The Senate Appropriations Committee passed an FY16 Labor-HHS funding bill that includes significant cuts to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).
While marking-up the bill, Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced an amendment to restore funding for national service programs at the levels requested by President Obama for FY16. The amendment was co-sponsored by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), but was ultimately withdrawn.
The funding bill approved by the Senate Committee proposes to cut the CNCS budget by $211 million or 20 percent. The bill would eliminate support for the Social Innovation Fund, and render cuts to AmeriCorps VISTA and the Senior Corps programs.
The bill would cut AmeriCorps State and National and the National Service Trust by $130 million, which would result in 20,000 fewer AmeriCorps positions nationwide.
Corporation for National and Community Service
| Program (dollars in thousands) | FY15 Enacted | FY16 Senate |
|---|---|---|
| AmeriCorps State and National | 335.4 | 270 |
| AmeriCorps NCCC | 30 | 30 |
| AmeriCorps VISTA | 92.4 | 90 |
| National Service Trust | 209.6 | 145 |
| Retired Senior Volunteer Program | 48.9 | 47.6 |
| Foster Grandparent Program | 107.7 | 104.8 |
| Senior Companion Program | 45.5 | 44.2 |
| Social Innovation Fund | 70 | 0 |
| Volunteer Generation Fund | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| State Commission Admin Grants | 16 | 16 |
| Inspector General | 5.3 | 5.25 |
| Salaries and Expenses | 81.7 | 80 |
| Total CNCS | 1,054.95 | 844.3 |
In response to the approval of this bill by the Senate Labor-HHS Subcommittee, Voices for National Service released this statement.