Congresswoman McCollum Responds to Planned Closing of Peace Corps Regional Recruiting Offices

On July 21, 2008, Congresswoman Betty McCollum's (MN-4) office issued the following press release concerning the reported closing of Peace Corps regional recruiting offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Denver, Colorado later this year:

McCollum Opposes closing of Minnesota Peace Corps Office

Plans to close Minnesota and Colorado recruiting offices raise retention concerns

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) today sent a letter to Peace Corps Director Ronald A. Tschetter, a Minnesota native, expressing concern about plans to close the regional recruiting offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Denver, Colorado later this year.

"It is my goal to see a growing number of highly qualified, diverse, and determined Americans of all ages committing themselves to serve our country as Peace Corps volunteers. Achieving this goal will require Congress to provide additional funds, which I support. It will also require a strong nation-wide recruiting presence. This plan to close the Minnesota and Colorado recruitment offices raises considerable questions about the Peace Corps future direction," Congresswoman McCollum wrote.

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-4) serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the Government Reform Committee.

Text of Letter:

July 21, 2008

Dear Director Tschetter:

As a strong supporter of Peace Corps and the men and women who serve our nation as volunteers, I am dismayed to learn about plans to close the regional recruiting offices in Minnesota (Minneapolis) and Colorado (Denver). It is my understanding that this plan will go into effect in approximately four months. I can state quite clearly that unless significant recruiting benefits - qualitative and quantitative - can be demonstrated from this plan, I will work to oppose the closing of these offices.

Director Tschetter, I would request the following details related to the planned closing of the Minnesota and Colorado recruitment offices:

• When specifically are the two offices slated for closing?
• How much will you spend in FY2008 on recruitment and what percentage of that amount are the operational costs of the Minnesota and Colorado offices?
• Will there be Peace Corps staff reductions in Minnesota and Colorado?
• What is the fiscal savings associated with the closing of these two offices?
• What is the operational impact on recruitment (i.e.; total number of recruiters, supervision of recruiters, face-to-face interviews with applicants) as a result of the closing of the offices?
• Do you plan to use "contract" or non-Peace Corps staff recruiters?
• Is there an anticipated reduction of Peace Corps volunteers serving in FY2009 over the current level of approximately 8,000?

As a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Agencies, the Peace Corps budget is within our subcommittee's jurisdiction. If there is a funding crisis that requires recruiting offices to be closed it is obvious that the President's FY2009 budget request of $343.5 million is insufficient to meet existing agency needs. Only last week our subcommittee approved the President's full request for Peace Corps without any indication that recruiting offices would be closing. This news therefore is even more troubling considering the agency's failure to inform subcommittee members of this budget crisis in advance of action on the funding bill.

It is my goal to see a growing number of highly qualified, diverse, and determined Americans of all ages committing themselves to serve our country as Peace Corps volunteers. Achieving this goal will require Congress to provide additional funds, which I support. It will also require a strong nation-wide recruiting presence. This plan to close the Minnesota and Colorado recruitment offices raises considerable questions about the Peace Corps future direction. Director Tschetter, I have serious doubts about this decision and I look forward to a prompt response to this letter.

Sincerely,

Betty McCollum                                                                                                                  

cc:     Chairwoman Nita Lowey
         Rep. Keith Ellison
         Rep. Diane DeGette
         Rep. Mark Udall
         Rep. Sam Farr
         Rep. Mike Honda
         Rep. Jim Walsh
         Rep. Chris Shays
         Rep. Tom Petri
         Sen. Christopher Dodd
         Sen. Amy Klobuchar
         Sen. Norm Coleman

**This release will be posted to Congresswoman McCollum's website shortly.  As this evolves we'll be posting more information on our homepage, http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org.

Comments

[Dece]

A new article is out on the closures.
It claims they need to lay off 400 PCVs, but that doesn't make too much sense since they cost 41,000 each a year and get paid around 3000. I'm also not sure what happened to the Directors new dollar account at Treasury. I don't see why the dollar would affect foreign country contributions that are basically not part of the Federal Budget and are put back into into that country by PC. Unless it has something to do with Section 508 and aid bans in countries like Fiji, Thailand, etc. and partnership payments by PC to foreign governments and NGOs. The funds are always available during yearly appropriation lapses, but we've switched to five year appropriations.

