Jay Rockefeller: “I rise today, to celebrate a remarkable anniversary. This month, Volunteers in Service to America, better known as…”

“I rise today, to celebrate a remarkable anniversary. This month, Volunteers in Service to America, better known as VISTA, celebrates the 45th anniversary of its founding. I am delighted to have Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi as my cosponsor. Public service is a bipartisan issue. Forty-five years of bringing people together, lifting communities up, fighting poverty, making America stronger. Forty-five years of fighting illiteracy, improving health services, reducing unemployment, increasing housing opportunities, reducing crime and recidivism, and expanding access to technology. Forty-five years of leveraging resources and building capacity while providing thousands of Americans the opportunity to devote a year of full-time service living and working in low-income communities to help eradicate poverty. VISTA did not invent these ideas; America has a long and rich history of public service. But when John F. Kennedy became president, these enduring values found new life. The person in his new administration who truly pursued that vision with all his might was President Kennedy's brother-in-law, Sargent Shriver. I will always know him as a hero and a friend. He created a legacy of programs that promote social equality and human dignity--such as Legal Services, Job Corps, and yes, VISTA. He was also the driving force behind the creation of the Peace Corps, which is how I originally came to know him.”