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Posted on 01/21/2009 6:43:10 AM PST by rabscuttle385
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) today introduced the “Serve America Act,” a bill to expand national and community service opportunities for all Americans. Senators Mikulski, McCain, Dodd, Cochran, Reid, Gregg, Durbin, Wicker, Murray, Snowe, Kerry, Lincoln, Cardin, Rockefeller, Schumer, Whitehouse, Menendez, Bayh and Landrieu are also sponsors of the legislation.
The goal of the legislation is to encourage 175,000 more Americans to give a year of service to address specific national challenges such as strengthening our schools or increasing economic opportunities, thereby expanding the number of such service participants to 250,000. The legislation will also increase opportunities for individuals to serve at any stage of their life, from childhood through retirement, and will support social entrepreneurs with innovative solutions to tackle our most pressing problems.
“President-Elect Obama has called on Americans to serve, and they’ve already shown they’re ready to answer the call, with hundreds of thousands signing up to volunteer on Martin Luther King Day of Service. I’m delighted to join Senator Orrin Hatch in introducing this important bill. Our legislation will make it possible for many more Americans to continue to serve – to devote a year or longer to contribute to their country and their community,” said Senator Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which oversees existing service programs. “The Serve America Act will increase service opportunities for Americans of all ages, from young people helping to improve their own communities, to retiring professionals who can apply the skills they’ve gained over a lifetime to some of our greatest challenges. It will enable many more Americans to be part of the solution to major national challenges, such as the lack of health care in our needy communities, the problems in our schools, and the energy and environmental crises that threaten our planet. With the current economic crisis hitting our families and communities so hard, it’s as important as ever that we help each other.”
Senator Hatch said, “For many years, I have advocated for increased opportunities for volunteer service. The Serve America Act represents an effective and fiscally responsible approach to providing private citizens with an opportunity to help their communities. Investing in the commitment and ingenuity of the American people is a mutually beneficial way of addressing our nation’s most pressing problems. Indeed, as private citizens begin to do more in their communities, in the long run, it will mean that the government will have to do less to provide for those in need. I’m proud to join my colleague Senator Kennedy and a bipartisan group of Senators in supporting this important legislation.”
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I’ll never volunteer for anything connected to O or his minions.
Geez, I think my barf bag is getting full...
Now why didn’t I EVER think of doing volunteer work???
s-a-r-c
Don’t be alarmed folks. Whenever Kennedy calls for service he wants a waitress and/or a drink.
Maybe they are looking for volunteer doctors to do free partial birth abortions
I’d like to see the entire US Congress take a week off every month to work in a soup kitchen or preschool.
(crickets)
I don't get it. Anyone can volunteer, for anything, at any time. Why is it important for the government to take action in order to make volunteering possible?
Unless the volunteers will be paid by the government. In which case they aren't volunteers.
This just feel likes Castro's Young Pioneers program.
To Serve Man
All of the wretched RINO’s teaming up to see who can get their name next to the swimmer.
I have a new ACT I am sponsoring. I propose every Congress member and government official, including Dear Leader, work for free, and give up their benefits for 1 year in order to help get the economy back on track.
That would be very patriotic. It would also make their call for voluntary SLAVE LABOR less obvious.
At one time in my life, I thought I had a handle on the meaning of the word “service.”
“It’s the act of doing things for other people.”
Then I heard these terms which reference the word SERVICE:
Internal Revenue Service
Postal Service
Telephone Service
Civil Service
City & County Public Service
Customer Service
Service Stations
Then I became confused about the word “service.” This is not what I thought “service” meant.
So today, I overheard two farmers talking, and one of them said he had hired a bull to “service” a few of his cows. BAM! It all came into perspective. Now I understand what all those “service” agencies are doing to us.
I have taken to using lawn and leaf bags lately. Heavy duty ones at best.
Hatch is a former construction union worker, beware!
I find your lack of enthusiasm for national service disturbing, comrade.
What exactly is this bill supposed to do? ASK us to volunteer? We need a law for to ask for something? Or REQUIRE us to do something? Seems to me years ago, someone proposed the idea that people in taxpaper funded housing should be required to do an hour or so’s worth of maintenance and the ACLU said it wasn’t fair.
I must be missing something.
Make sure you don't hack up a lung or some other vitally important internal organ. After all, you will need to pay your taxes on April 15 somehow.
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