Date: 2009-03-31
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. we are here today to vote on a bill that proudly bears the name of a champion and true. advocate of national service. The bill is aptly named the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. and will provide the most significant expansion of national service since Senator KENNEDYS brother. President John F. Kennedy. issued his call to serve almost 50 years ago. This bipartisan legislation is needed now more than ever. It will give Americans of all ages. from middle school students through retirement. the chance to be part of the solution to our greatest challengeshealth care. education. and energyand help us emerge from this crisis stronger. It will put Americans to work in their communitiesin classrooms and churches and homeless shelters. and beyond. It will help Americans engage in projects that matterfeeding the hungry. helping seniors live independently. cleaning up trails and building bridges. and providing for the infrastructure of this country and our public lands. History has shown that in times of crisis. Americans turn to service and volunteering for healing. for rebuilding. and for hope. The spirit of generosity in the American people is one of the greatest assets of our Nation. We see this every single day. In the past week. North and South Dakota have been in a state of emergency. with communities facing severe flooding as the snow melts. As they have in so many other times of disaster. Americans showed up to help. Officials estimate that there are tens of thousands of volunteers who have already been on the ground for days. lining the shores of the river with over 1.5 million sandbags to help stop the flooding. In Fargo. a city with a population of 90.000. 80.000 volunteers showed up to help. Theyve driven through treacherous conditions from Minnesota. Michigan. Illinois. and beyond. ready to serve and ready to help. Today. we are acting to help them. This bill recognizes that service is an American value. It builds upon what Americans are already doing in their communities and across the country. We all know the urgency of this crisisworkers are losing their jobs. families are losing their income. our public infrastructure is crumbling. Communities are losing revenues and vital services. Our public needs are growing while our resources for meeting them axe disappearing. This bill will help meet some of those very urgent needs. President Obama has recognized this. He has made national service a top priority. in part because he knows it can help meet his three key priorities: Health care. energy. and education. He has asked us to usher in a new era of service. to launch a 21st century generation of volunteers and -to structure a new economy for the future and sustainable growth. He knows that volunteers play many roles. They can teach in our classrooms. they can green our communities and our schools. they can rebuild and weatherize our homes. help the uninsured find treatment in health clinic s. and more. All the while. they learn valuable skills that will help them in schools and jobs throughout their lives. Just 2 weeks ago on the steps of the Capitol I was lucky enough to meet retired Army Captain Scott Quilty. who proudly served our country in Iraq. He told us that the Service had saved his life twicethe first while in Iraq when he suffered an explosion and lost his right arm and right leg. His fellow soldiers carried him to safety and saved his life. The second time was during his recovery at a military medical center where he relearned how to walk and how to continue on with his life. As he says. his body was shattered but his eagerness to serve remained unshaken. Service is Captain Scott Quilty. Service is the volunteers in North Dakota and South Dakota. Service is the Americans who volunteered after 9q1. after Katrina. after Rita. and the fires and the earthquakes and the floods of California. It is the church groups. the retired. the college students. and displaced workers all coming together to respond to the need in this country. no matter what their personal plight is. Service is giving without looking back. Its the American community. It dots our entire landscape. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act is just what this country needs at this pivotal moment in our history. Just like any volunteer who cant do it alone. this bill could not have happened without the tireless efforts of our staff. With that. I would like to thank Denise Forte. Alex Ceja. Sarah Dyson. Stephanie Moore. Kim ZarishBecknell. Margaret Young. Adrienne Dunbar. Fred Jones. Rachel Racuhson. Melissa Salmanowitz. and Jessica Kahawneck. and all the people from