America’s Service Commissions’ Statement on President Biden’s FY24 Budget
The proposed budget includes $1.48 billion in funding for AmeriCorps, a nearly 12% increase over FY23.
Washington, DC (March 10, 2023) — For nearly 30 years, AmeriCorps members have served their communities, providing important support in education, disaster response, conservation, healthcare, and much more. In recent years, AmeriCorps programs have expanded and pivoted their services to address the many challenges of the 21st century, including public health outreach, staff shortages in schools, resilience and clean energy, and workforce development.
Yesterday, President Biden released his Budget for FY24, which proposes $1.48 billion for the AmeriCorps agency — a nearly 12% increase from FY23 — that would build on ongoing improvements and enable progress toward greater equity in national service by increasing AmeriCorps member benefits, strengthening democracy by uniting Americans through service and volunteerism, building paths to good-paying resilience and clean energy jobs, and prioritizing stewardship of valuable taxpayer resources.
America’s Service Commissions (ASC) is thankful to the Biden-Harris Administration for their past support and the current recognition of the value of national and community service to meet our nation’s most difficult challenges and provide much needed resources on the local and state levels.
“National and community service with AmeriCorps are bipartisan efforts, with deep support from elected officials across the political spectrum and at all levels of government,” said Kaira Esgate, ASC CEO. “ASC looks forward to working with congressional leaders to advance the President’s FY24 Budget where it aligns with state priorities like increasing the living allowance, supporting volunteers and local programs, developing career pathways, and securing much-needed investments in national service and in our states. AmeriCorps members do so much for our communities, and increased funding for AmeriCorps and national and community service would allow them to address even more unmet needs in the years to come.”
About States for Service States for Service is the privately funded, grassroots policy arm of America’s Service Commissions, the nonprofit association of the 52 state service commissions. The States for Service coalition works to reinforce the critical role state service commissions play in developing and advancing service in states to meet community and state needs. States for Service aims to influence policy, grant, and regulatory issues related to state service commissions, AmeriCorps State programs, and other state service programs such as AmeriCorps Seniors, AmeriCorps VISTA, and the Volunteer Generation Fund.
About America's Service Commissions America's Service Commissions is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing and promoting the 52 state service commissions across the United States and territories with the mission to lead and elevate the state service network. State service commissions are governor-appointed public agencies or nonprofit organizations made up of more than 1,000 commissioners, private citizens leading the nation's service movement and administering more than 75 percent of the federal AmeriCorps funds to address pressing community needs.
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