Less Not MorePeaceCorps

President Obama released a detailed version of his Fiscal Year 2010 budget to Congress which includes a funding request of $373.5 Million for the Peace Corps.  This request represents a ten percent increase in spending above the current $340 Million funding level for Peace Corps.

According to Kevin Quigley, President and CEO of the NPCA, “President Obama’s Peace Corps funding request is a step in the right direction, but it is only a step.”

This budget does not call for MorePeaceCorps. It simply means an increase in the number of PCVs to 9,000. And that means approximately 13% increase by the time of the 50th Anniversary. There is no doubling of the agency!

This budget now goes up on the Hill and to the appropriations  committees of the House and Senate, but don’t expect miracles from that crowd.

Regardless of what Obama said during the campaign, regardless of what members of Congress say, the Peace Corps ain’t getting much bigger during this administration. The President and our Congress have other fish to fry and other wars to fight.

Read it and weep. The MorePeaceCorps campaign, regardless of all the hype and hard work, did not stir the good people who run our government. Sorry, Rageev. You gave it your best!