Committee Approves Spending Bill that Would Level-Fund CNCS in FY18
The House Appropriations Committee marked up and voted to advance an FY18 spending bill that would level-fund the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), AmeriCorps and Senior Corps at current levels. The bill rejects the White House’s recommendation to provide only enough funding to shutdown CNCS and its programs over the course of the next year.
At the full committee markup, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that oversees national service funding, cited AmeriCorps as one of the popular programs the spending bill would preserve, despite significant cuts in other areas due to strict budget caps.
Senate appropriators are still negotiating their spending bills for FY18 and are expected to release proposals in September. Members of Congress in both the House and Senate are also advocating for a new budget deal that would raise budget caps and allow for more federal funding to be allocated across federal programs. Appropriations decisions must be finalized by October 1, when federal FY18 begins, to avoid a government shutdown.
Corporation for National and Community Service Budget
| Program ($000,000) | FY17 Enacted | FY18 White House Request | House Mark FY18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AmeriCorps State and National | 386 | 2.3 | 386 |
| AmeriCorps NCCC | 30 | 24.1 | 30 |
| AmeriCorps VISTA | 92.4 | 4.9 | 92.4 |
| National Service Trust | 207 | 0 | 207 |
| Retired Senior Volunteer Program | 48.9 | 0.1 | 48.9 |
| Foster Grandparent Program | 107.7 | 0.1 | 107.7 |
| Senior Companion Program | 45.5 | 0.1 | 45.5 |
| Volunteer Generation Fund | 3.8 | 0 | 3.8 |
| State Commission Admin Grants | 16.5 | 0 | 16.5 |
| Salaries and Expenses | 81.7 | 99.7 | 81.7 |
| Total CNCS | 1,030.36 | 134.99 | 1,030.36 |
Click here to read Voices of National Service’s statement on the House FY18 spending bill.