Democrat Barack Obama on Wednesday advocated a major expansion of the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and other national service programs, declaring, "This will be a cause of my presidency."
The Illinois senator said the government is not keeping pace with those who want to help. "We will create new opportunities for all of us to serve," he said at a rally at Cornell College.
Obama evoked the memory of President Kennedy and his Peace Corps volunteers, saying, "JFK made their service a bridge to the developing world." Despite growing anti-Americanism around the world, he said, "the American people are not the problem, they are the answer."
Obama, a senator from Illinois, said he also would expand the all-volunteer military but would "never send them to fight in a misguided war."
"The burden of service has fallen more and more on the brave men and women of our military," he said, citing "tour upon tour of duty in a war with no end." For returning troops, he said, "We will enlist veterans to help other veterans to find jobs, and to pitch in at VA hospitals and nursing homes."
His plan would:
Expand AmeriCorps from its current 75,000 positions to 250,000, with new units to deal with education, clean energy, health care and homeland security.
Expand service programs involving retired people and anyone over 55.
Double the size of the Peace Corps from its current 7,800 volunteers to 16,000 by its 50th anniversary in 2011.
Set goals for middle school and high school students to give 50 hours a year of public service, and for college students to serve 100 hours a year.
Other Democratic candidates also have proposed expanding national service.
Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, a former Peace Corps volunteer, has proposed making community service mandatory for all high school students, doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011 and expanding the AmeriCorps national service program to 1 million participants. He also has proposed encouraging service by adults by offering tax credits to employers who give workers paid time off to volunteer and $1,000 grants for seniors who help out in schools. The money could be used for their own continuing education or that of a child or grandchild.
