Presidential Contenders Weigh In on AmeriCorps and National Service

The Chronicle asked the nine candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, as well as

President Bush, to provide their views on national service. Four answered the questions posed by The Chronicle, while six did not return the questionnaire or declined to answer it. In cases in which the candidates did not respond, The Chronicle has compiled information, when available, from candidates’ Web sites, speeches, public-service records, and other sources to describe their positions on national service.

Former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, Democrat

Ms. Braun did not respond to The Chronicle‘s national-service questionnaire. She has not proposed a national-service plan.

As a member of the Senate, she supported AmeriCorps and other national-service programs by voting in favor of the 1993 legislation that created the Corporation for National and Community Service.

In a presidential debate last year, Ms. Braun said: “I think AmeriCorps is important. I think public service is important. I sincerely believe that young people ought to be optimistic about the future, ought to be optimistic that their leadership will be honest with them, will tell them what the real deal is, and that will allow for young people to contribute to making this society better, to breaking down the barriers and making us as Americans who we can be.”

President George W. Bush, Republican

President Bush did not respond to The Chronicle‘s national-service questionnaire. His campaign has not proposed a national-service plan that details any changes Mr. Bush would make in the approach he is taking to the issue.

In his 2002 State of the Union address, Mr. Bush proposed increasing the number of AmeriCorps members from 50,000 to 75,000. During the same speech, the president also announced the establishment of the USA Freedom Corps to encourage Americans to contribute 4,000 hours to national service or volunteer projects during their lifetimes.

Last year, President Bush signed into law a proposal that clarified AmeriCorps accounting procedures, essentially allowing the Corporation for National and Community Service to avoid cutting some volunteer positions. However, AmeriCorps advocates criticized the president for not going further and fighting for emergency money the corporation needed to prevent the wholesale volunteer shortage.

In a speech a year ago, President Bush said: “One of the roles of government is to ask people to serve today. Once again, I’m asking our fellow citizens to serve your community and to serve your country by finding a program that will make a difference in somebody’s lives. … AmeriCorps has got tens of thousands of people helping to inoculate children against disease, or tutoring children. I’m a supporter of AmeriCorps.”

Gen. Wesley K. Clark, Democrat

General Clark offered the following comments in response to The Chronicle‘s questionnaire on AmeriCorps and national service:

What do you see as the federal government’s role in encouraging national service?

I had the privilege to serve my country in the United States Army, and I wish all Americans the same privilege. I recognize, however, that not all Americans are best suited for military service. Still, as I travel the country in this campaign, I see a great, untapped fount of patriotic spirit. I believe the government has a central role to play in harnessing this spirit and directing it toward the public good. That’s why one of the first proposals I made in my campaign was the creation of a civilian reserve that would harness the patriotic spirit of Americans with a broad range of skills and expertise.

What steps would you take as president to promote national service?

With the creation of a national civilian reserve, modeled after the military reserve, individuals would enlist voluntarily. In times of urgent need, the president would have the authority to issue a “voluntary call to action” to encourage particular segments of the civilian reserves to mobilize to meet pressing needs either at home or abroad. The president would only ask people to volunteer if they had the relevant skills to address the present need. During a crisis, if sufficient volunteers were not available, the president would have the authority to call up as many as 5,000 civilian reserves for mandatory service through a lottery of the reservists with the required skills, though such circumstances would be exceedingly rare.

After much deliberation, I chose to propose a voluntary program [instead of making service mandatory]. I have learned that a service comprised of people who have chosen to serve will be the most successful. Still, patriotism and national service will be constant themes of my presidency, and I will use the full power of the bully pulpit to encourage service, be it at the national, international, or community level.

As part of my national-service plan, I also endorsed the bipartisan Call to Service Act of 2003. This proposal more than triples AmeriCorps, from 50,000 volunteers today to 175,000 volunteers by 2008. Furthermore, it directs AmeriCorps to work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to make America safer.

What are your views of the Bush administration’s efforts to help religious charities receive government aid through AmeriCorps and other federal programs?

