April 4, 1995 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 10335 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS AMERICORPS: ANOTHER FAILED ton administration promised would be work­ "volunteer" exceeds the median income of ELITIST PROGRAM ing as teachers, doctors and police officers to workers in the private sector, including help improve communities. The reality, how­ those with years of experience. The edu­ ever, is that the majority of these highly cational benefits also exceed those available HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON paid "volunteers" work in federal or state to veterans. In addition, at least $15,000 per OF NEW YORK bureaucracies, government-funded programs participant goes for overhead and adminis­ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES or even political action organizations. tration. Tuesday, April 4, 1995 For example, more than 2,800 AmeriCorps Worse than President Clinton's good inten­ participants work in federal departments or tions gone awry and the litany of waste and Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, in typical lib­ agencies, including 1,200 in the U.S. Depart­ abuse is AmeriCorps' effect on the essence of eral fashion, the President 2 years ago chose ment of Agriculture, 525 in the Interior De­ volunteerism. Private sector community to respond to declining voluntarism by throw­ partment, 210 in the U.S. Department of Jus­ service is thriving. The Labor Department ing Federal money and bureaucrats at the tice, 135 at the Environmental Protection estimates that there are currently three mil­ problem. At the time, .1 warned against this Agency and 60 at the National Endowment of lion unpaid volunteers between the ages of 18 wasteful use of limited tax dollars because it the Arts. and 25, most of whom work for religious or­ The federally funded Legal Service Cor­ would jeopardize worthwhile and necessary ganizations, the backbone of community ac­ poration, the chief litigator for the welfare tivism. projects. state (which for example, represents drug The laudable goals of AmeriCorps do not Lo and behold, 2 years later, that is exactly dealers when they are threatened with evic­ match its reality. If the goal is to expand what happened. President Clinton's pet project tion from public housing), was awarded 44 educational opportunity, the AmeriCorps was funded at the expense of needed veter­ AmeriCorps volunteers, cost the U.S. tax­ budget would be better spent on direct aid to ans' health care projects. Mr. Speaker, veter­ payer $959,000 plus an additional $1,242,784 in students. If the goal is to stimulate service, ans are people who know all there is to know "matching funds." In San Francisco, the Congress should amend the tax code to allow about national service and deserve the assist­ AmeriCorps "Summer of Safety" program for tax credits or increased deductions for ance our limited resources can provide. To organized 40 groups to rally against the fed­ those who donate their time and money. that end, my good friend and chairman of the eral crime bill's "three strikes and you're out" provision. Veterans' Committee, BOB STUMP, and I spon­ More than half of the money spent on sored an amendment to restore the funding for AmeriCorps ends up funding bureaucracies THE HOME RUN READER SUMMER VA outpatient clinics by rescinding funds from and paperwork. 'Educrats' at Northwestern READING PROGRAM AmeriCorps. University, for example, were given $140,000 Like all other liberal programs, AmeriCorps by AmeriCorps to develop "a plan to com­ HON. JIM UGHTFOOT plete for more AmeriCorps money next is wrought with abuse and spends half its OF IOWA money on bureaucracies and paperwork. Just year," without funding a single "volunteer." IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES like their School Lunch Program, which sup­ Similarly, Americorps gave bureaucrats a $100,000 planning grant to study a volunteer ports bureaucrats instead of feeding hungry Tuesday, April 4, 1995 corps in the Virgin Islands and gave the children, this volunteer program, intended to Council of Great City Schools, which is de­ Mr. LIGHTFOOT. Mr. Speaker, I would like provide student aid, funds even more bureau­ voted to the "advancement of education in to bring the Members' attention to a reading crats rather than directly aiding students. Fur­ inner-city public schools through public and program in my district which has done a great thermore, Mr. Speaker, the liberals and Presi­ legislative advocacy," a $200,000 planning deal to motivate young people to read. It dent Clinton have succeeded in exacerbating grant. Again, none of this money went to seems commonplace to hear about American the problem of voluntarism by throwing money help students ·pay for college. students who do not meet the strenuous cri­ at it. Their volunteers receive more money and