Senate Appropriations Committee Votes to Restore Obama’s National-Service Budget

Under a bill passed Thursday by the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Corporation for National and Community Service would receive about $1.15-billion, approximately the amount that President Obama requested for the agency in his proposed budget for 2010.

The House of Representatives earlier voted to cut $90-million from Mr. Obama’s budget request for the agency, which operates AmeriCorps and other service programs.

In a statement, the Senate Appropriations Committee said its budget recommendation “puts AmeriCorps on the path” to having 250,000 participants in 2017, a goal approved by Congress earlier this year in the Serve America Act. AmeriCorps has about 75,000 participants this year.

The appropriations committee allocated $50-million for a new Social Innovation Fund that would provide money for “social entrepreneurs” and nonprofit groups that are developing creative solutions to national and local problems.

Mr. Obama had requested $50-million for the fund; the House voted to spend $35-million.

The Senate Appropriations Committee also recommended spending $8-million for a new Volunteer Generation Fund and $2-million for a new Nonprofit Capacity Building Program. The House did not include money for the programs.