The 5% layoff of PCVs seems to go against the doubling of PC and why the budgets were doubled and put to five years. We might need to cut staff who are the $41,000 per PCV who are about $3000.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/25835504.html?location_refer=Local%20+%20Metro

[December]

Most PC recruiting events are held at the local public library. Recruiters try to make arrangements with local universities for events and recruiting. PC may not need these offices.

The Senate just came out with a report by House Appropriations Subcommittee on State Department and Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriation Bill 2009. The jurisdiction for PC appears under the Subcommittee on State Jurisdictions.

Other Congressmen just came out with the idea of putting PC under another agency. In the past these have been domestic programs, but the newest idea is USIP. The concern here would be the doubling of the PC budget to nearly a billion dollars over the new five year budget, which basically evolved out of 'sustainable budgets' - PEPFAR and the five year opportunity law for PC. That five year budgets are sustainable, while yearly budgets are not; USIP could better handle a larger budget over the extended period better than PC. The problem with USIP over the other agencies is their involvement with the the Iraq estimate, the intelligence committee and the planning and funding of the Afghanistan war and the intelligence community, which they work very closely with in Afghanistan.

USIP also had Congress give it property and an office on the mall between war memorials.

Party affiliations aren't supposed to be important, but Chris Shays is having a party at his house for (R)PCVs and anyone interested in PC on the 27th. He, Rice and other Congressmen are sponsoring the Public Service Academy that is free school for federal employees. He is also lobbying for the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2008, the new five year budgets and the 400 million for FY2009(Honda, Farr, Walsh, Petri and Shays). I don't know if Chris Myers Asch will be there, but everyone is invited.

[Joanne M. Roll]

Senator Coleman (Minnesota) is a Republican. When the Republicans were the majority party, he chaired the subcommittee on the Peace Corps. Now, that the Democrats are the majority party, the subcommittee is chaired by Chris Dodd, a RPCV. The local RPCV community in Denver has worked with the Regional Office on various recruiting events. Colorado universities have figured prominently in Peace Corps - development, number of PCVs, and post service graduage fellowships. I echo the request of Turnbull and others, we need to know more, now, about the closings.

[Erica Burman]

Point well taken, Pat. We just posted the press release "as is," which didn't include party affiliation. But here it is:

Democrats

Rep. Betty McCollum
Chairwoman Nita Lowey
Rep. Keith Ellison
Rep. Diane DeGette
Rep. Mark Udall
Rep. Sam Farr
Rep. Mike Honda
Sen. Christopher Dodd
Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Republicans

Rep. Tom Petri
Rep. Jim Walsh
Rep. Chris Shays
Sen. Norm Coleman

[Pat Smith, Mali 1977-80]

I am an occasional reader of this website; but isn't it customary in media and other formats that politicians are also identified by party affiliation? It would be quite interesting to see the party identification of all politicians so as to fully inform the readership. Thank you.

[Joanne M. Roll]

Congresswoman McCollum's questions are excellent. Doesn't Senator Norm Coleman, runing for reelection in Minnesota, chair a Peace Corps subcommittee? Has he been asked
for a response?

[John Turnbull]

I think it would be good to find out what the rationale for these closings actually is. Are they combining, for efficiency. If the higher-ups in the NPCA are regularly meeting with PC officials (about whatever it is they talk about) maybe they could find out -- and inform us. John Turnbull NMPCA

[Rowland]

House Appropriations Subcommittee on State Department and Foreign Operations and Related Programs doesn't focus much on PC. They've started the new World Bank caucus to work with the President more on policy. If they want to become more actively involved with PC, they should have asked how recruiting is done.

House Appropriations Subcommittee on State Department and Foreign Operations and Related Programs wants to become more involved with PC it should ask to be involved without attacking policy decisions made in the best interest of PC.