Jerry Lewis: “It is very important for the House to understand where we come from regarding this specific proposal for re-funding the…”

“It is very important for the House to understand where we come from regarding this specific proposal for re-funding the veterans programs that were formerly set for some rescission. The fact is that AmeriCorps is a program that began in 1994. At that point in time, the President funded the proposal at $365 million. The following appropriations year, before the young people involved were even in place, it was raised by $210 million, more than a 50 percent increase. The President would have us in the 1996 year take the program up to $800 million. Shortly it would be another billion-dollar program. During all of this time, the program has not been evaluated indepth. There is little question that it is time we begin to stop this process of creating a brand new idea, a whim of somebody's, putting it in place and watching it go to billions and billions of dollars over the years. There is no doubt at all as we review this program it may deserve some funding, but indeed it deserves careful review before we go down this pathway.”