussions and resolutions, to information sharing and
polling on Peace Corps Online, to mobilization with certain members of
Congress) reinforced to NPCA Staff and Board that there was overwhelming
support in favor of this change.
--Last, and certainly not least, we are grateful for the support expressed
by many within the Peace Corps community who have also served in the
military. The NPCA leadership expects and hopes that qualified men and
women in uniform will continue to apply for, and be accepted for Peace Corps
service. At the same time, we are pleased that the congressionally-approved
change to the National Call to Service law will restore a much-needed
distinction between these two very different but important forms of service.
We came together as a community to protect the safety and effectiveness of
volunteers and to help ensure the independence of the Peace Corps. Thank
you.
Please take a moment to celebrate! Together, we have scored an important
victory.
Jonathan Pearson (Micronesia 87 - 89)
Advocacy Coordinator
National Peace Corps Association
1900 L Street NW, Suite 205
Washington, DC 20036
202-293-7728, ext. 21
fax: 202-293-7554
advocacy@rpcv.org
http://www.rpcv.org/advocacy
Please Support the NPCA through the Combined Federal Campaign by indicating
#1148 on your CFC form.
_______________________________________________
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