Bruce F. Vento: “I opposed the amendment offered by Representative Tiahrt to reduce and or defund AmeriCorps but not because I do not…”

“I opposed the amendment offered by Representative Tiahrt to reduce and or defund AmeriCorps but not because I do not care about our U.S. veterans as my colleagues on the other side of the aisle might have you think. On the contrary, I have nothing but great respect for the men and women that served our great Nation. It is because of this very respect for service that I must oppose the Tiahrt amendment. It goes without saying that we need to research the causes of gulf war illness, but this is not the appropriate funding with which to conduct that research. Furthermore, approximately $100 million are provided to research this illness which too many in positions of authority have denied even exists. Last year, more than 25,000 AmeriCorps members served across the United States. AmeriCorps members assisted more than 11.5 million people, collected almost 1 million pounds of food, and distributed 5,000 pounds of clothes.”