Sixty years ago, on Sept. 22, 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed the Peace Corp Act into law. Since then, roughly 240,000 Americans have volunteered overseas in 142 countries. They have worked alongside local citizens to dig wells, improve agricultural practices and teach public health skills.
In 1978 I was a Peace Corps volunteer in South Korea, where I trained special education teachers. Over the past six decades humanitarian work like this has been done with 0.01% of the federal budget — a true bargain with valuable benefits.
As we approach the 61st anniversary of the signing of the Peace Corps Act, we have to acknowledge how much the world has changed. The Peace Corps needs to be updated. Recently, with more than a two-thirds majority, HR1456 — The Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2022 — was passed by the House of Representatives. The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Utah commends Rep. Blake Moore for his affirmative vote.
Reauthorization of the Peace Corps won’t become law until the Senate passes a companion bill. The Peace Corps Reauthorization Act, S4466, has been introduced with bipartisan co-sponsorship, including that of James Risch, Republican of Idaho.
We urge Sens. Mitt Romney and Mike Lee to join in backing this bill. Coming together to support and improve the Peace Corps is an important step toward deepening our commitment to service and our nation’s highest ideals of freedom, self-reliance, and hard work.
Catherine Sharpsteen, Salt Lake City
from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/t7gcbHW
Post a Comment