Sam Farr: “I rise today because March 1 through March 7 is National Peace Corps Week. One hundred and seventy thousand volunteers…”

“I rise today because March 1 through March 7 is National Peace Corps Week. One hundred and seventy thousand volunteers have served in 137 countries over the past 43 years to make an impact on this world, and I would just like to congratulate all of those who are in the field right now, who are in foreign countries all over the word, and send a special congratulations to each of them during this National Peace Corps Week for their service and contribution to the developing countries throughout the world. And I would like to also remind them that what we heard yesterday in testimony by the leading generals in Iraq was that the military understands that until we cross the cultural divide, until the United States crosses the cultural divide, we will not have peace in this world. And the people that are being able to cross that cultural divide and bring the best of what is in America to the best of what is outside America together is the National Peace Corps. And I would just like to say on this week of anniversary that the Peace Corps volunteers do not give handouts. They instead share their knowledge, experiences, technical skills with locals who in turn learn valuable lessons from them, the host country nationals, as well as the host country nationals learning from us.”