Political Quotes

“I wish to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the AmeriCorps program. I want to take a moment to say thank you--thank you to all of the volunteers and service workers out there. They are selflessly taking time out of their lives to help their fellow Americans in times of need. They are the ones out there building homes, clearing thousands of acres of forest burnt by wildfires, tutoring and mentoring our children, and assisting the elderly. They are unflagging, unflinching, and determined to make a difference. National service has always been a passion of mine. When we started in the 1970s with the establishment of a domestic volunteer corps-- similar to Peace Corps--I wanted to capture the fervor, the passion, and dynamic qualities of a social movement that would bring people to arms wielding change. At some point, it seemed we lost sight of what Alexis de Tocqueville called ``habits of the heart''--neighbor helping neighbor. I wanted to help turn the ME generation into the WE generation. That is why in 1989 I, along with Senators Kennedy and Nunn, introduced the National and Community Service Act--a bill to establish the Corporation for National and Community Service to oversee and coordinate our national volunteer efforts. This important legislation also created a demonstration program that has since evolved into what we know today as AmeriCorps. I believe that AmeriCorps is the embodiment of the spirit of volunteerism and service to our country.…”