News & Events

Feb 24, 2010

Action Begins in House to Increase Peace Corps Funding

As the March 2nd National Day of Action in Support of the Peace Corps is just days away, the U.S. House of Representatives is starting to take action.  You can get a jump start on your Day of Action activities now!

Once again this year, the five RPCVs in the House (Congressmen Farr, Honda, Petri, Driehaus and Garamendi) have issued a "Dear Colleague" letter that other lawmakers are being asked to sign.  The letter seeks $465 million for the Peace Corps in Fiscal Year 2011.  This would be a 16% increase from current funding, and is roughly 4% higher than President Obama's requested $446 million.

Six other Congressmen/women have already added their name to this letter.  They are Madeleine Bordallo (Guam), Yvette Clarke (NY), Diana DeGette (CO), Gwen Moore (WI), Bill Pascrell Jr. (NJ) and David Price (NC).  If you reach out to these lawmakers, thank them for signing the letter.

If your Congressman/woman is yet on this list, you can take the following action:

1. Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard (877-851-6437) and ask to be connected to the office of your Congressman/woman.
2. Once connected, identify yourself as a constituent and leave this message:  "I'm a big supporter of the Peace Corps and am calling to urge Representative ______ to sign the Farr-Honda-Petri Dear Colleague letter to significantly increase Fiscal Year 2011 funding for the Peace Corps."
3. Contact us at to let us know you took action.

Return to the News and Events Page of this website for regular updates on signers of the House Peace Corps funding letter.  This letter will be a major focus of the March 2nd Day of Action.  A similar Senate letter is expected to be circulating soon.

Not sure who your Congressman/woman is?  Visit www.house.gov and go to the "Find Your Representative" section in the upper left corner of the page.

(Photo above - RPCV Congressmen Farr, Petri, Driehaus and Honda - pictured at last year's National Peace Corps Association Director's Circle meeting - are joined by new RPCV Congressman Garamendi in authoring the Peace Corps funding letter for Fiscal Year 2011)