Support the continuing success of the Peace Corps
On March 7, about 150 members of the Peace Corps community from around the country, organized by the National Peace Corps Association, will visit the halls of Congress to promote the continuing success of the U.S. Peace Corps. As part of NPCA's National Days of Advocacy, outreach teams will meet with many Senators, Congressional representatives and their staffs seeking support for the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act and adequate funding for the agency's valuable global programs. The teams will highlight that Peace Corps service is as relevant and critical today as it was when the agency first started.
March 1, 1961, is celebrated as a historic day for the Peace Corps. On that day, 63 years ago, President John F. Kennedy took the first step with a key campaign pledge when he signed Executive Order 10924, providing for the establishment, functions and initial financing to launch his innovative program, aptly named — Peace Corps. During a press conference after signing the order, Kennedy said, “We will send those abroad who are committed to the concept which motivates the Peace Corps. It will not be easy…I am hopeful that it will be a source of satisfaction to Americans and a contribution to world peace.”
President Kennedy's challenging and far-reaching words inspired generations of Peace Corps Volunteers for their service to the United States and developing nations of the world. On Sept. 22, 1961, he signed the Peace Corps Act (Public Law 87-293) to authorize and formally establish the new agency. Since then, more than 240,000 Peace Corps volunteers have represented our nation, serving in 143 countries. I joined the Peace Corps from 1979 to 1981, serving in Barbados to develop the island's first marine protected area.
In the aftermath of one of the least productive years on Capitol Hill, with less than 30 pieces of legislation signed into law in 2023, the Peace Corps is a prime agency for Congress to start improving its productivity. One place to start is with the passage of a bipartisan Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (S. 1203 and H.R. 1273). It has been more than 20 years since Congress passed a comprehensive reauthorization bill to update and reform Peace Corps policies. The proposed legislation provides several health and safety improvements for volunteers, further protects volunteers from recrimination or reprisal when reporting serious matters to the agency, expands opportunities for the next generation of volunteers to continue service through federal employment and more.
A critical step that Congress should take to support the Peace Corps involves adequately investing in the agency, which has not been the case for almost a decade. In 2016, the Peace Corps received $410 million from Congress. Based on the 2016 appropriation, the equivalent inflation-adjusted value for the budget in 2024 should be about $530 million.
As fiscal conservatives call for budget cutting, the Peace Corps has already been forced to do more with less, based on flat funding and lost purchasing power year after year. The Senate proposed an increase in funding to about $450 million. Though the Senate's proposal may not allow the Peace Corps to reach its full potential, it is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives proposed returning Peace Corps funding to the 2016 level, which may require significant budget cuts for many Peace Corps programs.
More than 2,400 volunteers are on the job today, collaborating with their foreign counterparts in the fields of agriculture, community economic development, education, environmental protection, health, and youth development. With adequate funding, the Peace Corps estimates it could have more than 5,000 volunteers back in the field soon.
Such an ambitious staffing goal will require fellow Americans to answer the call to service. As with the military and domestic service programs, the supply of Peace Corps volunteers is not currently keeping pace with the demand. Gen. Colin Powell said, “Indeed, we're strongest when the face of America isn't only a soldier carrying a gun but also a diplomat negotiating peace, a Peace Corps volunteer bringing clean water to a village, or a relief worker stepping off a cargo plane as floodwaters rise.”
Peace Corps' call to service does not end when volunteers return from overseas. Returned Peace Corps Volunteers are motivated, enthusiastic individuals who contribute to often unnoticed and under-appreciated domestic benefits in their local communities. They are influenced by the lessons they learned in the countries where they served for two years or more.
With reauthorization of the Peace Corps and proper funding from Congress, President Kennedy's vision of unselfish service by Peace Corps Volunteers to promote world peace will continue to be a reality. Please join me in sending your strong and absolute support for the Peace Corps to Senators, congressional representatives and government leaders. Also, if you are inspired by hard work and world peace, consider serving as a Peace Corps volunteer!