Re: How about those Fairfax County Cops, Huh?
Posted by:
NEWPOWERCOMING
()
Date: March 26, 2009 01:02PM
S. 277
The Senate agreed Monday to take up legislation to triple the size of the AmeriCorps program and open up opportunities for more people to serve their communities.
Lawmakers voted 74-14 to move to the legislation, named the "Serve America Act," that would expand AmeriCorps from its current 75,000 positions to 250,000 over the course of eight years. Sixty votes were needed to bring the bill to the floor. The measure is expected to come up for a final vote in the Senate sometime this week.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who is being treated for brain cancer, made a rare appearance on the Senate floor to vote for the bill that he co-sponsored with Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.
The legislation would also create five groups to help poor people, improve education, encourage energy efficiency, strengthen access to health care and assist veterans.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a Maryland Democrat, said the proposal is an investment that "will pay dividends long beyond anything that we can imagine."
The House last week passed a similar bill to add 175,000 participants, and
S. 277 would amend and reauthorize programs established under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA) and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (DVSA). The bill also would authorize a "Volunteers for Prosperity" program at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Assuming appropriation of the estimated amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $4 1 8 million in 20 10 and about $5.7 billion over the 20 10-20 14 period.
What the hell is Hatch thinking?
Read about "The Movement" here.