Despite the rhetoric, AmeriCorps does lit­ tle to help working families pay for college. teria we must require of them. Unfortunately, benefits than many of our hard-working citi­ At a 1993-94 price tag of $155.5 million, about it is not unusual to hear about young Ameri­ zens. On top of that, the tax dollars funding one-tenth of one percent of the 16 million cans who graduate from high school without this program often go to wealthy families, students enrolled in post-secondary edu­ adequate reading skills. maintaining their elitist pool of feel-gooders in­ cation participated in AmeriCorps. Even if This program is sponsored by the Daily stead of inspiring do-gooders. Supporting ex­ Congress expands the program to 150,000 par­ Tribune newspaper in Ames, lA, and the Iowa isting community based groups who already ticipants by 1997 as the Clinton administra­ Cubs baseball team and is entitled, appro­ perform charitable duties would incite civic vir­ tion has requested, less than one percent of priately enough, "The Home Run Reader students will be able to participate. tue and activism amongst others. Summer Reading Program." This program Mr. Speaker, since my warning 2 years ago Furthermore, the majority of the students recruited come from wealthy, not poor or was conceived with the sole purpose of help­ wasn't enough to discourage my fellow Mem­ needy, households. The AmeriCorps program ing children discover the pleasure of reading. bers from creating another wasteful, bureau­ is not means-tested (the liberals in Congress The program has been successful. cratic program, I would like to offer the follow­ defeated conservative efforts to develop a Last year marked the launch of the program ing article that appeared in the Hill newspaper means test). Thus, the children of wealthy and over 5,000 children and 26 libraries in 4 as evidence of its failure. "AmeriCorps: Rhet­ and influential people can elbow out poor Iowa counties were involved. The students oric vs. Reality" provides justification for re­ students for participants in the program. As ranged in age from 2 to 16 years of age and Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.V.) noted on the Sen­ scinding valuable tax dollars from this mis­ read or had read to them an astounding guided program. ate floor, instead of sending one AmeriCorp participant (who may or may not need finan­ 50,000 books, according to Mary [From the Hill, Mar. 29, 1995] cial assistance) to college, five needy stu­ Youngerman, a constituent in my district who AMERICORPS: RHETORIC VS. REALITY dents could qualify for Pell Grants. served as the coordinator of the program. This (By Allyson Tucker) Nor does AmeriCorps promote "volunteer­ summer, the program will span eight counties Thanks to a $1.7 million public relations ism". Each AmeriCorps "volunteer" is paid a and its estimated that 12,000 young people budget, AmeriCorps, the Clinton administra­ $7,400 stipend and a $4,750 tuition credit, will participate. tion's national service program created in worth approximately $7.27 per hour, plus It is my hope that participating in this pro­ 1993, remains a sacred cow despite a cost of medical benefits and free child care. The $30,400 per "volunteer" and abundant evi­ total, tax-free AmeriCorps package is worth gram will initiate a love of reading in children dence of waste and abuse. nearly $20,000 annually, more than the in­ that will last them for the rest of their lives. Ac­ Consider the facts. In 1993-1994 AmeriCorps come of 39.3 million working Americans. The cording to Ms. Youngerman, this program was had about 20,000 "volunteers" who the Clin- total, non-taxable income of an AmeriCorps inspired by a similar program in Illinois. e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 10336 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS April 4, 1995 Mr. Speaker, I hope other Members will feel DAVID LOUIE: A SHINING EXAM­ lions of taxpayer dollars each year in the form free to contact me if they are interested in de­ PLE OF EXCELLENCE IN JOUR­ of illegal water subsidies to a few selected veloping similar programs in their districts. NALISM owners of corporate farm operations. The Hopefully, bringing attention to the Home Run water subsidy abuses have for years been a Reader Summer Reading Program will moti­ HON. TOM LANTOS huge embarrassment of Presidents of both po­ vate others to get involved at the local level to OF CALIFORNIA litical parties. But the Clinton administration encourage young people to read and learn. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES has published new regulations that will once and for all close the loopholes in the Federal Tuesday, April4, 1995 Water Program. The San Diego Union last Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to week published an insightful description of this WIZARDS OF WESTWOOD RECLAIM honor and commend Mr.