The House Appropriations Committee passed an FY16 Labor-HHS funding bill that includes drastic cuts to national service, jeopardizing services for students, veterans, military families, and communities recovering from natural disasters.
During the committee debate, Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) introduced an amendment to restore funding for national service programs in alignment with the President’s budget request for FY16. Eight members of the Committee spoke in favor of national service funding, but the amendment was voted down along party lines.
The funding bill approved by the House Committee proposes to cut the Corporation National and Community Service’s (CNCS) budget by $367 million or 34 percent. The bill would eliminate support for the Social Innovation Fund, the Volunteer Generation Fund, AmeriCorps NCCC, and State Service Commissions.
The bill would cut the National Service Trust by 75 percent, which would result in 25,000 fewer AmeriCorps positions nationwide. The legislation also proposes deep reductions in the CNCS operating budget that would jeopardize the agency’s capacity to make grants or oversee the effective operation of its programs, including Senior Corps.
Corporation for National and Community Service
| Program (dollars in thousands) | FY15 Enacted | FY16 House |
|---|---|---|
| AmeriCorps State and National | 335.4 | 318 |
| AmeriCorps NCCC | 30 | 0 |
| AmeriCorps VISTA | 92.4 | 92.4 |
| National Service Trust | 209.6 | 50 |
| Retired Senior Volunteer Program | 48.9 | 48.9 |
| Foster Grandparent Program | 107.7 | 107.7 |
| Senior Companion Program | 45.5 | 45.5 |
| Social Innovation Fund | 70 | 0 |
| Volunteer Generation Fund | 3.8 | 0 |
| State Commission Admin Grants | 16 | 0 |
| Inspector General | 5.3 | 5.25 |
| Salaries and Expenses | 81.7 | 20 |
| Total CNCS | 1,054.95 | 687.8 |
In response to the House Appropriations Committee’s approval of this bill, Voices for National Service released this statement [insert link].