On February 13, 2009, Congressman Sam Farr (Colombia 64-66) introduced HR1066, which calls for $450 million, $600 million, and $750 million to the Peace Corps in 2010, 2011, and 2012. It’s a short and sweet bill that would create a bigger, better, bolder Peace Corps.

THE MISSION

Get 218 (Currently 94 have co-sponsored the bill) out of 435 members in the House or Representatives to CO-SPONSOR it and get it passed. Click here to see how you can help!

Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] - 2/25/2009 & Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] - 2/13/2009 have already signed the Bill!

WANT TO LEARN MORE? Read about HR1066 and other facts here.

AND

WHEREAS, on March 1, 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed an Executive Order establishing the Peace Corps; and

WHEREAS, since President Kennedy established the Peace Corps, more than 195,000 volunteers, 1,274 from Hawaii, have served in 139 countries; and

WHEREAS, Peace Corps continues to be one of America's finest expressions of friendship and solidarity across the globe; and

WHEREAS, the Peace Corps is focused on grassroots, bottom-up development, with volunteers working side-by-side with community members in the most humble communities around the world; and

WHEREAS, Peace Corps has reported that over 20 countries requested a Peace Corps program, and that many countries with existing programs would welcome additional volunteers; and

WHEREAS, in Fiscal Year 2008, Peace Corps reported its volunteers provided assistance to more than 2.1 million people around the world, helped train nearly 160,000 service providers and assisted with nearly 600 grassroots projects through the Peace Corps Partnership Program; and

WHEREAS, at the cost of less than $45,000 per volunteer, Peace Corps volunteers are highly cost-effective; and

WHEREAS, in so many ways, returned Peace Corps volunteers continue to provide service and play important roles as leaders in our community; and

WHEREAS, 13,011 Americans applied in 2008 to volunteer their service to serve the world's poorest communities, Peace Corps is able to provide placements for fewer than 4,000; and

WHEREAS, a devalued dollar, increased energy prices and budget constraints would result in 300 to 400 further reductions in volunteers with current funding; and

WHEREAS, the grassroots MorePeaceCorps Campaign supports doubling the size of the Peace Corps; and

WHEREAS, The United States House of Representatives is considering H.R. 1066, the "Peace Corps Expansion Act of 2009," to increase the 2010 fiscal year budget of Peace Corps to $450,000,000; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, supports the MorePeaceCorps Campaign and the Congressional Peace Corps Expansion Act of 2009; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to Hawaii's Congressional delegation and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Hawaii.