Peace Corps Expansion Act 2009 to Top 100 Co-Sponsors

Dear Peace Corps Friends and Colleagues,Great news! We have reached a major milestone for the Peace Corps.With Representatives Baldwin , Kirk , Ellison , Sestak , Fudge , Capuano , and Brown co-sponsoring the Peace Corps Expansion Act 2009 (HR 1066) this week, 101 members of Congress have now co-sponsored Congressman Sam Farr's (Colombia 64-66) bill to more than double Peace Corps' budget. Our next goal is to reach 150 co-sponsors by June 1, 2009. As you may know, the current budget of the Corps, $340 million, can barely sustain the 3,500 volunteers posted around the world in 2009. This is despite over 20 countries today including Sierra Leone and Indonesia requesting Peace Corps.HR 1066 paves the way for an expanded and improved Peace Corps by authorizing Congress to provide $450 m, $600 m, and $750 m in 2010, 2011, and 2012.You also made big progress in the Senate where 37 US Senators listened to you and signed the Dodd/Corker Peace Corps letter pressing Leahy (VT) and Gregg (NH) to support a robust funding increase in FY 2010. Many powerful committee chairs including Majority Leader Harry Reid and Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin signed the letter illustrating the support from the very top levels of government. More good news: Four Senators sitting on the State/Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee (which funds Peace Corps) signed too ( Bond MO, Durbin IL, <Lautenberg NJ, and Mikulski MD).But we have a lot of work to do. What next? Please help us get 150 co-sponsors by June 1, 2009. See the list below and if your MC is not signed on, please take action. Also, continue calling the White House to give $450 million to Peace Corps in FY 2010 (call 202-456-1414 and ask to speak to someone about Peace Corps funding).There are 334 Congressmen/Congresswomen (LIST BELOW) who still haven't co-sponsored HR 1066! Please hit control and click here for the sample letter and contact your Representative TODAY. In many cases, even a single phone call or email has led to co-sponsorship. Representatives should contact RPCV Marc Hanson who leads this effort through Sam Farr's office to sign up: marc.hanson@mail.house.gov . If you take action, please email me ( rajeev@morepeacecorps.org ) so I can follow up.Optional: It would help expand our base of activists if you could forward this email to other members in your Peace Corps groups and copy me ( rajeev@morepeacecorps.org ).All Good Wishes,Rajeev Goyal (Nepal 01-03)Campaign Coordinator, www.MorePeaceCorps.org