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House approves Titus amendment to increase ranks of volunteers
Posted by Stephens Washington Bureau
Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2009 at 01:08 PM

WASHINGTON — The House approved an amendment by Rep. Dina Titus today to increase the ranks of community service volunteers.

A Titus plan to create a federal "reserve corps" was added to a bill that expands volunteerism opportunities. The vote was 339-93.

The National Service Reserve Corps would be made up of alumni from AmeriCorps and the Senior Corps, networks of programs whose members tutor, build affordable housing, clean parks and perform other services through local nonprofit groups.

More than a half-million people have served through the programs. Alumni who sign up for the reserve corps could be called upon as shock troops in big emergencies like the Hurricane Katrina, said Titus, D-Nev.

"I just think it makes no sense to train people and then let them go especially when they want to stay committed," Titus said. "It is kind of a two-fer. It keeps people involved and takes advantage of their expertise."

in Nevada more 2,000 AmeriCorps members have served in 15 different programs and provided 2.5 million hours of service, while recruiting thousands of other community volunteers, Titus said.

The House was moving toward final passage of the overall volunteerism bill, which authorizes about $5 billion over five years to expand community service opportunities.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2009 at 01:08 PM and is filed under The Political Eye. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response.

Comments (8)

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8 Responses to "House approves Titus amendment to increase ranks of volunteers"
Congratulations Representative Titus - good for you! We should empower people of all ages to serve their communities.
Written by: Nancy on Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2009 at 1:28 PM -- Report abuse
DC Communists: Good luck in finding volunteers. I’m going to have to work for dollars to pay this tax bill.
Written by: TR on Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2009 at 2:04 PM -- Report abuse
WHAT? Dina Titus you sure learned how to do big spending fast! Been hanging out with Obama? Lets see: thats $1Bil.per year, or about $20 million per state for volunteers. Where does the money go and for what...training??, Ever hear of OJT? advertizing, brochures, sure....How about some transparancy, BEFORE the bill is passed as to where in the world it would cost $5 BILLION to do this? Got some big problems here....spending our tax dollars.
Written by: NoWheelsChalet@Yahoo.com on Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2009 at 2:31 PM -- Report abuse
Congrats Congresswoman Titus,
Trained Volunteers are worth their weight in gold as this country faces challenges like Hurricane Katrina and so many natural disaters.Thank you for remembering those in need.
Written by: Mary Lou on Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2009 at 3:48 PM -- Report abuse
I'd like to suggest that the House support those volunteer organizations that already exist under the Citizen Corps Council (i.e. Medical Reserve Corps, Volunteers In Police Service, Neighborhood Watch, Fire Corps and Community Emergency Response Teams) vs. coming up with something new. These groups offer volunteer opportunities for any citizen, including those with specialized skills, and currently involve hundreds of thousands of individuals across the US.
Written by: PJM on Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2009 at 3:52 PM -- Report abuse
Anyone else find it somewhat disturbing that Titus refers to people who are first on the scene of a major incident "shock troops?"
Written by: Allen on Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2009 at 7:59 PM -- Report abuse
YOU GO GIRL... I'm so glad you're my Representative in DC. You understand and really get it. You're making your mark as a freshman. I can't wait to see what a powerhouse you'll be after a couple of years. Just keep coming home whenever you can cuz we sure miss you here. And by the way... Just ignore the haters.
Written by: VegasVoter on Thursday, Mar. 19, 2009 at 3:16 AM -- Report abuse
Congressman Titus, you seriously demean the whole concept of "volunteerism." Paying someone to provide community service removes them, definitionally, from the ranks of those selfless, altruistic citizens who GIVE their time and energy to better their community. It is insulting to cavalierly drop them in the same pot as some unemployed Gen-Xer who gets one of these government JOBS, then claims to be a giving, compassionate contributor to society. The saddest thing is that you don't even know the harsh disrespect you just dealt to real volunteers in Nevada and elsewhere. So typical of a fiscal Liberal -- spend the taxpayers' money proving how socially conscious you are and then send out a press release tooting your own altruistic horn! The reality is, you are just spending more of OUR hard-earned money to show how generous YOU are. Clueless.
Written by: Rickerwill on Monday, Mar. 23, 2009 at 1:11 PM -- Report abuse
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