I am committed to the separation of church and state. I am concerned that President Bush’s faith-based initiative has the potential to use federal funds to encourage religious coercion and discrimination. Still, I recognize that faith-based social programs do excellent work in providing much-needed social services around the country and internationally.

On national service, as on so many other issues, President Bush has been all rhetoric and no action. In his 2002 State of the Union address, the president called on all Americans to serve 4,000 hours over their lifetime and pledged to create the USA Freedom Corps to help Americans reach this goal. However, it turned out that the USA Freedom Corps was essentially a new umbrella for old programs, including AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, and the Senior Corps. Moreover, the president asked for $200-million to fund his Citizen Corps initiative, but secured only $25-million. The president promised to expand AmeriCorps by 50 percent, from 50,000 volunteers to 75,000 volunteers. But in 2003, he signed legislation that cut AmeriCorps’s operating budget by 30 percent. This year, the national service program has half as many members as it did in 2001.

Gov. Howard Dean, Democrat

Governor Dean offered the following comments in response to The Chronicle‘s questionnaire on AmeriCorps and national service:

What do you see as the federal government’s role in encouraging national service?

The federal government has the opportunity to both inspire and financially support national service at all levels. Successful federal efforts must also make sure all Americans can afford to serve at all ages. Programs like those under the Senior Corps, the Peace Corps, and AmeriCorps have proven their value and should be expanded.

What steps would you take as president to promote national service?

As president I will expand the AmeriCorps program to allow more Americans to serve.

My campaign has already begun to promote national service by creating Dean Corps, an organization where Dean volunteers have been putting their time toward volunteering in blood drives, holding fund raisers for charities, and building homes for the homeless.

In addition to Dean Corps, I will boost opportunities for Americans to serve their communities while earning additional money for education by increasing the number of AmeriCorps positions to 250,000. Of these, 50,000 will be dedicated to new “front line” public-safety national-service programs, which will provide opportunities for young Americans to serve for two years as firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and forest and park-service rangers, enhancing our nation’s safety and security.

As a nation, we face challenges to successfully educate our children, to safeguard our citizens and communities, to enhance public safety and public health, and to keep our rivers, lakes, and streams, and national and state parks and forests clean and safe. “Front line” programs will help encourage more people to enter these fields while further opening the doors of opportunity for those willing to staff the front line here at home.

What are your views of the Bush administration’s efforts to help religious charities receive government aid through AmeriCorps and other federal programs?

Both faith-based and other nonprofit organizations play a vital role in providing social services and tackling social problems. I applaud their work and I support their mission.

For decades, secular and religiously affiliated organizations have provided federally funded social services. However, partnerships with faith-based organizations should augment — not replace — government programs, should respect First Amendment protections, and should never use taxpayer funds to proselytize or to support discrimination.

President Bush’s misguided proposals to fund religious providers violate these civil-rights principles and will only undermine the effectiveness of our social-service programs.

As governor of Vermont, I worked with a number of faith-based organizations. An excellent example is the Good News Garage run by the Lutheran Family Services. In a state where access to a vehicle is critical to maintaining employment, this organization rehabilitated donated cars, made the vehicles available to low-income Vermonters, and trained individuals on public assistance to repair automobiles. The state provided funds to help the Good News Garage to get started, AmeriCorps supplied people power, and the results have been fantastic. Hundreds of low-income Vermonters now have cars, others have become certified mechanics, and the Good News Garage is now a recognized national model program branching out to other states.

Sen. John Edwards, Democrat

Senator Edwards offered the following comments in response to The Chronicle‘s questionnaire on AmeriCorps and national service:

What do you see as the federal government’s role in encouraging national service?

The federal government has a long and successful history of encouraging service to community and country. The tradition ranges from the Civilian Conservation Corps under Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the Peace Corps of John F. Kennedy to VISTA under President Johnson to AmeriCorps under President Clinton. These initiatives and others, including service learning and senior-service programs, have enriched the lives of Americans and strengthened our country. I would continue this great tradition of service.

