It is Time to Support the Peace Corps!
A RPCV I know responded to my suggestion for letters supporting the PC with the message that I need not…
Last week, Congressman Mark Walker of North Carolina introduced an amendment to eliminate funding for the #PeaceCorps and other international assistance programs in Fiscal Year 2020, and re-allocate those funds to cover the disaster assistance funds. The impetus for this amendment was Rep. Walker’s concern about the $19 billion dollar spending bill Congress racked up ten days ago for disaster assistance. Congresswoman Nita Lowey took to the House Floor to oppose this amendment and defend the Peace Corps.
We hope that you will join us in contacting your congressperson and urge them to oppose Rep. Walker’s amendment before the vote tomorrow, Tuesday. Visit:https://advocacy.
Here is a link to find your Congress Representative and their contact information:
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/map
If you put in your address, you should get the names and contact information for your Congressional Delegation.
Also, the NPCA link will allow you to send a letter opposing the elimination of funding Peace Corps and your submission will automatically go to your Congressperson.
I wish we’d had a little more advance notice, to try to organize our grassroots efforts. JAT
John,
It happened very quickly. Represenative Walker introduced the amendment on Wednesday, June 12th. THe NPCA had it on its Facebook, early on the morning of June 13th. PCWW posted it on the 13th and John Coyne began to circulate it.
NPCA’s advocate team set up the website and are promoting it. This all happened over the weekend.
I don’t think anyone had any advance notice of the amendment. You are right, it would have been great to have more advance notice.
Everyone is moving as quickly as we can. The vote is scheduled for tomorrow for the entire House of Representatives.
Does your RPCV training group and the RPCVs of New Mexico have this posted? If not, can you get it to them?
Thanks.
Joanne
Hi Joanne, This morning (Mon) I had a long talk with my own congressman’s staffers, and from all previous indications he, and the other two newly-elected congresswomen ( Xochi Torres-Small and our Laguna Pueblo gal, Deb Haaland), will be solidly on the right side of this issue.
I’m sure also that Friends of Malawi’s news editor, Beth Evans is on top of it, too. My original Ghana-3 training group is essentially retired, and there isn’t much cohesion, as far as I can tell, from any Ghana COS organization.
What individuals like me really need, is some insight into the goings-on of what has been called “The Peace Corps Caucus”. I’m not sure yet if all of the New Mexico delegation are members. If not, I’ll see what I can do. Fortunately, our STATE governor and legislature generally are sympathetic to things like the Peace Corps.
RPCV affairs around here statewide, anyway, are waning, although in the S District (Ms Torres-Small’s district) there seems to be a fairly vigorous RPCV effort centered at the NMSU campus, and not-too-distant the UTEP (El Paso, Texas) campus.
Thank you so much. Looks like your are doing a great job! As for the Peace Corps Caucus – I just don’t know what its status is.
Two years ago, I was in DC and went to Representative Kennedy’s office – he was listed as a founding member as well as a
RPCV, his office knew nothing about it.
New Mexico has a long and great Peade Corps tradition.
Thanks, Joanne. Yes New Mexico does have a long history with the Peace Corps. Specifically to the point, if, as you suggest, what we have known to be “The Peace Corps Caucus” is fading away, then MAYBE working to revitalize it may be the task at hand. Perhaps the cohesive New Mexico delegation could be the catalyst. No telling if cohesiveness will still exist after the 2020 election. Lots to do around here. JAT
A RPCV I know responded to my suggestion for letters supporting the PC with the message that I need not worry, all is well. No doubt, Congress will fund the PC was the basic idea. I have to disagree.
It is important to remind our representatives that there is wide support for the PC. Almost every year, there is a fight in Congress over how much money to budget for PC. The budget has gone up and down over the years. It would seem that struggling less for the money would provide more time for building strong programs.
In a recent year when the fight was particularly difficult because Republicans, the Tea Party, etc. controlled Congress, I wrote to my congressman, Republican John Katko, NY-24, and enclosed a copy of my longer documentation of the Promotoras de Salud program in Ecuador after confirming its success on a trip to Ecuador in 2013. He (his staff) wrote a personal response referring to the success of the Promotoras, and I think that helped influence him.
I respond to any Congressional threat to PC funding, knowing that we live in uncertain times. Numbers count. My name is one more on the list of voters in support of the PC kept by the staff of John Katko.
Beverly Hammons
RPCV Ecuador 1970-73