June 25, 2018 The Honorable Tom Cole Chair Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Committee United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Rosa DeLauro Ranking Member Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Committee United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Roy Blunt Chair Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Committee United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Patty Murray Ranking Member Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Committee United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairmen Cole and Blunt and Ranking Members DeLauro and Murray: As bipartisan, governor-appointed state and territorial service commissioners, we are joining together to offer this letter to demonstrate our deep commitment to service in the communities that you represent. We write to ask you to protect and expand funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and its programs, AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Volunteer Generation Fund. On behalf of all the programs that we fund and partner with, we extend our deepest appreciation for the support for CNCS in the FY 2018 appropriations legislation. We are especially thankful for the strengthened investment in AmeriCorps and state service commissions. We have received your message loud and clear: you support our work and want us to do more of it. We guarantee that we will deliver. As you know, for decades national and community service has proven to be a cost-effective investment that helps create jobs, solve local problems, and strengthen communities. AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members are serving communities ravaged by the opioid epidemic, mentoring struggling students, providing job training, supporting veterans and military families, and coordinating relief and recovery efforts in areas affected by natural disasters — and more. As state service commissioners, we determine the needs of our states, set policy and program priorities for AmeriCorps programs, and provide governors with unique resources and solutions to meet individual state and local needs. We have a strong pulse on the needs in our communities and we know that service is having a significant impact. Therefore, we ask you to prioritize service to our country by fully funding and expanding AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, state service commissions and all CNCS programs in FY 2019 appropriations legislation. Thank you for your continued service to America. Sincerely, The following State Service Commissioners:
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