What steps would you take as president to promote national service?

I support encouraging service efforts by Americans at every age. My proposals have included the following:

• High-school community service. I believe high schools should require community service as a condition of graduation. Schools should train students not only in math and science, but in citizenship. While I do not believe that Washington should mandate that high schools require service, I do think Washington can play a useful role in encouraging service. Together with Senators Gordon Smith [Republican of Oregon] and Hillary Rodham Clinton [Democrat of New York], I have introduced legislation that would provide resources to high schools that require service for graduation. To qualify for grants, states and schools could tailor high-school service programs to meet local needs and interests. Our schools should be training students for a lifetime of giving back to their communities.
• AmeriCorps. I strongly opposed the Bush administration’s cuts to the AmeriCorps program. Last year, as news of how administration mismanagement in AmeriCorps was threatening enrollment, I spoke out early in calling for full funding to prevent cuts in the number of AmeriCorps slots. I would expand AmeriCorps.
• Teacher and homeland-security scholarships. In addition to AmeriCorps, I also support four-year college scholarships for young people who make long-term commitments to professions in which our country desperately needs talented people. I would offer scholarships for young people willing to commit to spend five years teaching in communities that have shortages of top-flight teachers, particularly in struggling urban and rural schools. I have also introduced legislation offering scholarships to young people willing to pursue homeland-security professions with shortages, including public health and translation services.
• Senior service. Older Americans make vital contributions to our community, and so I would strengthen the Senior Corps at the Corporation for National and Community Service.

What are your views of the Bush administration’s efforts to help religious charities receive government aid through AmeriCorps and other federal programs?

Religious organizations do wonderful work and make important contributions to our society. Faith-based organizations should be able to participate in delivering services, but they should meet the same antidiscrimination standards as other charities that receive government funding. We should be encouraging faith-based initiatives in a way that values the important work of these organizations and does not divide Americans.

Rep. Richard A. Gephardt, Democrat

Representative Gephardt did not respond to The Chronicle‘s national-service questionnaire. He has not proposed a national-service plan, but during his campaign he has promised to support the AmeriCorps program. As a member of Congress, he was a cosponsor of the legislation that established the Corporation for National and Community Service in 1993, as well as a recent proposal to increase the number of AmeriCorps members to 250,000 in 10 years. As president, he has said, he would create a Teacher’s Corps, which would pay the college-tuition loans of students who commit to teaching for five years.

In a radio address two years ago, Representative Gephardt said: “Americans who have enjoyed the rich benefits of democracy and free markets possess a unique capacity to energize these values both at home and across the world. We need to encourage citizens of all ages to get involved in AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, the diplomatic corps, and other voluntary service corps.”

Sen. John F. Kerry, Democrat

Senator Kerry did not respond to The Chronicle‘s national-service questionnaire. However, on his campaign’s Web site and in speeches he has outlined a national-service plan that includes the goal of having one million Americans a year serving in AmeriCorps and other service programs within the next decade.

Components of his plan include:

• Making community service mandatory for all high-school students.
• Providing young people who give two years of national service the money they need for tuition at a four-year public college, for vocational classes, to start a business, or to make a down payment on a home.
• Providing $2,000 stipends to older Americans who participate in 10 hours of service a week. The stipends can be given to a relative or other young person for educational purposes.
• Giving teenagers age 13 to 17 a $500 educational grant for performing service work during the summer. The teenagers would be supervised by AmeriCorps members.

Senator Kerry drafted legislation to allow educational awards received by AmeriCorps members and other national-service participants to be tax free.

He also voted in favor of the 1993 legislation that created the Corporation for National and Community Service.

In a speech last year, Senator Kerry said: “We need a new era of service — not an effort for one time, one purpose, or one group — but a permanent and national endeavor. For America now, service is not just an option, but an obligation of citizenship. So I am proposing that we fulfill that obligation by creating a seamless web of service where every American — young and old, rich and poor, of every race, religion, and background — can enlist in a new army of patriots who will serve on all the front lines of our future — guarding our nation from danger abroad, strengthening our homeland security, reducing illiteracy, preserving our environment, providing after-school care, helping our seniors live in dignity, building new homes for those who need them — and in all of this, building a nation that is more truly one America.”

Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, Democrat

Representative Kucinich offered the following comments in response to The Chronicle‘s questionnaire on AmeriCorps and national service:

What do you see as the federal government’s role in encouraging national service?

The president’s role includes inspiring people to reach out to their communities at the local level and all the way up to the world community. I will ask people not to be afraid or to go shopping but to be hopeful and go volunteering.

The government should play an active role in raising awareness of and breaking down barriers to service opportunities within federal government agencies. The government can create opportunities within existing initiatives for community service.

My amendment to HR 1995, the Teacher Empowerment Act of 1999, is one such example. This amendment allowed the secretary of education to award a grant to an organization with “substantial experience” in entrepreneurship education to create and operate a National Clearinghouse for Teacher Entrepreneurship.

Such initiatives are possible in many areas of government.

What steps would you take as president to promote national service?

I will encourage not only volunteerism, I’ll provide stipends and grants for such opportunities as well. My administration will direct extra resources to volunteer programs that support community building and peaceful reconciliation, and will work to incorporate these programs into schools across the country.

I strongly support the AmeriCorps program. In June 2003, I signed on to a request to restore AmeriCorps volunteer opportunities. This letter to President Bush urged him to request additional funding to address the challenges facing national-service programs. The letter urged President Bush to request $200-million in emergency supplemental funding for AmeriCorps.

I want to encourage all young people to serve their country, in the same way that President Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” But I do not believe that it is in the best interests of the democratic ideal to make such service mandatory.

However, as part of my recently introduced bill to create a cabinet-level U.S. Department of Peace, there is a proposal for development of a Peace Academy for instruction in peace education and nonviolent conflict resolution. Graduates of this four-year course would be required to serve five years in public service in domestic or international nonviolent conflict-resolution programs.

As an example of the kind of service I want to call all Americans to, on December 10, 2003 — International Human Rights Day — Kucinich supporters volunteered their services to homeless centers, put together holiday food boxes for AIDS patients, cleaned parks, brought coffee to striking workers, planted trees, built houses, and joined in many other activities. By reaching out to provide needed services in their communities, Kucinich supporters celebrated an important holiday by providing at the local and personal level some of the same protections of human rights that they are working for nationally.

What are your views of the Bush administration’s efforts to help religious charities receive government aid through AmeriCorps and other federal programs?

It is clear that the founders never intended to separate the government from spiritual values. As representatives of the people, we are truly called by faith in our constituents, ourselves, our nation, in something that transcends our condition, some higher awareness that we can reach for, some understanding that comes from spirit when we ask for it.

However, I believe that the separation of church and state is an ethic that encourages the unity of all Americans and must be preserved if our system of a government representative of all the people is to prevail. I voted “no” on a bill that would have allowed religious organizations to compete equally with other nongovernmental groups for federal funds to provide social service and provide $13.3-billion in tax breaks for charitable giving over 10 years. I did, however, vote to support a program that would encourage responsible fatherhood through faith-based organizations.

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, Democrat

Senator Lieberman declined to answer The Chronicle‘s national-service questionnaire. He has not proposed a national-service plan.

Senator Lieberman was a cosponsor of the legislation that created the Corporation for National and Community Service in 1993, as well as a recent proposal to increase the number of AmeriCorps members to 250,000 in 10 years.

Last year, in a statement, Mr. Lieberman said: “No one can dispute that the AmeriCorps program is worthwhile and successful. It is a program that facilitates public service and addresses critical educational, public safety, human and environmental needs to the benefit of communities across this nation. In the wake of September 11, we as a nation should do everything we can to provide opportunities for young people and citizens of all ages to engage in community service and reach out to one another.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton, Democrat

Mr. Sharpton did not respond to The Chronicle‘s national-service questionnaire. He has not proposed a national-service plan.