Sam Farr: “Mr. Chairman, I think this debate is an appropriate kind of debate but not necessarily comparing AmeriCorps with the…”

“Mr. Chairman, I think this debate is an appropriate kind of debate but not necessarily comparing AmeriCorps with the veterans. I think we all support both. The irony is that the gulf war veterans may have sons or daughters that are in AmeriCorps, and in fact gulf war veterans may qualify as AmeriCorps volunteers, because it is a totally different program. It has to do with contribution to the community for remuneration and a credit toward, whether it is vocational training or academic training. I happen to represent an area in California, Fort Ord, the former Fort Ord, which still has a military property on it; and in that property, we have the center for the gulf war syndrome calls. Anyone who has been in the gulf war who thinks they may be qualified for benefits, these medical benefits, all of those calls from everywhere they are made in the world come to that building. That building gets them registered and into the process. It is a good process and it is working. The problem I think we have with veterans and not just gulf war veterans but veterans in general is that we are not allowing for collaboration.”