WASHINGTON, D.C. (Office of the American Samoa Congressional Delegate) — U.S. Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is an original cosponsor upon introduction of the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act or H.R.1273 with sponsor Congressman John Garamendi, D-CA, and cosponsors Congressman Gregory Meeks, D-NY, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; and Congressman Garret Graves, R-LA.
Amata served as a Peace Corps staffer in the Northern Mariana Islands in 1967-1968, and one of her daughters, Kirsten, is a returned Peace Corps volunteer who served in Bulgaria. Likewise, Garamendi is a returned Peace Corps volunteer (Ethiopia 1966-1968), and he and Graves serve as co-chairmen of the Congressional Peace Corps Caucus.
The reintroduction coincides with the 62nd anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s founding of the Peace Corps. The bill is endorsed by the National Peace Corps Association and the National Whistleblower Center.
The Peace Corps Reauthorization Act would provide resources to advance the Peace Corps’ mission around the world and better support current, returning, and former Peace Corps volunteers.
“My work with the Peace Corps was a wonderful time in my life, and good preparation for keeping the right priorities in mind through the years,” said Congresswoman Amata. “The Peace Corps is a proven program that helps many people and communities. Let’s make sure the program is strengthened and available, and encourage this special culture of serving others and volunteering.”
“My wife Patti and I owe so much to our service in the Peace Corps. It inspired a lifetime of public service that began in Ethiopia during the late 1960s and continued into state government in California, the Clinton Administration, and now the U.S. Congress,” said Congressman Garamendi. “Now more than ever, Congress must support the Peace Corps’ mission and realize President Kennedy’s vision of generations of young Americans ready to serve their nation and make the world a better place. Our reauthorization bill does exactly that, and provides much-needed resources to Peace Corps volunteers. This bipartisan legislation would also provide the resources necessary for the redeployment of Peace Corps volunteers, with the goal of reaching 10,000 volunteers serving annually around the world.”
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-NJ and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also welcomed the bill’s reintroduction.
“I welcome my House colleagues’ re-introduction of our legislation to reauthorize the Peace Corps, which I plan to reintroduce in the Senate,” Menendez said. “Approved unanimously by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last year, our bill is the product of strong, bipartisan and bicameral commitment to ensure the Peace Corps is both reflective of the United States’ rich diversity and talent, and that its volunteers and the broader Peace Corps community are fully supported. I look forward to continue working with my colleagues to hold the Peace Corps to account and to celebrate the agency’s efforts to foster peace, encourage cultural exchange, and facilitate friendship worldwide.”
“The Peace Corps has had a profound impact on the world’s developing nations. Its efforts are both tangible and effective, improving the livelihoods of millions and empowering the next generation of leaders and change-makers,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks, D-NY. “After over 60 years of success, the Peace Corps has demonstrated its unique value as a vital diplomatic and development tool of U.S. foreign policy. This bill will enhance the ability of the Peace Corps to make strong and strategic investments needed to meet the global challenges of today and continue to be a transformative force for years to come.”
“Our Peace Corps volunteers are an incredible representation of the values of our country, and they continue to improve communities worldwide. This legislation will advance that mission and reaffirm our support for their public service,” said Congressman Graves .
Uifa’atali Amata on Saipan during her time as a Peace Corps staffer.
