Bush Seeks Changes at Volunteer Agency

President Bush hopes to build political support for his proposed expansion of the Corporation for National and Community Service by recommending several changes to its service programs, which includes AmeriCorps and other efforts that receive federal dollars.

The corporation, which was created by President Clinton, has long been a target of

Republican budget cutting, but Mr. Bush’s proposals appear to have appeased old foes of the agency and AmeriCorps.

Rep. Dick Armey, a Texas Republican, told reporters earlier this year that he considered the “structural framework of AmeriCorps as obnoxious.” But his spokesman, Greg Crisp, says the proposals from the White House have satisfied some of the lawmaker’s criticisms.

Among the changes the president has requested:

• Requiring nonprofit organizations that participate in service programs to produce measurable results if they want to continue to receive federal money. The corporation would draw up new standards with suggestions from participating nonprofit groups.
• Giving state and local officials greater control in administering national-service programs.
• Allowing religious groups to play a larger role in national-service work.
• Establishing a program that would allow older Americans participating in service programs to receive a $1,000 “Silver Scholarship” to transfer to their children, grandchildren, or others to pay for their education.

Congress is expected to debate the proposals soon.

The Bush administration’s proposals are online at http://www.nationalservice.org/about/principles/index.html.