Bill Text: MI HR0089 | 2017-2018 | 99th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: A resolution to urge the United States Congress to maintain funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-17 - Referred To Committee On Families, Children, And Seniors [HR0089 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2017-HR0089-Introduced.html

Rep. Singh offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 89.

            A resolution to urge the United States Congress to maintain funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service.

            Whereas, The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is an independent federal agency, and its largest programs are AmeriCorps and Senior Corps. CNCS acts much like a foundation and is the nation's largest grantmaker, investing in locally driven service and volunteering efforts focused on several high-priority areas, including education, disaster relief, veterans, housing, and more; and

            Whereas, CNCS's national service programs are designed to strengthen citizenship and the ethic of service by engaging tens of thousands of Americans on a full- and part-time basis to help communities address their toughest challenges; and

            Whereas, CNCS programs made a significant impact on our nation in 2016. AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs supported nearly 12,000 schools; offered job training to 78,000 citizens; and provided employment services, benefits counseling, transportation, and housing to more than 750,000 veterans and military family members; and

Whereas, AmeriCorps, one facet of CNCS, has successfully connected Americans of all ages and backgrounds with opportunities to give back to their communities and nation for more than 20 years. The program engages more than 80,000 Americans at 21,600 service sites each year to support a variety of important causes across the country, including nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups; and

Whereas, In Michigan alone, there are 2,113 service sites supported in some form by CNCS, with over 9,600 members providing service in communities across our state with major challenges relating to early child education and development, literacy, college readiness, nutrition programs and access to health foods, housing, community safety, and economic development; and

            Whereas, The President has proposed an end to funding for CNCS, which represents a minute portion of federal spending, and while the federal government may realize small financial savings by reducing or eliminating the program, state and local governments would likely see rising costs due to increased demands for public services that have been provided by CNCS programs; and

            Whereas, Defunding CNCS would negatively impact vulnerable communities and the people who gain valuable experience working in the program, while likely saving little to no public money; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the United States Congress to maintain funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.

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