Thomas E. Petri: “I support passage of H.R. 4195, a bill that would authorize the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to establish a…”

“I support passage of H.R. 4195, a bill that would authorize the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to establish a commemorative work to honor the formation of the Peace Corps and the ideals upon which it was founded. I served in the Peace Corps in Somalia in 1966-67, just 5 years after the program's founding, and saw first hand the contribution that Peace Corps volunteers make to the communities they serve. Fifty years later, the continued selfless and noble service outside our borders remains a testament to the timeless American ideals embodied by the Peace Corps volunteers I served with and those that are serving today. Indeed, the creation of the Peace Corps by Congress and President John F. Kennedy in 1961 marked a fundamental turning point in American foreign policy. The values and ideals of America were put into action to help meet the needs of people in developing countries through volunteer service abroad. The founding of the Peace Corps was an expression of those ideals and will continue to inspire new generations of Americans to embrace the belief that we can and should reach out to uplift those around us.”